Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-01

was bracelet!
Forever! Together!' she said. and
stood up beside me. chained to me-
by the handcufis she had slipped on my
right wrist and her left. Never you
think your nerve Ii sound till you
have felt something like that. !
thought mine was-and I sQualled
pressed across my mouth.
How much to let me OFF, asked
as soon as could get breath. You
see, II flashed on me that II was trap.
You can never tell in our line. when
the detectives may be after you, or
what kind OF a game they'll put up.
I looked around for the rest Of the
bunch to come and jump me, but
didn't see thing Her next words
put me on.
whispered. See ours, how they light
our pathway across the sea. The sea
that awaits u.s.
More breath came back to mo. It
wasn't trap, then. She was only .
crazy woman, that I had to get rid or
hooked down at the handcuff. 1t
was OF iron, and had dull rusted edges.
"A hammer would have made short
work of It; but did not have any
hammer. did not even have stone.
There would be stones in the broken
land beyond the thicket. thought
l saw way.
eyes. Let's go,' said.
I'VE set out. At the edge Of the
thicket was hattish rock with small
stones near 1t. Here I pretended to
slip. fell with my right wrist
across a rock, and caught up q cob
blestone with my left hand. At the
first crack Of the stone on the hand
cuff sould feel the old iron weaken.
I got no chance for second blow.
Her hands were at my throat. They
bit in. Then I know 1t was . tight for
my life.
"she was light; but she was strong
like q panther. It her dress bound
her, was as bad OF In my robe. AZ
the first grip was forced back into
a bush, and sprawled there, In q tan
gle Of branches and flying cloth.
Somehow, twisted her fingers from
my throat We struggled out into the
moonlight again. I got fair look at
her face. and guess went mad my
self, with the terror Of it. The next
thing remember clearly she was
quiet on the ground and was hammer
ing, hammering, hammering at my
wrist with blood-stained stone. do
not know II 1t was her blood or mine.
Both, maybe, for my wrist was like
pulp when the iron finally cracked
open and i was free. I caught q
glimpse OF blood on her temple. l
suppose had hit her there with the
stone. She looked dead.
"All wanted was to think-to
think-to think. How could l think
with her lying there? crept out OF
sight Of her and kneeled down. Her
star, the star had faxed for hers,
was shining. in my eyes like a cold
glare. That very minute wisp OF
cloud blew across and wiped 1t out.
and heard myself squeal again. !
was pretty much dotty. guess.
"While was trying to think she
came alive. She didn't stir slow and
moan like have seen men. In my sea
DAYS, when they were Knocked out
She was on her feet before ] knew
It. and on at dead run. Tho broken
handcuff went Jerking and Jumping
AROUND her AZ she ran. That was an
awful night fun OF awful things. But
the one worst sight Of all-worse,
even, than the finding Of her afterward
WIS that mad figure leaping over the
broken ground toward the clih's edge.
Gwen IL had tried to follow | never
could have caught her. And she was
going straight for her death. Sne
dropred down out Of sight into bol-
low and came IN on the rise beyond.
yelled to her to stop. for Gods sake to
stop. Then I held my breath to listen
for her scream when she went over.
never heard It.
"Bnt / heard something else.
heard a mans voice. It was clear and
strong and high. There was death IN
lat, tell you. Mr.. Kent. living nor.
ror gripped at the throat that gave that
Icrv. Then there was q rush OF little
stones and gravel down the face OF the
cliff That was all
Beyond me the ground rose. I ran
,,p on It. 1t gave me q clear view Of
the cliff-top. thought sure i would
see the man who had cried out, from
there. Not a sight OF him! Nothing
moved in the moonlight. thought he
must have gone over the Cliff, too
y threw myself down and buried my
/; face.
| "How long lay on the ground dc
| not know. The wisp OF cloud had blot
| ted out the womans star, now, and
by that I knew she was dead. But the
moon was shining high. It gave me
light enough to see my way into the
gully, and stumbled and slid down
! through to the beach.
/ ~ found her body right away. II
LAY with the head against q rock. But
there was no sign Of the mans body
the man who had yelled. So Though
perhaps he had not gone over the clih
and sat and waited to see II he would
come and care for her. It was quite
clear to me what I must do, II he did
mot come. Perhaps my own brain wal
queer from the shock and the beating
she had given me with her manaclet
wrist: but felt that before went
away from there must conceal tht
cause OF her death. and everything
about It that / could. II IT was known
how she was killed. they would be
more likely to suspect me.
~ went back and got the rope.
rot an old grating from the shore.