Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-04

"rll 60 quietly,,' she said in a lain,

"rll 60 quietly she said in a faint
voice.
X knew you'd see that I'm acting
square. Come! Get the cramp out of
yourself while make a pot of coffee"
He held out his hand to assist her,
and she accepted 1t, but stumbled as
she rose. for she had been crouched in
one position for several hours, and her
limbs were stiff. He caught her and
swung her ashore.N Then, instead OF
putting her feet to the ground, he
pressed her to himself roughly and
kissed her. She gave stified cry and
fought him OF. but he laughed and
held her the closer.
mo, no, nor she gasped, writing
like a wild thing, but he crushed his
lips to hers again and then let her 60,
whereupon she drew away from him
painting, disheveled, her eyes wide and
filed with horror. She scrubbed her
lips with the back Of her hand, as IL
to erase his mark, while he reached
into the canoe and brought forth an
az. bundle Of food and a cofreepot
Then, still chuckling, he gathered a
few sticks Of driftwood and built q
fire. She had blind instinct to fee
and sought for means Of escape, but
they were well out upon the bar that
stretched distance Of 800 feet to the
wooded henk. On one side of the mar.
row spit was the scarcely moving,
half stagnant water Of tiny bay or
eddy; on the other the swift, gliding
current tugging at the beached canoe,
while tho outer end Of the graveled
ridge dwmdled down to nothing and
disappeared into the river. An instant
later, when he turned to the clearer
water Of the eddy to I'LL the coffeepot,
she seized her chance and sped up the
bar toward the bank. The shingle un.
der foot and her noisy skirts betrayed
her, and with an oath he followed. It
was an unequal race. and he handled
her with rough strong hands when he
overlook her.
$50! You lied to me! Well, I'm
through with this foolishness. If
you'll go back on your word like this
you'll 'bawl me out before the priest,
SO I'll forget my promise, too. and
you'll be glad Of the chance to marry
me-"
"Let me goT' she painted. 'sI'n mar
~ you. Yes, yes. I'll do 1t, only don't
touch me now!'
He led her back to the fire, which
had begun to crackle. She was SO
weak now that she sank upon the
stones shivering.
"That's right Sit down and behave
while make something hot to drink.
You're all in" After n time he con-
t1nued as he busted himself about his
task: "Say, you ought to be glad to
got me. I've got lot Of money, or I
win have, and once you're Mrs. Run
MON nobody IL ever know about this
or think Of you as a squaw."
He was still talking when the girl
sprang to her feet and sent shrill
cry out over the river, but instantly
he was up and upon her, his hand
over her mouth. while she tore at 1t,
screaming the name Of Poleon Doret.
he silenced her to smothered, Sob
bling humble and turned to see, far
out on the bosom Of the great soiled
river, man In bark canoe. The
craft had just swung past the bend
above and was still long way of, SO
far away, in fact that Necia's signal
had not reached 1t, for fits occupant
held unwaveringly to the swiftest
channel. his body rising and falling IN
the smooth, unending rhythm of a
master boatman under great haste, his
arms upfiung now and then as the
paddle glinGed and flashed across to
the opposite side.
Runnion glanced about hurriedly,
then cursed as he saw no place of
concealment. The Peterborough stood
out upon the bar conspicuously, as did
he and the girl But the chance re-
NAMED that this man, whoever he
was, would pass by, for his speed was
great, the river mile in width and the
bend sharp. Necia had cried Poleon's
name. but her companion saw no re-
semblance to the Frenchman in this
strange looking voyager. In fact, he
could not quite make out what was
peculiar about the man-perhaps his
eyes were not as sharp as hers-and
then he saw that the boatman was
naked to the waist. By now he was
drawing opposite them with the speed
Of hound.
The girl, gagged and held by her
captor's hands. struggled and moaned
despairingly. and, crouching back Of
the boat, they might have escaped dis
covery In the gray morning light had
It not been for the telltale flre-a. tiny.
cracking blaze no larger than a mans
hat. 1t betrayed them. The dancing
craft upon which their eyes were
fixed whipped about, almost ieapink
from the water at one stroke, then
came toward them, now nothing but a
narrow thing, half again the width Of
mans body. The current carried It
down abreast Of them. then past, and
Runnion rose. releasing the gin, who
cried out with all her might to the
boatman. He made no sound in reply.
hut 6r0vn f,AS conno charoxyorN 1,,atl,