Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-06-16

came tntO region dtdnt Eil0lD."
grow to womanhood without knowing.
She must never learn who her father
was or what her mother did. We will
start all over, you and aud the baby,
and forget Do you love me well
enough to do it,
Il uttered cry and took her in my
arms, the arms that had ached for her
all those years. Then kissed her for
the first time"
The old man tried to light his pipe,
which had gone out. but his fingers
shook so that he dropped the match.
Her plan was for me to take the
youngster away that night and for her
to join us later, because pursuit was
certain. and three could be traced
where one might disappear. She would
follow when the opportunity offered
saw that he had instilled terror
into her and that she feared him like
death, but as ! thought 1t over her
scheme seemed feasible, so agreed
was TO ride west that hour with the
sleeping babe and conceal myself ut a
place we selected, while she would
say that the little one had wandered
away and been lost III the canyon or
anything else to throw Bennett off.
After time she would join us. Well
the little girl never walked when
took her in my arms nor when the
mother broke down again and talked
to me like n crazy woman.
II Travelled hard that night and
snapped horses ut daylight Then
leaving the wild country behind. came
into IL region | didn't know and found
Mexican woman who tended the
child for me- for was close by the
place where Merridy was to come
Every night went into the village In
hopes that some word had arrived.
and l waited patiently for Il week
Then | got the blow | heard 1t from
the loafcrs around the little postolIce
first. but 1t dazed me so wouldn't
believe 1t till borrowed the paper
and read the whole story. with the
type dancing and le;lping before me
1t took some hours for II to seep in
even after that. ard for years re.
called every word of the ID lie
as If 1t had been branded Oh me with
hot irons. They called 1t Il shocking
crime. the most brutal murder Cali
fornia had ever known, and In the
headlines was my name In letters that
struck me between the eyes like IL
hammer Mrs. Dan Bennett had been
foully murdered by me In IL tit of sud.
den jealousy, and had disappeared
with the baby! The husband had re.
turned unexpectedly TO find her dying.
so he said. but too far gone to call
for help and with barely sufficient
strength to tell him who did 1t anc
how! Then the paper went on wit.
the tale of my counting her and te:
turning me down for Bennett Itt,'d
how had gone off alone up into The
the hills. turning into Il bear tbat no
body. man or child. could app zach.
1t said had bropded there al this
time till the mania got upperr est and
SO came down to wreak my vengeance.
They never even did me the credit of
calling me crazy. was n tend lncar-
nate. beast without SOY and Il lot
OF things like tllat-and. remember.
had never harmed living thing in all
my life. However, that wasn't what
hurt. What turned lie into dull.
dead, suffering thing was the knowl-
edge that she was gone. For hours I
couldn't get beyond that fact. Then
came the realization that Bennett had
done 1t. for I reasoned that he had
dragged hint of the truth from her
by very force of the fear he held her
inland slain her. God. The awful
rage that came over me. But there
was nothing to do. had sworn to
guard the little one, so couldn't take
vengeance on him. couldn't so back
and prove my innocence. for that
would give the child to him
what hight spent! The next day
saw had been indicted by the grand
jury and was Il wanted man. From IL
distance watched myself become an
outlaw: watched the county put price
upon my head. which Bennett duu.
bed: watched public opinion rise to
surh Il heat that posses hogan 10 sce,ir
the nnuntai.:;. What noted in Iag;ic.
ular WAS Il statement IN The paper that
the Borrowing husband takes his be-