Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-16

(
steam with fuel composed Of an a,itu
with the deceased were obliged to CHI
with shedding soft naples for few no
the house and chloroform 1t on the ba
night: as it's black bulk receded from
before his eyes the Earl Of Lambeth
spoke with the voice OF authority and
experience. i.s.
sit was q good fight and them fell
lows done we'll, but not near well
enough" A conclusion that could not
be gainsaid. He added. mo one amt
hurt but that that had ought to have
got hurt. Mr.. Yancy's all right, and SOS
Mr.. Carrington-who's mighty vel
come here" The earl's shock Of red
hair was bristling like the name Of
some angry animal and his eyes still
flashed with the light Of battle, but he
managed to summon up an expression
of winning friendliness.
y .'Mr. Carrington's kin to me. Polly,
explained Yancy to Mrs. Cavendish.
His voice was far from steady, for
Hannibal had been gathered into his
arms and had all but wrecked the
stole calm with which the Scratch Hill
Ter was seeking to guard his emotions.
Polly smiled and dimpled at the
Kentuckian. Trained to q romantic
point of view she had frank liking Tor
handsome stalwart men. Cavendisn
was neither, but none knew Detter
than Polly that where he was most
lacking in appearance he was richest
in substance. He carried scars honor
ably earned in those differences he
had been prone to cultivate with less
generous natures; for his scheme OF
life did not embrace the millennium.
Thank God, you got here wnen you
did," said Darlington.
eve was some pushed To- time, but
we done it," responded the earl mod
estly. He added, What now?-do We
make a landing?" n. 4..,
'.No-unless 1t interferes with your
plans not to. / want TO get around the
next bend before we tie up. Later we'll
all 70 back. Can I count on your!
"You shorely can. ] consider this
here az sociable neighborhood as !
ever struck. It pleases me well. FOLKS
are up and doing hereabout.
Darlington looked eagerly around In
search Of Betty. She was sitting on an
nnturned tup, pathetic enough figure
"a she drooped against the wall Of one
a the shanties with all her courage
nI,,ta gone from her. He made his way
to her side.
T,a!" whispered Polly in Chills and
Fever's ear. IF that pore young thing
wonder keeps q widow It won't pc Pc
cause Of anu announcement she gets
from Mr.. Darlington. If l ever seen
marriage in q mans eye seen II IN
his this minute!"
,"Bruce!' cried Betty, starting up as
Darlington approached. "Oh. Bruce,
am 90 glad you have come-you are
not hurt?" She accepted his presence
without question. She had needed MIN
and he had not failed her.
B eve are none Of US hurt, Betty, ne
said gently. as he took her hand.
He saw that. the suffering she had
md ergone during the preceding
twenty.four hours had left its record
an her tired face and In her heavy
ewes She retained q shuddering con-
seriousness OF the unchecked savagery
81 those last moments on the Keel
boat: she was still hearing the oaths OF
the men as they struggled together,
the sound Of blows, and the dreadful
silances that had followed them. She
turned from him, and there came the
relief Of tears. !,
now and you were SO brave Whlle II
lasted. I can't bear to have you vry!"
az was wild with fear-all that time
on the boat Bruce she faltered he
tween her sobs. II didn't know but
they would find you out. could only
wait and hope-and pray!
..I was in no danger, dear. Didn't the
girl tell you was to take the place
r. 4 man Slosson was expecting? He
never doubted that was that man I'M
til a light-a signal 1t must have been
lon the shore at the head OF the
bayou betrayed me"
l"Where are we going now, Bruce?
Not the way they went and Betty
elanced out into the black void where
the keel boat had merged into the
gloom. !.
mo, no-but we can't get the raft
bacl, upstream against the current, 80
the best thing is to land at the Bates
plantation below here; then as soon as
YOU are dDl0 we Cdu - OtuiA ~ oS1AS
Plain" said Darlington.
Z There was an interval broken only
by the occasional sweep of the great
steering oar as Cavendish coaxed the
raft out toward the channel. The
thought Of Charley Norton's murder
rested on Darlington like a pail.
Scarcely week had elapsed since he
quilted Thicket Point and In that week
tho hand of death had dealt with them
and to what end? Then the
miles he had traversed in his hopeless
Journey up-river translated themselves
into a division Of time as well as
space. They were just so much
further removed from the past with
its blight Of tragic terror. He turned
and glanced at Betty. He saw that her
ewes held their steady look of pity that
was for. the dead man; yet in spite Of
this, and in spite Of the bounds beyond
which he would not let his imagina-