Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-27

|(COpyTlSuL, 1911, ny ASSOCldteQ Liter
airy Press.)
Southwark, the trail led straight
down to Juarez. 1t wound in and
out like serpent's course, straight
down to the town and the sluggish
yellow river.
Nita paused there to catch her
breath. The envelope was inside
her blouse. Internationally her hand
pressed it to make sure it was still
there. It was sealed, certainly, and
she had no idea Of its contents.
Leonard had given it to her when
they heard the rurales pounding on
the patio gate. All, but he had been
brave, the tall, lean young American!
And only two days before they had
taken couple of his friends to the
prison down at Mendez.
She shuddered and closed her dark
eyes for a moment in prayer. 1t
was still miles to the reconstruction
camp, and the afternoon was grow
ing golden and hazy.
If they take me, Nita," Leonard
had told her the night before, as they
had stood out in the old garden by the
stone fountain, you must not faint,
or cry, or show any emotion. You
must be a brave soldier girl, like all
of your family. No Carreno is a
coward"
II am no coward" she had told
him gravely. her face tense with
feeling. IT shall not faint, senior, be-
lieve me. You have known my three
brothers. and my father. am the
same race"
II know, Nita, I know" he had
said, restlessly, impulsively. Haven't
i strained that Carreno courage al
ready to the utmost by coming and
planting here for days, when the fell
lows down youder at Juarez are dying
for fair shot at me with a white
wall at my back?"
"How dare they shoot an Ameri-
CAM" she had demanded, hotiy.
How dare they do anything, dis
rupt Mexico, destroy railroads, burn,
murder, steal? Because they are
revolutionists. That covers any slight
eccentricity. l have been a desirable
bit of game for them ever since Mar
ney and l held them of from the
arsenal at Piqua, until the govern
ment troops arrived. Oh, Nita, II you
could have seen us that night. Only
four, mind, besides myself, your
brothers, and Marney, my staff
photographer. We had been taking
snap shots at the town and general
local color points of interest when
we heard the shots on the outskirts,
and saw the whole crowd riding to-
ward us. The arsenal was the nearest
place of refuge. We held it against
the revolutionists for half an hour.
thinking not bit about saving the
arms and powder stored there, but
Just the saving of our own necks and
the pictures to send on to the papers
in the states.
"Did you kill any one?"
"Quite few, hope" he had said
cheerfully. 1--WE tried to. When the
troops came, they scattered. But
now comes the interesting situation.
We held the deserted armory against
the revolutionists, and saved 1t.
Along came the Mexicans, and swore
we were captured revolutionists,
seized in the very act Of trying to
make way with the arsenal. The
rest got away, Marney with the pic
lures, but-wen, didn't. I got a
bullet in my shoulder and your
brothers sent me up here.
"lt was an honor, and a JOY senor.
Nita had replied, without smiling. In
the darkness there were tears on her
lashes he could not see.
That had been only the night be
fore. Now they had found out his
hiding place, and had taken him down
to Juarez to the prison. And the only
hope he had given her was the letter
to the head engineer at the reconstruc-
|tion camp.
''He will understand" Leonard had
said.
"Will it save your life," asked
1T is dearer than life to me-" he
had replied. "Give it to Eaton at the
camp"
the horse her brother had promised
to leave for her. The boy who held
|it stared after her as she pushed
ahead over the dangerous, uneven
trail. Only once she looked back as
the path dipped into the deep arroyo,
h see how long it would be till sun
|set.
II was dark when the pinto rode
into the engineers camp. Somebody
caught the girl as she half fell from
the saddle, and Eaton himself
brought water to battle her face. His
face was study as he opened the
long envelope she gave him, and
looked at its contents. They were
surely an index to the character of
Leonard. His last copy written
hastily in pencil, and revealing con-
ditions at Juarez, ready for mailing
to the states. That, and a check
made out to Eaton for a little over
three thousand dollars.
"This is all the ready cash l can
dig up now," Leonard had written
him personally. There is more tied
up in property back home. l want
you to see that Nita gets it. And, by
all the faith / have in our long
friendship, get her out of this place.
They will keep me jailed for months,
perhaps, and then again, l may be
shot at shutdown. Take care of Nita,
until she can reach her brothers. We
were to have been married"
What does he say? asked Mia,