Gunnison news-champion., 1908-03-20


ne~ wasang t@cagucs tnas the CRASH
mizhi hav. heou the water pitcher.
She had been asleep aud could not
Eauee the shock of the fall 1t bad
.ccsHed tcrriiic buf what a~akens one
from sleep h. always abnormal to
ones startled aud snrcmembering
consciousness sun. II might have
been the pitcher She cherished no
fond d.iusiun a. to the impenetra-
hiiify af the warped cottonwood noor-
ing Water might even thea be trick
ling through 10 the room below She
found herself wondering where the
he'd stood. and that thought broagh,
her sitting up in a hurry only to re-
member that she vas over the musty
sittingroam with ns impossible car
pet. She would be glad TO see n
soaked might pat little color into
h.. temporarily al least. and lay the
dusf uf ages But sitting up she felt
herself cnvclopod in gale OF wind
that played over The bed and so wise
ly concluded that II she wished to- see
this court through without the risk Of
grippe OF pneumonia complications.
she had better CLOSE that window So
she slipped cautiously out OF bed. ner-
vously apprehensive Of plunging her
feet into pool of water II bad NOT
been the pitcher after all Even after
the window was closed there seemed
TO be much air in the room The
blind stlai Tapped though at longer in
tervals II n really turned cold. how
room. she and Mary? She thought Of
the campers out on the fiat and shiv-
cred She looked out of the window
musingly a moment II was dark She
wondered If Gordon had come home
OF course he was home II must be
nearly morning Her feet were get.
ting cold. so she crept back into bed.
F, The next thing of which she was con.
scious. Mary was shaking her excit-
edly.
What is it," she asked. sleepily.
! Louise, There's a fire somewhere,
Listen"
Some one rushed quickly through
the hall. others followed. knocking
against the walls in the darkness.
Then the awful. heart.clutching clang
Of a bell rang out-near. insistent, me-
tallic. 1t was the meeting house bell
There was no other In the town. The
girls sprang to the floor The thought
had found swift lodgment in the mind
uf each that the hotel was on fire. and
IN that moment Louise thought of the
poisoned meat that had once been
served 70 some archenemies of the
gang whose chief was now on trial for
his liberty. so quickly does the brain
work under stress of great crises, that.
even before she had her shoes and
stocking on. she found herself wonder
ing who was the marked victim this
time. Not Williston-he was dead.
Not Gordon-he slept in his own room
back of the Office. Not Langford-he
was bunking with his friend in that
same room. Jim Munson? Or was the
judge the prescribed one? He was not
corrupt judge. He could not be
bought. II might be he. Mary had
gone to the window.
"Louise!" she gasped The court
house,"
True. The cloudy sky was reddeneA
above the poor little temple OF justice
where for day and weeks the tide of
human interest OF a big part of a big
state-ay. a big part of all the north
west country. maybe-had been stead
lily setting in and had reached its cul-
mination only yesterday, when .
grayeyed, dropping g-shouldered, firm-
jawed young man had at last faced
quietly in the bar OF his court the
defer of the COW country. Tonight.
1t would dance its little measure, re-
cite its few lines on its little stage Of
popularity before an audience frenzied
with appreciation and interest: to-
morrow. it would be a heap Of ashes,
its scene played out.
MY note books" cried Louise. in
Hash Of comprehension. She dressed
hastily. Shirt waist was too intricate
SO she threw on a gay Japanese XII
mono; her jacket and walking skirt
concealed the limitations Of her at
tire
What are you going TO do?' asked
Mary. also putting on clothes which
were easy OF adjustment. She had
never gone to fires in the old days
before she had come to South Dakota
but if Louise went-gentle, highbred
Louise-why. she would go too. thai
was all there was about it. She ha<
constituted herself Louise's guardian
in this rough life that must be SO alieY
to the eastern girl. Louise had beel
very good to her. Louise's startled
cry about her note books carried LITTLE
: understanding to her. She vas 10
? rsod rourf and its wava
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK