Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-08

your deer" he said. Bronze"
As we nesred the house the sense Of sur
venlance we had had in the park gradually
left US. Stumbling over flower beds. run
ming afoul OF sun dial. cropping our way
tsvagely along hedges and thorny bank
we reached the steps finally and climbed
the terrace.
1t was then that Hotchkiss fen over ore
Of the Two stone urns which. with tall
lockwood trees in them. mounted guard at
each side Of the door He didn't make any
attempt TO get up. He sat in a puddle on
the brick floor Of the terrace and clutched
his leg and swore softly in government
English.
The occasional relief Of the lightning was
gone. l could not see an outline Of the
house before me. We had no matches. and
an instants investigation showed that the
windows were boarded and the house
closed. Hotehkiss. stin recumbent was as
certaining the damage. tenderly peeIins
down his stocking.
Upon my soul" he said finally, u don't
know whether this moisture is blood or
rain think I've broken bone"
Blood is thicker than water" 7 sug-
gested is it sticky? See If you can
move your toes"
There was a pause: Hotchkiss moved his
and was making the night hideous But
there was no response save the wind that
blew sOdden leaves derisively in our faces.
Once Hotchhss declared he heard win
dow sash lifted, but renewed violence with
the knockeT produced no effect
There's only one think 10 do" ! said
finally. IN go back and Try to bring
the buggy UP for YOU You can't walk,
can =ou:'
Hotchkiss sat back in his puddle and
said he didn't think he could stir, but for
me 10 90 back TO town and leave him.
that he didn't have any family dependent
on him, and that If he was going 10 have
pneumonia he had probably got it already.
] left him there and started back 70
get the horse.
II possible ii was worse than before.
There was no lightning. and only By
miracle did ! find the little gate again. l
drew a long breath OF relief. followed BY
another equally long. Of dismay. For l
had found the hitching strap and there
was nothing az the end Of it, In a lulu Of
the wind ! seemed to hear far off, the
eager thud Of stable bound feet SO for the
second time ! climbed the slope 20 the
Laurels. and on the way l thought Of
many things TO say
! struck the house al a new angie for
l found a veranda, destitute OF chairs and
furnishings, but dry and evidently rooted.
II was better than the terrace, and 80. bv
cropping along the wall. tried 10 make my
way 10 Hotchkiss. That was how / found
the open window. / had passed perhaps
six. all closed, and 10 have my hand gr0pe
for The next one, and 10 find instead the
soft drapery Of an inner curtain. was
startling to say the least
l found Hotchbiss at last around an
angle OF the stone wall and told him that
the horse was gone. He was disconnected
but not abassd; maintaining that IL as
new kind Of knot that couldn't slip and
that the horse must have chewed the hal
ter through. lie was less enthusiastic than
! had expected about the window
1t looks uncommony ike a trap" he
said. 4 tell you there was some one in
tie park below Nhen We were coming Up
Man has sixth sense that scientists
ignore-a sense OF the nsarness OF thinEs
And all the time you have been gone. some
one has been watching me"
Couldn't zee you, / maintained; I
can't see you now And your sense Of con-
tigulty didn't tell you about that flower
crock
In the end, Of course he consented 20 20
with me. He was very lame, and / helped
him around 10 the open window He was
was fun Of moral courage, the little man.
1t was only the physical in him that
quailed-
Go Be C0ntinuedJ