Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-01-31

New York at the same time.
jeanette had not thought he would
do that. The train did not get into
New York until nearly six o'clock.
Dared she delay that call so long
time?
She took the calls slowly, making
him repeat several times, until his
voice was like a cannon roar with
anger.
500 N. c. (no circuit).
$40 BY (busy).
The girl beside her was watching
her curiously. How queer jeanette
Whipple was looking
The fight was on. 27O called every
other breath.
jeanette tried to keep him good
natured. If he should call No. % and
complain, an investigation would
quickly settle everything She would
be sent away on the spot. Every min
ute's delay meant hope, perhaps life.
The intense strain was telling on
her. She tried to hold herself still
and calm that she might think clear
ly. She began to realize the terrible
thing that had happened. The agony
of it sank in slowly. Perhaps she
would wake up suddenly and find that
she had been dreaming.
But 270 was grim reality. He was
calling again.
Then for over an hour she stub
bornly fought every inch of the way.
Captain Henry was a big man and
smart one, but he could not manage
something he did not understand. He
had been obliged to wait for busy
wires before this 1t was nothing new
nor surprising. He never even
dreamed that this peculiar combina-
ton of busy wires, with other tech
nical terms that sounded perfectly
proper, even familiar. was due to a
slip of a girl, one-quarter his age, in
the central telephone office just four
blocks up the street
The numbers danced before her
tired eyes. Her face was hot with the
excitement. But when six o'clock came
she had just put up the connection
between 270 and New York She had
won
She stumbled out of her chair. She
was so rigid she could scarcely move.
She put on her hat and cloak with
stiff fingers The girls seemed to shun
her, or was it her fancy? They must
know it. too. Every one must know
it. Why, the world was full of it.
Richard was a murderer. flying for
his life. and yet. so strange and un-
true it seemed that, even as she said
it, she waited at the street door a
minute for his familiar figure, Then
she started home alone.
Oh, to know he was safe, to know
where he was!
She caught her breath sharply and
hurried on.
1t had evidently been raining. The
dark was coming early. The mist chung
to her skirts and dampened her hair.
The electric light flickered on little
pools of wind-swept water In the
road
Susan met her at the door, her kind,
sisterly face placid and smiling. Then
she started.
Why, Jeanette. dear. what has
happened?"
But Jeanette could not speak. Some
thing was beating in her throat like
a mad thing She brushed past her
and went in. Susan did not shut the
door. jeanette heard her saying,
Have you two been quarreling?"
Who was Susan talking to? A
mans voice answered.
ut does look like It," he said.
She has been over a block ahead OF
me all the way. going like a race
horse"
Richard"
She turned back to the door and
tried to call his name. but it was only
a gasp. Then he caught her.
Sweetheart. has some one been
frightening you? Why. Jeanette
Why. Jeanette!"
With a great effort she struggled
out of the darkness that threatened
to engulf her.
THE murder. Richard. you
He lifted her up into his arms and.
carrying her In. sat down In the big,
old-fashioned rocker with her.
There. there. child. It's all right,
Jeanette. Nash Farnsworth shot
Lathrop. but he is not going to die.
though they thought he was at first.
Did you get 1t wrong? 1t was mixed
at first, in the excitement Did they
tell you 1t was Richard Nash who did
it? His first name being my last one.
and description being rather alike did
make a little bother, He got away. |
guess. imagine he got that four
O'Clock train. Why. little girl, you
could not think it was who shot
him. could your"
And in. the hush. while Susan got
supper. and the light from the fire
played on the walls. the rocking
chair swayed gently with it's burden,
while she told him how she had play
ed the part of Fate to a man she
never saw.
After she was quite herself again
he looked at her solemnly and shook