The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-02-26
CHAPTER x,I-continued.

In spite OF his black mood of bitter
ness and despair the words brought
LatEom little thrill. 1t was some
thing to know that there were those
who believed him innocent; that
dense crowd had gathered there to
show their sympathy for him-the
knowledge moved him more than he
would have admitted. His thoughts
flew 10 Hilda. Neither would Hilda,
he knew, believe word of this mon
strous charg e-Hilda, who loved him.
And for moment. at the thought of
her, the hard look in his face softened
into an expression strangely tender.
Living, Philip Hume did his best to
pat us-dead, he seems to have sue
ceeded!' he told himself bitterly.
The cab drove on through the dark
sning streets; already the lamps were
lighted. Now they were crossing the
broad main street. Past the chief no.
tel of the town. the Woolpack, where
the windows glowed cosy and invit-
ing; from behind one of the windows
he could almost have fancied he heard
the click of billiard balls-how often
he had played game in that room!
Past the club; at the entrance he
caught glimpse of two men whom
he knew going in, laughing and talk
ing.
The sight of the old familiar scenes
touched him with a curious sense of
uNreslity. Could it really be that he
was a man under arrest, being taken
to that bare, whitewashed cell to drag
out endless weary weeks there until
the day came for him to stand in the
cock charged with murder-perhaps
, TO be found guilty?
How swiftly this blow had followed
on his great wonderful happiness? 1t
was only four weeks since that night
that had brought him his hearts de-
sire, when he had told himself he was
the luckiest man in the country.
"Hilda, have l been blind? thought
you didn't care-do you care?" he
cried that night. How wildly it all
came back, now when his luck was a
broken thing of the past!
And only her eyes had spoken
wide. gray eyes, soft as velvet, touch
ed with beautiful tenderness that
he'd told him his answer though her
lips were silent. And he had caught
her to his arms out there in the wind
i aid the darkness.
Jack Lathom set his teeth. Those
memories We're too poignant. The
thought of this injustice he was suffer-
ing, that had robbed him of freedom,
! that had separated him from the won-
al he loved, perhaps forever, filed
him with bitter, surging sense of re-
volt. For moment mad, desper-
ate impulse was on him to make a
fight for his liberty. One of the con-
stables, watching his face, reading
perhaps, something of the thoughts
passing through his mind, laid heavy
hand on his arm.
At the touch the impulse passed.
Young aLthomsgave short, hard
laugh. He would have been a fool to
yield to the impulse; it would have
| been hopeless, any such attempt Two
| to one-and both of his warders pow.
erful men. Before he could get the
| door open they would have him fast
| held and handcuffed-so far he had
been spared that indignity. If there
had been the slightest chance-only
there wasn't one chance in hundred
The cab had turned into quiet back
lcfv oh ys,,l@ T.. IL
I,athom could see that one side of the
read was up for repairs, and flares
were burning to warn drivers to pro
coed carefully. Not that their cal
seemed to go any more carefully ir
consequence. They were rafting along
at a tremendous Face.
re wondered what it was Freddy
Thornton had wanted to say to him a!
he was being hurried into the cab
He could hear the sound of motto
car little distance behind; through
cut the journey he had been vaguel,
conscious Of it. He wondered if i
could be Freddy Thornton following
him in the hope of snatching me
nent's conversation with hims at tn
end CT the journey, before he wa
taken to TIA horrible cell.
"Halloa! what's up?'
The cab had made sudden plung
forward, swerying with jerk, an
shaking the occupants considerably.
One of the constables jumped u
with the exclamation and thrust hi
head out of the window. The hors
had SHE'D at one Of the flares. Almos
, as he SPOKE one side of the floor {
the cab seemed to drop with jarrin
jolt that almost shook them of the
!. seats.
y TIE sudden swerve of the startle
a ho"ce had carried them over the eds
:, where TIE excavations were beir
made IN the roadway, sweeping aws
a the iron stanchions supporting Il
4 rope that fenced off that part of Il
a road. The animal, still, more startle
h plunged madly forward, and, forese
II ing almost inevitable disaster, one
the constables made an effort
wrench omen the door. hofOro