Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-01-17

to the night Of his struggle in the
wood. How much did she know? 1t
could scarcely be less than his own
knowledge of the AFFAIR, and so he told
her. II presume you are speaking Of
the night when l was attacked, but
did not see you. In fact" and he
shrugged his shoulders, I'm afraid my
wits were wool-gathering, for / saw no
body. until the man sprang at me"
With a quick impulse to shield her
dead, she said: Father did not know it
was you"
Horror and surprise were blended in
his tone: "Your father? Then 1t
was"
Susan Miller lowered her head I'M
til the s%unbonnet hid her face. Mis-
understanding her silence and shrink
ing, Winslow spoke lightly: That
need not prevent your accepting cour-
tesy at my hands. l bear no ill-will.
l assur YOU"
Her eyes dilated with scorn, and she
seemed a woman now, as she faced
HILL DIOuutIs IOu Cdn Tain ~ SoALAAJ
about it; you who killed him!'
Her words cut the air like a knife,
and his wound panied afresh with the
sting of it. Steadying himself with
an effort: I'm afraid l don't under
stand ycu," he said. Your father
was my assailant in the forest, and you
say l killed him"
Her silence gave consent, and he
continued, quietly: There is some
mistake; l did not kill him"
She repeated his words slowly, as
If learning a lesson. "You did not kill
him?" There was more conviction
than query In her tone, for she believed
him already. And then, as belief In
him came, another suspicion fastened
upon her like a nightmare.
She listened, stock still, while ne
told her all he knew, adding: MY only
weapon was a pistol, which l could not
reach, had I wished to use It. You
heard no shot fred?"
She shook her head, and he went on:
"You must believe me, then. The
Ilast sight l recall was the flash OF
steel in your fathers hand"
, He stood in deep thought for a mo-
ment, then: "They all think me guilty
l suppose?"
She bowed, but before he could speal
fastened to say: you need not b.
alarmed, sir. None will think the les:
{ of you; my poor father had no friends.
There was bitter shame and sorrow
in the short sentence, and Winslow'
$ heart stirred with pity. There wer'
: many things he wanted to ask-wh!
! her father had assaulted him, a harm
less stranger, how she happened to b
0 present, and other questions whicl
|, might bring light upon the coil of I'm
certainty. But he would not furthe
hurt this orphan girl. "It is no won
der you shrank from a hand yo'
s thought stained with your father
blood, but" and he leaned gentl
" toward her, "but you will take 1t now.
= She laid her soft palm in his with
n out a word. Through her simple min
If ran a thousand thoughts which he
d tongue had no power to utter. Sh
d saw his generosity, and was gratefl
If for this mama of kindness Yin he
y starved life. But only the pressure {
a. her hand revealed her f~selings--onl
the look in her eyes chat, like th
a fawn's Of her own wild wood, tol
II oo,nb ~. 1ooE ~ onoan1.
* 1T is growing late; g you l'
c. far?"
h. "Yonder at the end of the lane.
Is "Then let us haste, or see, Charl'
IN Vain will be there before u.s."
On they went through the swee
scented night; the narrow way SCENE
VS. hemmed in by tree and bush az
creeping ivy that b%egrudged to ms
O. even this tiny path.
g Little was said by either. Sue
thoughts were busy. She was sa
Nv dened by the brooding fear that hi
in oppressed her since first she knew tt
OF man was not her fathers murdere
For if not he, who? None other W
ng near except-and IN agony tugged
her heart as she realized that Geral
all too, was there! Her lover who ht
g. been threatened, provoked, perhaI
beyond endurance. Had his, the
is been the murderous knife or ARC
I'm (for none had known, nor cared to fl
out which weapon had ended
ng worthless a life)?
Was it, then, her promised husba
whose blow had locked her fathe
Zip lips while yet a curse contorted theI
he Winslow interrupted. her quiet re
en-. erie with a laugh. do you know tt
ay | hope soon to be a landowner?
ce, am going to take up a, thousand al
led ents, but have not yet decided up
the location. You see, I intend to ia
his plenty of time to fulfill every requi
ment Of these erratic laws. The ton
hawk mode of adjustment is too pril
DBL tive. Time was when primitive a
led honest went together, but I'm afr
that day Is past"
nd Sue was grieved by the reminiscel
emit which the strangers words conjur
I'M Though in different language they
ak pressed the same fear that Jabez /
been prey to.
ISIS, Winslow was saying: 1T must g
vas quite a feeling Of Importance
her landed proprietorship. Can you
OF imagine that beyond that clump
re; trees stands a lodge with ancest
halls at the end of the drive?
a park and deer are here, we only n
her the family plate and portraits"
He was trying to u her out
md, ihis pathetic mood. But though