The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-06
CHAPTER KY.
THE ANGEL GOES FOR HELP.

THE ANGEL GOES FOR HELP. SEE now you aren't the same man." said the angel. "You know. we were in Colorado Iast year. and there was cowboy that was the handsomest man about. He'd come riding into town every night. and all we girls just adored him! Oh. but he was beautyI l thought at first glance you were really he, but I see now he wasn't nearly 30 tall nor so broad as you and only half as handsome.
 The men burst into roar of laugh ter. and Jack flushed crimson. The an- gel joined in the laugh.
 "WeIl. I'll leave it to you! Isn't he handsome?" she challenged 'As for that cowboys face. if couldn't be com pared with yours. The only trouble with you is that your clothes are spoil ing you. It's the dress those cowboys wear that makes half their looks. If you were properly dressed you could break the heart of the prettiest girl in the country"
 With one accord the other men focused on Black Jack and for the first time realized that he was a superb speciman of manhood. for he stood six feet tall. was broad. we'll rounded and had dnrk. even skin, big black eyes and full red lips.
 "Ill tell you whatT' exclaimed the angel "I'd just love to see you on horseback. Nothing sets handsome man or so spIendidly. Do you rider"
 ''Yes." said Jack. and his eyes were burning on the angel as if he would fathOm the depths of her soul.
 ''Well." said the angel winsomely, "I ,h1R I frruf fSh ' wish you would let your hair grow a little longer. Then wear blue 6annel shirt a little open at the throat. a red tie and a broad brimmed felt hat and ride past my house of evenings. I'm always at home then and almost al- ways on the veranda. and. oh. but I would like to see you! Will you do that for me?"
 The angel was looking straight into Jacks face. coarse and hardened with sin and carelesS living. which was now taking on a wholly different ex- preSsion. The evil lines of it were eoftening and fading out under her clear gaze. dull red famed into his bronze cheeks. and his eyes were grow ing brightly tender.
 "Yes." he said. and the glance he shot at the men was of such a nature that no one saw ht even to change countenance.
 '-Oh. goOdy!' she cried. tilting on her toes. ''III ask the girls to come to see. but they needn't stick in. We can get along without them. can't weT
 Jack cleaned toward her. He was the charmed. fiuttering bird, and the angel was the snake.
 ''WeIl. rather guesse' he cried.
 rTNn- looked him over rapturously.
 My, but you're taIl!" she gurgled- ''Do you suppose I will ever grow to reach your shoulders?
 "Lariat Hill used always to have bunch of red flowers in his shirt pock- ct. and the red lit up his dark eyes and olive cheeks and made his splen- did May put a bunch of red flow CTS on youT
 FreckIes' eyes popped. and he wheez- ed for breath. He wished that the earth would open and swallow him up. Was he dead or alive? Since his an- gel had set eyes on Black Jack she had never even glanced his way. Was she completely bewitched? Would she throw herself at the mans feet before them all? Couldn't she give him even one thought? Hadn't she seen he was ragged and bound? Did she truly think that these were McLean's men? Why. she couldn't. 1t was only a few days ago that she had been near enough this man and angry enough with him to peel the hat from his bend with a shot Suddenly a thing she had jestingly said to him one day came back with s<artling force. You must take angels on trust" Of course you must. She was his angel She must have seen. His life and. what was far worse. her own were in her hands. There was nothing he could do but trust her. Surely she was working out some plan.
 The angel knelt beside his flower bed and recklessIy tore up by the roots a big bunch of foxfire.
 These stems are so tough and sticky" she said. "I can't break them. Lend me your knife." she or dered Freckles.
 As she reached for the knife her back was one second toward the men She looked into his eyes and deliber ately winked-
 She severed the stems tossed the knife back to FreckIes and. walking up to Jack. laid the flowers over his heart.
 FreckIes broke into a sweat of agony. He had said she would be safe in a herd of bowling savaEes. Would she? If Black Jack even made a mo ton toward touching her Freckles knew that from somewhere he would muster the strength to kill him. He mentally measured the distance to f-g~ -N--