Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1909-03-12

was eager and impetuous. Dick was
settled and world worn by hardship
and much physical suffering. Now
Jack was at the altar racked with men,
tai torture, while Dick waited in the
garden for his traitorous friend. The
innocent cause Of the tragedy was
sweetly and calmly replying to the
questions Of the marriage ritual. while
Jack was looking, as Allen said to
himself, ''darned squeamish."
According to these words. it is the
will Of God that nothing shall sever
the marriage bond,' were the words
that fell upon Aliens ears as he stoop-
ed to look in the window at the wed
ding party.
s"The sky pilots takin' long time
to make the hitch. Darned if I
couldn't hitch up twenty mule team
In the time that he's takin' to get them
two to the pole" said Allen. speaking
to himself.
Dick had grown impatient at Jacks
absence and wandered back from the
garden to the front Of the house. Spy
ing Allen, he greeted him with. Hello.
Uncle jim"
That's my name" answered Allen
suspiciously, 'but amt uncle to every
stranger that comes along"
'sI'm no stranger" laughed Dick.
"You know me-"
'Do II" replied Allen unconvinced.
''Who are your"
stThe poor orphan you took from an
asylum and made man of-Dick
Lane
"Dick Lanew repeated the astonished
ranchman "Come back from the dead"
mo; I'm not dead yet" answered
Dick, holding out his hand, which AL
len gingerly grasped as if he expected
to find it thin air. 81 wasn't killed. I
have been in the hospital for long
time. wrote Jack. He knows"
"My God!" Allen cried. Jack
knows-you wrote to him-he knows"
Over and over he repeated the aston
ishirg news which had been broken to
him so suddenly. Here was a man.
as if back from the dead. standing in
his own dooryard, telling him that
Jack knew he was alive. No word
had been told him. What would Echo
say? This, then, explained Jacks
strange request and his distress.
And Echo?' Dick questioned, glanc-
ing toward the house.
Echo" The name aroused Allen,
He saw at once that he must act def
initely and quickly. Echo must not
see Dick now. 1t was too late. The
secret of his return on the wedding
day must be known only to the three
men.
'Look here, Dick" he commanded.
You mustn't let her see you. She
mustn't know you are alive" ~
Dick was growing confused over the
mystery which was being thrown
about Echo Allen. First Jack had
told him he must wait to see her. and
now her father tells him he must never
see her again or let her know that he
is alive. Els strength was being over
taxed by all this evasion and delay
Dick said Allen, with deep SYM
pathy. laying his hand upon the mans
Dhcu.der. shes my daughter, an
want her life to be happy. Can't you
+ Dec 81 1Si Sot uuuSIStdAu! Gle
thinks you're dead - g1,s?
~ That are you saying?" cried Dick,
trying to .fathom the riddle. ,g& :,
2 Z You've come back too late, Dick.s'
sadly. explained; Allen. ~ ~, 49,.
Too lata," echoed Dick. There's
something back of all. this. I'll see
her now $S&& " =.
II He p started to enter the door, but
Allen restrained him ''You can't go
sinr' he shouted to the excited man and
4 pushed him down the steps. 1t was
& an easy task for him. for Dick was too
weak to- offer much resistance. No,
you WON'T he gently told him. His
Il heart bled for the poor fellow. whom
n he loved almost as son, but Echo's
happiness was at stake and explana-
y tons could come later. More to EN-
B phasize his earnestness than to fndi-
cate intention to shoot, he laid his
hand on the butt of his revolver, say.
n ing, Not If r have to kill you. y
DICE began to realize that whatever
was wrong was Of the greatest eo1ise.
quenee, 81 1t was a shock to him to have
his Oldest, his best friend in the wes1
treat him iii this fashion. INA e II: %
IT, he cried In his anguish.
You've got to go back where yoI
come from, Dick, Z sternly answered
the ranehman ST ever you loved %,
daughter, noW's your chance to prove
it. She must never know you're liv
;5
IT'S whole lot m askin' of you
Di lii (, continued Allen. But If 70,
15s love her, as a think you do, 1T may b
drop off conf ort In your heart +
know that BY dom this greatt thing fe
her you'll be NAL her life better 90
happier +
do love lei, cried Dick passion
ately but there must BE some reason
Tell ME,
IIen held nr Ihis hand 10 warn Die
te be siIent. He beckoned him to 10
low him slosvl led him To I'll
door and, I,entng III rnotione