Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-03-07

REFLECTIONS
Continued from last week.

Smith & Wesson revolver in a belt
beneath his vest. Upon noticing Mr..
Crissman filling the magazine Of his
Winchester, as he hurried along, Doug
unbuttoned his vest and put his re-
volver in handy position.
While standing by the aperture in
the kitchen wall with frightened
Evangeline clinging to her arm Mrs.
Crissman heard and saw all that
transpired. But every thing had pass
ed so quickly that she was still some
what dazed. She dropped into chair
by the dining room table to collect
her thoughts and to get clearer con-
ception of the strange situation. In
dreamy way Evangeline sat down
by her mother. They were silent
Mrs. Crissman realized that possibly
her father and mother were being
killed at that moment. She knew that
her husband and a strange young man
had dashed away to the rescue. She
inwardly chided her parents for be-
ing so eccentric as to keep large
sum of money secreted in their home
as bait for robbers, who instructive
ly catch the scent of such a prize.
Cedric and Smith had succeeded in
securing several such prizese as this,
at least, they got the blame. In every
case a staring corpse was the only
source of information for officials.
Their hellish attempt to push Doug
over the criminal Rubicon on a wave
of intoxication had failed. The germs
of virtue that a good mother had
planted in Doug's boyish heart had
begun to bloom and purify his life.
The dark consequences of a henious
contrast to the results of doing the
public good; hence, his unique
fight from the former to the latter.
AS they sat there, Mrs. Crissman and
Evangeline talked the matter over,
surmising this and guessing that.
Evangeline wondered who the strange
young man was in whom the beauti-
full traits of due Difference and polite
ness were so inbred as to persist un-
der such all-absorbing circumstances.
But, then, is it not fact that old dis
couraged habits do come to the sur
face sometimes during moments of
excitement? Evangeline wondered
why her mind retained the color of
fair, that his hair was dark, and in
clined to curl, and that his form was
straight and manly. When she i'm
agined that he and her father were
fighting with Cedric and Smith she
could see him more distinctly than
any of the others. Why? Again they
became silent. 1t was useless for
them to try to sleep any more that
night They dressed, threw shawls
about their shoulders and went into
the kitchen. Evangelin picked up her
fathers revolver which he had left
lying on a chair when he pulled the
Winchester rifle from the top of the
cupboard, and laid it on the clock
shelf. Mrs. Crissman blew out the
light then they seated themselves by
window to watch, listen, and wait.
When Mr.. Crissman and Doug came
to the lockwood premises they held
whispered consultation, then left
the road, passed through the barn
yard, and approached the house from
the side opposite the kitchen. Mr..
Crissman had reached the steps TO the
door through which Doug had made
his exit. Doug had taken position
a little to one side and back, when
suddenly the dorr swung slowly open
Crissman slipped quickly to one side
and leveled his gun, expecting Cedric
and Smith to emerge. Doug whipped
out his revolver and pointed it at
the doorway. The door swung shut
with a little slam. then it occurred
to them that Doug had left the door
unattached and the wind was swinging
il to and fro.
Cdric, angered at Doug's absence,
told Smith to watch by the open
kitchen window, then cautiously pass
ed through the dining room. As he
entered the sitting room he was STRAIT
led to see the out side door swing
slowly open. He dropped quickly on
one knee and leveled his revolver at
the doorway. Had he fired at that
moment he would have killed Crisis
man. He too noticed that it was the
night wind that was moving the door
that Doug had left the house. What
for? To betray them, of course, He
knew if this surmise was correct that
a posse OF armed men would be up
on them soon. Cedric was alarmed.
His criminal instinct told him that
danger was approaching. He slip
ped quietly back to Smith and whis-
pered, Jake, that lily-livered pup has
betrayed us. He is gone. We must
get out of here at once and put for
tho hluffs told Swint IN leave the