Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-11-03

waiting. He felt sure That the alarm
sounding from st. James had drawn
away the guards and that there would
De nothing to interfere with his plan.
IL she had already left the cabin he
would return quickly to Obadiah's. In
his eagerness he began to run. Once
a sound stopped him-the distant beat
ing OF galloping hoofs. He heard the
shout OF a man, a 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 n boys racing down the
black trails from the inland forests.
the excitement in st. James. AS he
ran Ill again he thought of Arbor
Croche mastering the painting. venge.
ful defenders: of Strang. his great
voice booming encouragement n
promise, above the braZen thunder of
the bell: he saw in fancy the fright.
ened huddling groups Of women n
children and beyond and above all the
coming OF the vengeance OF Coda
hundred beats, a thousand men-and
there went out from his soul # not
from his lips a great cry OF joy. At
the edge of the forest he stopped for
a moment. over beyond the clearing
a light burned dimly through the II.
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 tangle of bushes close
to the lighted window.
He heard a man S voice within. and
hen a woman's. Was it Marion?
Cautiously Nathaniel crept close to
the log wall of the cabin. He reached
out, AMI 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
it was not a woman's words that he
heard but a woman's sobbing cry. He
parted the bushes and a glare of light
fell on his face. The lamp was on a
table and beside the table there sat a
woman. her white head turned from
him, her face buried in her hands. She
was an old woman mt he knew that
1t 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 rcsolutio he stepped to
the door and knocked loudly.
For n full half minute there was
silence, and he Knocked again. He
heard the approach of a shullling step,
the thump, thump, thu"np of a cane, and
the door swung back. 1t was the man
who opened it, a tall giant of an old
man, doubled as if with rheumatism,
and close behind him a the fright.
ened face of the woman. An ~involun.
tary shuddcr passed through Ma.
thaniel as he looked at them. They
were old-sO old that the mans shriv.
cled hands were like those of a skel-
etOn; his giant frame seemed about
to totter into ruin, his eyes were
sunken until his face gave the horror
of a 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 a 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.
Il am "A messenger of the king" he
said, advancing and closing the door
behind him. II want to speak with
Marion"