Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-25

The tcxt-writcr cnroute had blazcd an unmistak-
able trail But the spring OF his actions seemed to
have been rusty the of his travels and tho
pursuer lost much time in picking up the sign. At
last fellowsojourner in shabby tavern told hin,
that Pacific Grove, beyond Monterey, was plastered
with calls repentance. and figuring that with the
delay his quarry would have done with the bay
curvature, he struck straight south out OF Salinas
lie travelled light, but the poddng caravan had
long lead For three hundred crooked miles he fol-
lowed fame OF wrath, hell-hre warning, and his
soul consumed that the tender Abigail should
depend for happiness upon lean ranter whose one
idea was condemnation Then, IN the hot heart OF
rolling cattle country known for its hides and talow
before the Union was, he came upon Thou art my
rock and my fortress therefore for Thy names sake
lead me-" pleading the outcrop of granite
ridge. Polhcmus hated the man with passion pro-
portionats to his own loss. "If ever get my hands
little girl thinks she needs him That's. enough" -.
1.-The" The Lord Lord is my Shepherd, shall no. want"
ing under barren hill and its complement gar.
nished the bridge where the rider stopped his horse
"'Green pastors and still waters an her back
there all eaten TIP with Woe he growed aloud
His cast.iron innards won't be still when he trot.
along with me- And all down the dry leagues Of
San Luis and Santa Barbara he fed his ina gination.
on the clash OF wills to come His faith in right.
eous moral suasion doomed large but he a
'SSI Issd US Hn not e' n,o o temptation cora black on the.
boarding beyond an Isolated road-house, revived sick
memories of Sam Watson's bargain and the girls
first Midtown hymn. And he cursed the Reverend
leremiahs cantng cruelty again. His sturdy out,
remonstrance had antagonized him from the begin
ming might carry burden of emptiness much like
his own did not enter his head And his fine inn
pulse had grown sour and self revengeful by the
time that, saddlc-wcary and still outdistanced, he
rode down among the orange groves about the City
OF Angels" and lost the scent in multitude Of
ways.
lie cut half-circc through the suburbs to pick
UP the course, lost another two days on the induce
ment Of some road members in the pursuit Of trav-
cling knife-grnders cart and finally got wind of his
N an ed nd ed
the dcsert-bent Micah toward Fl TETON, Polhemus
could only guess Perhaps he would be crazy enough
to strike east through Death Valley and the dry
point Of Nevada with his heavy one horse equpage,
thinking to decorate the bues for the benefit of the
sner could always follow; and he wheeled toward
the north, again a week behind
AT Bakersed he made certain that the 9ntst was
forth to repenish his pocket. Mention Of the Y. L.
long as he would stay The setback put his
in fine fettle And up through Tulare to the raisin,
The signs had grown farther apart since they left
the southern capital. a scriptura debauch among
the % de n K ae o %4s had been
by period of silence that tried the crackers Skill
and up through the reclamation lands there were
alluval miles where there was little but telegraph
poles to paint and it only upon the bridges that
he caught embittered cry. Then near Fresno the
him. so that they had to lay up again. But they
were faced indirectly toward home, and by this time
had nicely computed the
he promised himself to turn it west through the
Pacheco Pass to old Cilroy.
Satisfied that its pilot was making for safer
route overland by way OF Truckcc Oregon,
Polhemus grew grimy more enamoured OF pun
ishing bodily the pant-slinsine Jeremiah Wives
reused his way-steadicd anger to white heat.
looking NS h Is d put an aGd of AS ~
its length along the. top board Of ire,fenced.
{alow field And WOE unto him that buideth his
from the crooked clapboards OF an abandoned shack
God be mercitu to me sinner. score: 19 the
stopped his horse and stared at it. Habit read the
uncons cous fugitive's soul into his works of hand
but the twisted cord drawing the OF their travels
still eluded him.
A couple of cowboys tooling an unruly herd Of
beef cattle told him that the man who making
Bible of the fences had crossed their astonished
vision two hours past
"He leadeh me in the paths of righteousness IN
fat mourning. marked another roadway forking to
The stout white cob cropped at the dry roadside
grass The painter in his old sombrero and clerical
Thy rod and Thy staff shall comfort me-, in the
whitest Of white Lead picked out with cobalt blue,
wildly. banked in green, before the watcher 5
eyes, at the stains upon the laborcr's Jeans HIS
lips wrthed in ,ccognition OF its prophetic
c promise. That old should be settled with the
!. Polhemus studied the crouchng figure somhery.
The chase had been long but it was over. There
4 should know r'' what ali his trouble was about
The long line of the preachers jaw followed hum
grily. The shabby, urban-cut coat hung loose over
!, flesh parched as ii by The desert suns. His whole
forceul being saesed. The intent gaze OF his self
t appointed Nemesis drew pent, miserable orbs. in
| which reawakening anguish wayered into startled
op fc se & mG s.,
two months, and more than thousand miles ahorse.
5 back, Jake Pohcmus said only very grutfy: .'Th
i "Hu can't hit fellow when he's down; an, be.
l. side, it struck me sence she wanted him she'd