The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-01

times before. His akloton would DO
found probably tba following sumn,e r,
when the SHOWS disappeared--when
some inauisitive person, seeing the
brush broken through and the tim.
bers shattered. matched 10 UP with the
disappearance of Big Missouri
! AS he hung there things that had
seemed to pass out of his life alto
sether suddenly came back into his
\ mind. He thought OF his childhood; OF
his boyish companions; of his moth
| er: OF the time he ran away from
home; OF his rough life and of his way
1 wardness Strange how fast and how
clearly a man can think under such
| circumstances, The little happenings
of long ago assumed an Importance out
| OF all proportion to the events that
had controlled his later life. He won
| dered what chance he would have in
the hereafter.
HIS arm began to ache hideously
| from the strain Of supporting his big
| body. He had to raise his other arm
despite the pain in order TO rest the
good arm, II only for a few SECONDS.
| It was agonizing to put any weight on
the injured arm, but IL had to be done.
Then Big Missouri began TO think OF
his mother, ana of a prayer she taught
! him when he was n boy. He couldn't
remember the words. but he know this
sense of them. He could hang on but
q minute or two longer he knew. He
could not raise himself or relieve the
tension with that injured arm again.
| He was not a coward but he was not
| really to die. Whatever there was OF
good in Big Missouri came to the sur.
face lust then. He determined that II
| by any chance he was rescued alive
he would lead a different life. He
| CIV NV Il
swearing; he would never gamble
egain.
The strain or his arm was becom-
ing unhearable. Every nerve in his
| body seemed 10 be giving way. The
words OF the simple PRAYER his moth
or taught him so long ago suddenly
came back, and he repeated them. AS
he finished he closed his eyes, relaxed
his hold and dropped--two feet
Mr.. Hector Dwiggins. OF Wall Street.
and his wife We're entertaining Mr.. and
Mrs Murray at the Plaza with g din-
! ner. The attention Of the ladies' was
attracted by handsome. stylish wo-
man, who had been escorted by the
head waiter TO q side table The two
women scrutinizcd her so intently that,
At the same time Mr.. Dwiggins glanced
In her direction. She smiled most
engagingly and he bowed as TO an old
friend. Furthermore. he made his ex-
cuses to the ladies. went over and
shook hands cordially with the new
conner, chatting with her vivaciously
for several minutes. When he return
ed TO his party, the ladies were eager
to know who the beautiful woman
| was.
That" said he, us Mrs Hayward
She used to live over on Riverside
| Drive. But that isn't where / frst met
her. I've known her a great many
| years"
! why. you never spoke OF her to me-
remarked Mrs Dwiggins with the least
suspicion of an edge to her tone
NO l knew her before we were
married, my dear" explained Mr.
Dwisgins
! Both ladies declared Mrs Hayward
| was the best dressed woman and the
| most distinguished they had seen in
| many months. She had an air. they
| said, whatever air" may mean Her
! figure was superb and she would at
tract attention in any gathering.
Mr. Dwiggins smiled.
! Yes" said he. 'she always was that
! way. / knew her out West. She was
the belle of Crazy Horse when | knew
| her first. There was not a man in
| town who was not in love with her.
| myself included. She was the waitress
In what they called hotel. And she
was IS good waitress as ever handled
! hash or shot biscuit. She was not Mrs.
Hayward then. but simply Tessie.