Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-04-09

| n.
or his haunts and cronies OF tho
period Immediately preceding his
death, the agent could tell nothing
! He had not been seen at the agency
| for nearly year. The reprobate band
| had covered its tracks wen. There
was nothing to do but lay the dead
| body away and shovel Oblivion over
| It's secret
In the early morning after the re,
turn of the men from their unsuccess
full man hunt. Gordon, gray and bag
gard from loss of sleep and from hard
thought, stepped out into the Kitchen
To stretch his cramped limbs. lie
stumbled over the figure OF Laugtord
prone upon the floor, dead asleep in
utter exhaustion. He smiled under,
standingly and opened the outerdoOr
quietly. hoping he had not aroused the
WORKOUT boss. The air WAS fresh and
cool. with hint Of autumn sharpness.
and a premature Indian summer haze.
that softened the CauntneSS Of the
landscape, and made the distances
blue and restgiying. He felt the need
of inyigoration after his nights virgil.
and struck of down the road with
long strides, in pleasant anticipation
of a coming appetite for breakfast.
Thus IL was that langford. strug.
cling to a sitting posture. rubbing his
heavy eyes with dim consciousness
that he had been disturbed, and won
dering drowsily why he was so stupid,
felt something seeping through his
senses that told him he did not do
well TO sleep. So he decided he would
take a plunge into the cold artesian
pond, and with such drastic measures
Danish once and for all the elusive yet
all.pervading cobwebs which chung TO
him. Rising TO his feet with unusual
awkwardness, he looked with scorn
upon the bare floor and accused it
blindly and bitterly as the direct
cause of the strange soreness that be-
set his whole anatomy. The lay of the
floor had changed in a night. Where
was he? He glanced helplessly
about. Then he knew.
Thus it was. that when Mary Ian
guidly opened her eyes a little later
it was the boss who sat beside her
and smiled reassuringly.
You have not slept a wink" she
creid, accusingly.
Indeed l have" he said. Three
whole hours l feel tip-top."
You are-fibbing," she said. Your
eyes look so tired, and your face is all
worn"
His heart leaped with the joy of her
solicitude.
you are wrong" he laughed,
teasingly. Il slept on the floor; and a
good bed 1t was, too. No, Miss Willis.
ton, | am not all in yet, by any
means"
In his new consciousness, new
formality crept into his way of ad-
dressing her. She did not seem to
notice 1t.
Forgive me for forgetting, last
night" she said, earnestly. II was
very selfish. forgot that you had not
slept for nearly two days and were
riding all the while incur behalf. |
forgot. | was tired, and | went to
sleep. i want you to forgive me- |
want you to believe that do appre-
ciate what you have done. My faith
er-"
Don't, don't, little girl" cried
Langford, forgetting his new awe of
her maidenhood in his pity for the
stricken child.
MY father" she went on steadily.
would thank you If he were here. |
thank YOU too, even if l did forget to
think whether or no you and all the
men had any sleep or anything to eat
last night. VIII you try to believe
that | did not forget Willingly? l was
so tired
When Langford answered her
which was not Immediately, his face
was white and he spoke quietly with
a touch of injured pride.
If you want to hurt us, Miss Will.
liston, that is the way to talk. We
cowmen do not do things for thanks"
She looked at him wonderingly a
moment, then said, simply, Forgive
me- but her lips were trembling and
she turned to the wall to hide the
she was only a woman-with nerves
and the reaction had come.
Tho sheriff and his party of depu.
ties made diligent search for Willis
ton that day and for many DAYS to
come. 1t was of no avail He had
disappeared, and all trace with him.
as completely as If he had been spir-
tied away in the night to another
world-body and soul That the
J soul of him had really gone to another
world came to be generally believed
Mary held no hope after the return
OF the first expedition; but why could
they find no trace of his body? Where
was it? Where had it found a rest.
ing place? Was it possible for a man.
quick or dead, even west of the river
In an early day OF its civilization when
the law had winking eye, to fall
away from his wonted haunts in a
night and leave no print, neither
bone nor rag nor a memory, to give