Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-12
have made him with any other woma

lie knew.
That afternoon, they two sat watch
.ng the fantastic cliffs which took
yrotesque semblance of ruined castles
| browning their barren hillsides; or OF
deserted amphitheaters left by some
vanished race to crumble. They had
alked of many things. She had told
lim Of the sleepy old South Carolinian
town where she was born, and the
plantation and The distant cousin who
vas like her mother, and the hospital
here she had been taught, and the
larried sister who had died. Such
arrow, laborious, innocent existence
$ she described! How cheerfully.
90, she had shouldered her burdens!
They talked Of the south and OF the
Philippines; little they talked of
Archie and his sorrow and OF the
eternal problems that have troubled
he soul of man since first death en-
cred the world. AS they talked, the
colonel's suspicious faded into gro
csque shadows. "Millicent is ridic-
| alous," quoth he. Then he fell to won
lering whether there had been ro-
nance in Miss Smiths past life. Such
handsome woman would look high"
| he sighed. Only "a hours ago he had
,alled Miss Smith "nice-looking," with
careless criticism. He was quite I'M
conscious of his change of view. That
| night he felt lonely, of sudden; the
old wound in his heart ached; his fu-
ture looked as bleak as the mountain
vailed plains through which he was
speeding. After long time the train
| stopped with "a jar and rattle, ending
| in sudden shock. He raised the cur
tain to catch The flash of the electric
lights at Glenwood. Out of the deep
defile they glittered like diamonds In a
pool of water Why should he think
Of Miss Smiths eyes? With an impa-
tent sigh, he pulled down the curtain
and turned over to sleep.
| His thoughts drifted, floated, were
submerged in wavering procession
Of pictures; he was back in the Philip
pines; they had surprised the fort;
how could that be when he was on
guard? But they were there He sat
up in his berth. Instinctively he
slipped the revolver out Of his bag and
held 1t in one hand, as he peeped
through the crevice Of the curtains.
There was no motion, no sound Of
moving; but heads were emerging be-
| tween the curtains in every direction;
and Archie was standing, his hands
| shaking above his tumbled brown
head and pale face A man in soft
hat held two revolvers while another
man was pounding on the drawing
room door, gruf1ly commanding those
inside to come out. "No, we shall not
come out" responded Aunt Rebecca's
composed, well-bred accents, her neat
enunciation not disturbed by culver.
| "If you want to kill an old woman,
you will have to break down the door"
LET them alone. Shay, 1t takes too
long: let's finish here, first" called the
man with the, revolver; they'll come
soon enough when we want them.
Here, young Teller, fish out! Nobody'll
get hurt If you keep quiet; if you
don't you'll get dose like the man in
No. 6, two years ago. Hustle, young
feller!"
The colonel was cycling every mo-
ton, every shifting from one foot to
the other Let them once get by
| Archie
The boy handed over his pocketbook.
Now your watch" commanded the
brigand; take it, Shay"
Wont you please let me keep that
watch?" faltered Archie; that was
papa's watch"
The childish name from the tall lad
made the rotber laugh. "And mammals
little pet wants to keep it, does he?
Well, he can't. Get a move on your"
| The colonel had the sensation OF an
electric shock; as the second robber
grabbed at The fob In the boys belt,
Archie struck him with the edge Of
his open hand so swiftly and so fierce
ly under the jaw that he reached back
against his companion. The c0lonels
surprise did not disturb the automatic
aim of an old fighter Of the plains;
his revolver barked; and he sprang
out on the man he shot. Get back in
the berths. all of you" he shouted;
"give me chance to shoot"
The voice of the porter, whose
hands had been turning up the lights
not quite steadily, now pealed out
with camp-lneeting power, Oats 1t;
give de colonel chance to do some
killing!"
Both bandits were sprawling on the
floor of the aisle, one limp and moan
ing; but the. other got one hand up to
shoot; only to have Archie kick the
revolver out of it, while at the same
instant an umbrella handle fell with .
wicked whack on the mans shoulder
The New England professor was out
of his berth He had been baseball
man in his own college days; his bat
was frail one, but he hit with a will;
and a groa1l told of his success. Never
theless, the fellow scrambled to his
feet. Mrs. Melville was also out Of her
berth, thanks to which circumstances
he was able to escape; as the colonel
| (who had grappled with the other man
and prevented his rising must needs
have shot through his sister-in-law 70
hit the fleeing form.
"What's the matter7" demanded
Mrs. Melville, while the New Eng
lander used an expression which, no
doubt, as good church member, he
revretted later and the colonel thun-