The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-08-24

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saE to station herself in the woods by
the railroad at gFade-foot where biz
train slackened speed. and he was TO
drop of the train coyertlg when it
should PASS, take the horse she should
bring for him, and ride with her 30
miles through the night and the woods
to the Oregon coast. Then they were
70 make Seattle by steamer and train,
aud so east Once east they should
plan further. For one thing, Miss Van
Wyck would thereafter have an es.
eqFt when she went riding, and she
would not have to endure the depress-
ing rain clouds hanging over the Mes
qualmie hills. When Mrs. Kellen
should see ft to give KelIen divorce.
they would be married Kellen gave
his wife no hints, but left the blow 70
fall uTOn her without warning. He
wanted his scheme to succeed and TO
avoid hindrances, and was therefore
very cautious.
They selected Friday evening for
their departure, Notwithstanding the
evil devil that presides over that day,
because Miss Van Wyek would not be
inquired for TN Monday morning,
when tha children should yetHrn TO
school, and that wuul4 give them a
big start. She told tho horse owner
Of the village from whom she hired the
horses that she was going riding down
the river TO Ballerton with friend
who would call for her at the house
where she dwelt--that she had time
to make the proper arrangements,
while he had not-and accordingly
the horses we're left at her door.
The owls were hootng in the shad-
ows wnen she reached the rendezvous
al the gradefoot, and the river was
growing among the willows. Her
nerves we're on razor edge when KEEL
lens train went By, and back among
the trees. she jerked her restless
horses bobbing head With aimless and
unreasoning viciousness.
But Kellen did not get or as the
train skurried along putting and fash
Ing its lights. Miss Van Wyck sat
waiting on her horse long time, star
ing after the train and biting her lips.
while her heart variously flutteFed and
sank and stood still The gloom Of
the woods increased and was impaired
to her soul. She waited stoically fol
an hour. hopelessiy and wonderlngly
and then turned towerd Nesqualmie-
A quarter Of mile above The tryst
Ing spot the Rogue runs between mar
row shores like mad river, and
railroad bridge crosses It there. As
the train drew near the bridge, Keller
was seen to go out on the platform ano
look ahead. according TO custom o.
his. Later the forward brakeman
missed him, and he was found no mors
upon the train.
Down the river mile from where
he should have dropped OF to joiE
Miss Van Wyck with an eager smile
on his face, the river spreads out sud
denly over a fiat in shadows, and hers
there was ford leading back to Mes
qhalmie. Miss Van Wyck rode through
tie FIR trees under the moonlight &c
this spot, and there she saw something
in the river close to the bank. half ia
ard half ont OF the willow shadows
It was going round and round slowly
In an eddy, and its white face was
turned up TO the moon. No doubt Il
looked CHASTITY, for when she galloped
into Nesqualmie half an hour later. she
was raving and wringlng her hands in
a state of hysteria Her nerves had
been seriously shocked, and as sh
swayed and shook In the saddle It W.
gathered out Of her incoherent moan-
ings and self-reproaches that some.
thing was wrong at the ford.
Some men went ont there, and ther
they recovered Kellen's body from the
river; and they picked up the horse
that had been led for him, browsing
along the road. Afterward, it was
found that a signboard on a post that
stood close TO the railroad track at the
bridge where he disappeared had been
twisted half around. II was thought
that he leaned too far out and struck
that, which was criminally close to the
track; and It is probable that at the
time when Miss Van Wyck was wait.
ing for him in the grisly timber with
parted lips and heaving breast, he was
washing heedlessly by. his ears deaf
and his eyes blind. in the current Of
the Rogue
The horse owner and the nurse who
attended Miss Van Wyck through the
fever that followed the hysteria, and
listened to her dellrious babble, fr..
nished information that patched out
her story. Kellen was buried at Mo
kuhheno where his wife lived, and no
one whispered anything to his wifa
about Miss Van Wyck; so the fading
little woman, with the pathos.
charged eyes Of blue, grieyed over him
sincerely. The funeral took place
while Miss Van Wyek was dellrious.
and Kellen was some time in his grave
when she recovered. This saved her
pain, because she could lot have gone
to the funeral had she been well, being
unknown to his wife. and having no
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