Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-03

for the rent. can't do nowt OF this,
Mr.. Shil, and you've the advantage OF
the likes of me; but as man to man,
| tell zee that I've a strong pair OF
hands
IF you wish to fight said John
Shil slowly and with CHASTITY attempt
at smile, I'm afraid l can't oblige
you. If you wish to force q quarrel
on me, you will, fear, be unsuccess-
full Good night The path Is open to
you," and he stepped aside, thrusting
the thick underground back with his
broad shoulders But Ben Holland
did not pass.
"You be poor thing, after all, Mr..
Shil," he said, with a sheer, for all
the great talk I've heard of you.
may be put farmer. but I'd let no
man stand in my path. and I'd step
aside for no man either"
THE path is open to you" said John
Shil hoarsely 81 do not seek to quar-
rel with any man"
No sneered the farmer, you'll be
getting your own back some other
way. You'll not forget tonight, and
| I'll feel your whip on my back one OF
these days shouldn't wonder If the
rent Of my farm isn't raised fore long.
| You've the power to deal with better
men than yourself. That's how you
got the gal. She's for the highest
bidder. she is. But there be those
that can bid higher than you, Mr..
Shil'
silence, you scoundrel!' cried the
young man, no longer able to keep
guard over his tongue, you're not fit
to scrape the mud off her boots, and
if you dare to
"Ah, that touches you up. doesn't
it," the farmer interrupted with brn-
tai laugh; another bidder, Ell? Mr..
William Tankerlane'll bid too high for
you, John Shil. You'll not want to
marry the girl when you know all I
know. He's bid already, you fool, and
the goods have been knocked down to
him. Soiled goods by now. l warrant,
to be passed off as new-ah!"
The mans words came to an end in
cry Of rage and pain. John Shils
fist had shot out of the darkness and
caught him on the black-bearded jaw.
1t was terrible blow, struck with the
full strength of strong man stune
to madness.
Ben Holland staggered back and
before he could recover himself, John
Shi got in his right hand on the
mans heart, and the huge body reeled
over on to the fence which bordered
the quarry.
There was crackle of splinterine
wood, yell of terror, and then, mo
tionless as a statue, John Shil waited
a. Nh hot IA
low-the crash of the heavy body or
.. the bottom of the quarry far beneath
But there was no sound save tn:
, rattle OF the stones and pieces o.
= wood that the force of the impact had
sent spinning into the depth Of ths
q pit.
l. Then cry for help rose into the
e night, piercing, agonising, terrible il
e its Intensity. John Shil sprang for
i ward, and in the grey light he say
r two dim hands gripping a tiny busl
:. close to the roots. He saw the bust
V slowly straining up the meagre sol
j around it. He saw how little stoot
e between Ben Holland and death. HI
4 saw, too, that it would be but tn
e work of moment to catch hold Of tn
# mans wrists, and draw him up int
e safety. All this he saw, and yet h
did not stretch out his hand.
e He stood motionless for nearly hal
a minute. 1t seemed hideous etel
. nifty, with the shrieks of lost soul
s ringing in his ears, He watched tn
e roots Of the little bush slowly tea
themselves out of the soil, and tn
!, sfght-fascinated him. He saw the dir
u hands shift their position to the sol
G itself, and he heard the sound Of tn
II mans finger-nails on patch OF bar
n stone. And all the time the dew
u whispered to him that the man mus
die Then, suddenly, as lightnin
al breaks from dark sky, the blindin
10 truth burst through the clouds of pa!
sion and showed him the danger to hi
re soul With bitter cry he flung hin
t. self forward and stretched out hi
hands to save his enemy. But he wa
u too late. Even as he moved tn
s. edge Of the quarry broke away H
N clutched wildly at some finger
ly brown with earth and crooked lik
y. claws, missed them, and fell on hi
r face, with the gulf beneath his GU
at stretched arms.
Is There was a crash on the stone
to eighty feet beneath him, and the
y silence.
IT, For a few moments he lay Their
y too stunned with horror to move. The
e. he staggered to his feet, and made h
e way along the edge of the quarry ii
r. he reached the side which slante
gently down to the bottom.
~ With the aid Of few matches
80 reached the place where Ben Holland
body lay wedged between two gre
ne pieces of yellow limestone. A vel
'lr brief examination sufflced to tell hi
ny that the man was dead The face WI
battered out of all recognition. Jol
i'd Shil blew out the match, and was gil
at to be in the darkness.
nd CHAPTER II.
"God Shall Judge"
az In the pa1lor Of the Upper Lea
W Farm young girl sat before ro
So ing fire Of oak logs, and saw brig
visions Of the future in the flames
an There was no lamp or candle in t