The Irish standard., 1908-02-15
CHAPTER XIX.

SuATl En- \JN.
The Escape.
The little county seat awoke in the
morning to a strange sight. The
storm had not abated. The wind was
still blowing at blizzard rate of the
northwest hills, and fine, icy snow was
swirling so thickly through the cold
air that vision was obstructed. Build.
ing were distinguishable only as shad-
ows showing family through heavy
white veil. The thermometer had gone
many degrees below the zero mark. It
was steadily growing colder. The old
er Inhabitants said it would surely
break the record the coming night.
An immense fire had been built in
the sitting-room. Thither Mary and
Louise repaired. Here they were
Joined by Dale, Langford and Gordon.
"You should be out at the ranch
looking after your poor cattle, Mr..
Langford," said Mary, smilingly. She
could be light-hearted now-since lit
tie secret had been whispered to her
last night at a tea party where no
tea had been drunk. Langford had
gravitated toward her as naturally
as steel to magnet. He shrugged his
big shoulders and laughed a little.
''The Scribe will do everything that
can be done. Honest, now, did you
think this trial could be pulled of
without me?"
"But there can be no trial to-day"
"Why not?"
did dream the courthouse burned
last night?"
IF you did, we are all dreamers
alike
'Then how can you hold court?"
eve have gone back to the time
when church and state were one and
inseparable, and court convenes at 10
o'clock sharp in the meeting house."
he said.
Louise was looking white and mis-.
erable
"You are not contemplating running
away, are you?" asked Gordon. "This
is unusual weather-really."
She looked at him with a pitiful
smile.
II should like to be strong and
brave and enduring and capable-like
Mary. You don't believe it, do you?
It's true, though. But l can't. I'm
weak and homesick and cold. l ought
not to have come. am not the kind
You said 1t, you know. am going
home just as soon as this court is
over. I mean it."
There was no mistaking that. Cor
don bowed his head. His face was
white. 1t had come sooner than he
had thought.
All the records of the work yester.
day had been burned. There was moth.
ing to do but begin at the beginning
again. 1t was discouraging, uninter.
esting. But it had to be done. Dale
refused positively to adjourn. The
jurymen were all here. So the little
frame church was bargained for. II
the fire.bugs had thought to postpone
events-to gain time-by last nights
work, they would find themselves very
greatly mistaken. The church was
long and narrow like country school
house, and rather roomy considering
the size of the town. 1t had precise
windows-also like country school
house-four on the west side, through
which the fine snow was drifting. four
opposite. The storm kept few at
home with the exception of the people
from across the river. There were
enough staying in the town to fill the
room to its utmost limits. Standing
room was at premium. The entry
was crowded. Men not able to get in
ploughed back through the cutting
wind and snow only to return present
ly to see If the situation had changed
any during their brief absence. So
all the work Of yesterday was gone
over again.
So close was the pack of people that
the fire roaring in the big stove in the
middle Of the room was allowed to
sink in smouldering quiet. The heavy
air had been unbearable else. The
snow that had been brought in on
tramping feet lay in little melted
pools on the rough flooring. Men for
got to eat peanuts and women forgot
to chew their gum-except one or two
extremely nervous ones whose jaws
moved the faster under the stimulus
Of hysteria. Jesse Black was telling
his story.
"Along toward the 1st Of last July,
took hike out into the Indian coun-
try to buy a few head O. cattle.
trade considerable with the half.
breeds around Crow creek and Lower
Brule. They're always for sellin' and
if it comes to showdown never hag-
gle much about the lucre-it all goes
for snake.juice anyway. Well, l landed
at John Yellow VOLTS shanty along
about noon and found there was 9th
ers ahead of me. Yellow Wolf always
was popular cuss. There was Char
lie Nightbird, Pete Monroe, Jesse Big
Cloud and two or three others whose
mugs 1 did not happen to be onto.
After our feed, we all strolled out to
~. oorrol va1lou, Hfyo1R eoid ho nod