Middletown transcript., 1911-01-21
sY ROLAND ASHFORD pHfEI1ps

Murderers AMT the best class
Of people to be roa mig around
! the country with you and me,
Gloria. We got to have justice,
You know what the Bible says
about
I know, daddy. she interrupt.
ed; and then fell silent. She sat
down finally and watched her
father load bis rifle. Their eyes
met abruptly.
Not that TIL be wanting it, the
old man explained lamely; but
something might turn up, and
it's better to be ready.
After he had gone out of the
house and down the trail toward
the distant corral, Glora went
over and calmly unloaded the
gun. This done, she placed it
back in the corner and went out
upon the porch.
The valley was stepped in a
drifting, amethyst haze that shut
out the throbbing creek and
softened the gaunt, jagged out
lines of the canyon mouth. The
pines were green black against
the yellow sky. Rearing their
white heads above the lower
purple ranges, the snowy peaks
caught the last kiss of the dying
day and stood glorious and ma
iestically looking down upon the
quiet, mist.enshrouded valley.
Gloria clssped her warm,
brown hands ether, and with
open, shining eys drank in the
wonderful and familiar beauty Of
it all. It seemed impossible to
realize that men, thirsting for.
human blood, we're desecrating
that dim and peaceful hollow,
pitilessly driving one of their
own kind before them to his
death.
Poor, poor man! she murmured
to herself. suppose he's tired
and sleepy and hungry. Ireckon
he's suffering.
Her quaint little heart, so
foreign to the ways of the world
beyond the hills, was not broad
enough to embrace both justice
and pity. For a long, long time
she stood there, humming sof5ly,
only thinking, pOndering, her
mind far away.
OF q sudden q swift form
lurched from out the gloom and
stumbled toward the porch.
Gloria caught at her breath.
That you daddy? She knew it
was not her father.
A thin stream Of light came
from the partly opened door,
marking an oblique line across
the porch. Into this yellow
CLEAN a white. mud. covered face
showed itself.
Won't-won't you help met
came the voice, so low as to be
.5areiy ardible. Gloria waited q
moment to collect her thoughts,
her eyes riyeted upon that pitt
full, white face, half hidden by q
torn sombrero. Her courage
came back as quickly as it had
fed. Why should she fear this
tired and hungry creatureP
Are-sre you SpiderY she ask.
ed frankly.
The man CRIME and his gray
eyes seemed to dance.
How'd you ever guessP
Daddy said they were chasing
you down the canyon, and that
you'd probably come past here.
guess he was right. There
wasn't no other way to get out.
He passed a hand across his lips.
Why did you come hereto
mef she broke out impulsively.
How did you know that I'd help
you?
The fugitive smiled wearily.
/ was hiding over there in the
brush, and / heard you thinking
out loud, he confessed. I trusted
you.
And you're q murderer
You believe thatG
She looked deep into bis gray
eyes and her little heart quivered,
and her breath came hard. She
had never gazed into man 5
eyes like that before. Something
in their depths seemed to chall-
enge her first belief.
IL don't want to believe it.
she faltered, not quite sure of
her words.
The hunted mans face lighted
up wonderfully sudden.
Then you'll hide meG They'll
be following pretty quick, and
I'm so tired.
There's a place behind the