Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1910-12-15


waiting. He felt sure that the alarm
sounding from St. James had drawn
away the guards and that there would
be nothing to interfere with his plan.
II she had already left the cabin he
would return quickly to Obadiahs. l.
his eagerness he began to run. Once
sound stopped him-the distant beat
ing of galloping hoofs. He heard the
shout OF man, reply farther away,
the quick, excited yelping of a dog.
His blood danced as he thought of
the gathering of the Mormon fighters,
the men and boys racing down the
black trails from the inland forests,
the excitement in st. James. AS he
ran in again he thought of Arbor
Croche mastering the painting. venge
full defenders; of Strang, his great
voice booming encouragement and
promise, above the brazen thunder of
the bell; he saw in fancy the fright
ened budding groups of women and
children and beyond and above all the
coming of the vengeance of Coda
hundred beats, a thousand men-and
from his lips a great cry of JOY At
the edge of the forest he stopped for
moment. over beyond the clearing
light burned dimly through the IL
laos. The sweet odor of the flowers
came to him gently, persuasively. and
nerved him into the open. He passed
across the open space swiftly and
plunged into a tange of bushes close
to the lighted window
He heard a mans voice within. and
then a woman's. Was 1t Marion?
Cautiously Nathaniel crept close to
the log wall of the cabin. He reached
out, and hesitated Should he look
AS he had done at the kings win
dow? The mans voice came to him
again, harsh and angry, and this time
1t was not a woman's words that he
heard but woman's sobbing cry He
parted the bushes and a glare of light
| fell on his face. The lamp was on
table and beside the table there sat
woman her white head turned from
him, her face buried in her hands. She
was an old woman and he knew that
it was Marion's mother He could not
see the man.
Where was Marion? He wormed
himself back out of the bushes and
walked quickly around the house.
There was no other light no other
sign of life except in that one room.
With sudden resolutio he stepped to
the door and knocked loudly.
For a full half minute there was
silence, and he knocked again. He
heard the approach of shutting step,
the thump, thump, thu.np of cane, and
the door swung back II was the man
who opened 1t, tall giant of an old
man, doubled as If with rheumatism,
and close behind him was the fright
ened face of the woman An involun-
tary shudder passed through Ma
thaniel as he looked at them. They
were old-so old that the mans shriv-
eled hands were like those Of skel-
eton; his giant frame seemed about
to totter into ruin, his eyes were
sunken until his face gave the horror
of death mask. Was it possible that
these people were the father and
mother of Marion-and of Neil? AS
he stepped to the threshold they tim
idly drew back from him. In sin
gle glance Nathaniel swept the room
and what he saw thrilled him, for
everywhere were signs of Marion; in
the pictures on the walls, the snowy
curtains, the cushions in the window
seat-and the huge vase of lilacs on
the mantle.
81 am messenger of the. king" he
said, advancing and closing the door
behind him. 81 want to speak with
Marion"
(To BE CoNTINUED.)