The Colorado statesman., 1911-03-18
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When Jupiter Nodded
BY J. L. SHERARD

I was in a state OF bitter revolt against
the injustice OF the treatment she mao
received from Tom. She could hot
sleep. The clock in the hall down
stairs tolled the hours at intervals OF
seeming ages. She hated the dark
ness 1t accentuated her troubles. she
longed for daylight and peace.
When the first faint streaks OF dawn
began to dispel the shadows In the
room a strong and sudden reaction Oh
feeling set In What IL there should
be some mistake? II was not ike
Tom to act thus. The traditions OF ms
family and his training cried out
against 1t. He was too faithful to De
guilty of such cold-hearted indifer-
ence. Had she not been childishly
selfish? A sense of guilt swept over
her with the force OF conviction. But
the letter? All, the letter would reach
him in a few short hours. Soon its
| terrible mission would be fulhlled. IL
was too late.
Was 1t too late? There was morn
ing train at seven. II was now han
past five. Why not attempt to correct
the blunder? The thought came 10
her like an inspiration. AS she re-
volved the matter rapidly in mind the
possibility of retrieving her error took
on something Of the rosy hue Of hope.
Feverishly she wrote for few min
utes, thrust the letter into an envelope
and marked 1t Important! Rush!
Her brother was a newspaper corre-
spondent, and she remembered hav-
ing seen such symbols of the right OF
way stamped in big letters on the long
envelopes.
IF he gets this at the same time, he
will read 1t first. All will be well then,
for l have asked him not to open the
other letter"
Hastily donning her riding habit she
slipped out quietly to the barn. There
new difficulty arose. Her pony, she
reflected, could never make the IL
miles in the bare hour she had left to
reach the station. There was only one
horse in the country that could make
1t over the rough roads. That was
Billy, Toms spirited sorrel
But Tom and Aunt Judith had for
hidden the girl ever to attempt to ride
Billy. 1t would be too much like
counting death. Tom explained grave
ly. And that very prohibition had al
ways made her the more anxious to
taste of the forbidden pleasure.
Necessity knows no law, respects no
injunctions. This was not case OF
choice or discretion. 1t was Billy or
fail. She chose Billy.
There was no one about the place
as she cantered out into the sandy
lane leading into the main road. She
knew Just how little urging was re-
quired to keep the sensitive animal at
his best. Billy settled down into
steady, even gallop, covering the miles
with the swift certainty and regularity
of one true to his blood and training.
Through field and forest, up hill and
down, along the level stretches of the
farm lands, she sped, pausing at last
to get her bearings on the crest of the
high ridge beyond Six-Mile creek.
twenty-five minutes!" she ex-
claimed exultantly. looking at her
watch. Brave boy. Billy! Now for
the home stretch"
Just how the accident happened the
girl couldn't never quite explain. She
was rounding q wooded curve when an
automobile Unexpectedly appeared.
and before she realized any possibility
of danger Billy SHE'D in sudden fright,
throwing her violently from the sad
die Fortunately the yielding limbs of
wild apple tree caught her body and
broke the force of the fall.
When consciousness returned she
looked up into the care-worn face of
Tom, who knelt over her awaiting
eagerly some sign of returning life.
For moment she could not compre-
hend what it all meant; then, as mem
ory lifted the veil caused by the shock
q smile of peace overspread her coun-
| tenance.
Then you did writer" she asked.
and the intonation of her voice antici-
! pated the answer.
Write? OF course wrote. Better
than that l came"
The whole story Of her suffering
leaped before his minds eye clear as
the morning sun. I'm explain it all
when you feel better; just one word
now. Up to three days ago l got your
letters. Then they stopped. Every
third day we sent our letters by a
negro boy to the office. l never
dreamed that they were not promptly
reaching you through the mails Then
something reused my suspicious. l
investigated. The boy on the last two
trips had given the letters to that mis-
erable puppet of a postmaster, Ju-
piter Shaw, out in the woods where
he found him squirrel hunting. This
faithful servant OF Uncle Sam was on
one of his periodical sprees, and he
calmly stuck those letters in his
breeches pocket and forgot all about
them. On the seventh day he locked
the office and disappeared in the
swamp. 1t was by mere chance that l
ran across him and discovered my let.