Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-12
g : .
F RECKLESS
BY
Gene Stram@1a-
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
q CO.
CHAPTER. XIV.
rHr ANGEL GOES FOR RFrf,

man." said the angel. You
know, We were. In Colorado
~ last 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 beauty!
thought at irst glance you were
really he, but 1 see now he wasn't
nearly so tall nor 80 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.
"Well. I'll leave 1t to you! Isn't be
Handsomely" she challenged. las for
that cowboys face. 1t 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. II
you were properly dressed you could
break the heart Of the prettiest girl in
the country"
With one accord the other men
focused Oh Black Jack and for the first
time realized that he was superb
speciman of manhood. for he stood
six feet tall. was broad. we'll rounded
and had dark. even skin. big black
eyes and full red lips.
"I'll tell you whatr' exclaimed the
angel. ia just loveIt to see you on
horseback. Nothing sets a handsome
man of go splendidly. Do you ride?"
EYES," 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. II
| know what I Just wish you'd do.
wish you would let your hair grow
little longer Then wear blue flannel
shirt Q little open at the throat, 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
would IKE 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 wholly different ex-
preston. The evil lines Of 1t were
softening and fading out under her
clear gaze. A dull red famed into his
bronze cheeks. and his eyes were grow
ing brightly tender.
YES he said. and the glance be
shot at the men was of such nature
that no one saw 1t even 20 change
countenance.
..oh. goodyr' she cried. ulting on her
toes. '.1'll ask the girls to come to
see. but they needn't stick in. We can
get along without them. can't weT
Jack leaned toward her. he was
the charmed. 6uttering bird. and the
angel was the snake.
.sWell. 1 rather guessr' he cried.
The angel drew a deep breath and
looked him overirapturously.
"My. hut you're tall"' she gurgled.
do you suppose will ever grow to
reach your shoulders?
"Lariat Bill used always to have a
bunch Of red flowers in his shirt potk-
ct, and the red lit up his dark eyes
and olive cheeks and made his splen-
did day1 put bunch Of red how-
ers on YOUR
Freckles' eyes popped. and be Wheel
ed for breath. He wished that the
earth would open and swallow him up.
Was be dead or 'aliveI Since bis an
gel had set eyes on Black Jack she
had never even glanced his way. Was
she completely bewitched? Woulc she
throw herself at the mans feet before
them all? Couldn't she give him even
one thought2 Hadn't she seen he was
gagged and bound? Did she truly
think that these were McLean's men?
Why. she couldn't. 1t was only few
days ago that she had been near
enough this man and angry enough
with him to peel the hat from his
head with q shot. Suddenly thing
she Had jestingly said to him one day
came back with startling 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 recklessly tore up by the roots
big bunch Of foxfire.
these stems are 50 tough and
sticky" she said Il can't break
them. Lend me- your knife" she or:
dered Freckles.
Az she reached for the knife her
back was one second toward the men.
She looked into his eyes and deliber-
atsly winked -, 500
She severed the stems. tossed the
knife back to Freckles and, walking
up to Jack, laid the flowers over his
heart.
Freckles broke into a sweat Of
agony He had said she would be safe
in . herd Of bowling savages. Would
she3 II Black Jack even made mo-
tion toward touching her Freckles
knew that from somewhere he would
muster the strength to kill him. He
mentally measured the distance to
where his club lay and set his muscles
for . spring. But no! The big fellow
was barring his head with q hand that
was unsteady. The angel pulled one
Of the long silver pins from her hat
ana fastened her flowers securely.
Erecklee yss nMeAinS. What was to
come next1
A. the angel stepped bach NON
Jack she turned her head 70 one side
and pesred Up ct him, just - rrscklss