The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-12
CHAPTER TX.


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forth. and questioning and explaining
before I could come to any understanding
OF what had happened And when had
/ heard as much as any one knew il was
/ strangely little-simply that a body Of
Mexican horsemen had swept out upon
the guard from apparently all points OF
1 the compass, had overpowered them.
/ leaving one dead and one OF their own
number wounded. and swept on. After
/ they had gone IL was discovered that the
prisoner had vanished too. The cry had
been that the horsemen had taken him;
but some Of the guard. who had followed
the riders a little way. declared that he
had not been among them, and one man
insisted that he had seen Johnny Mont
gomery dart in az the door Of one Of the
! small houses on Jackson street This
was Immediately surrounded by the DO
lice and searched, but nothing was dis
covered; and all the while I sat faint
and trembling in the carriage, with a
conviction that ought 10 be Mortified.
and yet with an ungovernable feeling OF
relief The only thoughts in my mind
were. He is safe" and He is free
II only for a moment, az least 10 would
be a moment!
Half an hour passed before the street
could be cleared and We could get across
Meanwhile, IN the first gathering dark
I kept hearing voices speaking with that
sterning they have when men are eX'
cited and talking among themselves. and
hoofs Of horses Gathering of in the direc-
81
Every moment my heart was in my
mouth. lest suddenly should come The
cry that Johnny Montgomery was found
but he Seemed 70 have vanished as COM
pletely as II he had been made invisible
and presently a hateful thought crept
into my mind. What II IL is the Span.
ish woman who has played the enchant
ress?' The rumor was abroad that IN,
sOrtie had been planned by some Of John
ny Montsomery's friends-they were suci
wild fellows that's their doing the Trims
would not seem extraordinary.
Yet the other explanation seemed 81
much more probable to me. so burning
~ evident II came upon me with I'M
shock OF conviction, as II the Spanish
woman herself had whispered il in m
ear, and I was afraid 70 look al any on
lest he should read my thought in m,
conscious face. I kept my head ben
and held my trembling lips tight gla'
that the dark covered my agitations.
But later, at home. sitting on the edg
Of my bed. I told mother all about IL
I did not form the words a'3,.d, hu
when I sat there looking up at her pic
tured face ! knew she understood ever!
idea that went through my mind. NJ
thoughts went back over the Incident
lOf the trial Each little separate mem
DRY struck the same note-the attemp
TO get him out OF prison. the attempt Il
make away with the witnesses, anC
finally this successful snatching OF hin
from the law-it was the Spanish woman
who had been responsible each time, an
now II was she. Oh. I understood. now
why Johnny Montgomery had smiled a
me as I was giving my testimony!
had thought IL had been 10 encoursg
me 10 go on. but II must have been
mere mockery. since he knew that. n
matter what story I told. he was safe
But had he known II? When I re
called his white, set face I doubted. Ye
at any rate. even in spite OF him. sh
had saved him. He was gone gone Z
her. perhaps. and I was left with III
mere comfort Of having done what
thought was right 1t was cold comfor
when every feeling In me had been out
RACED by the doing and now the for
lorn doubt continually stirred as 10 IN
certainty that what had done was righ'
IT, as the Spanish woman said. love wa
a woman's only virtue
I was Mortified TO find myself. withou
apparent reason or any evident leadini
up 10 Il. with that word on my lips
Love? Why. why. what had that to d
with me? I looked in a fright at mother
as il I expected her 10 answer tba
question; but that tfmid look Of her
seemed 10 have only a reflection OF m
own fear in It. With a sudden feelin
Of weakness and helplessness I hid m
face in my hands.
From that moment ! began to under
stand what father had meant the da
he had said that I would need mother
picture now. It comforted me that sh
was there watching me and seeming {
understand. never looking angrily at m
no matter what foolish or frightenin
things l had to tell her. and there wer
so many in those days that followed
dreadful days for me, The very girls
my friends, even while, with round, awe
eyes, they admired me for my herOi
performance on the witness stand, yet
for that very reason seemed TO set m