Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-12-18

and more lnsIstent.
I can't let anything happen to him"
murmured the unhappy girl in agony
remembering how the day before she
had demanded that he be punished
Joe, Joe, what does it all mean?"
But Wright made no answer. He lay
like log as the girl he had loved nent
over him, wiped the blood from his
face, and brushed back his disheveled
hair
With the next knock came the voice
of a man demanding entrance.
Ella, Ella, open this door"
Gloria rushed over to the bed.
Tell him YOU can't get out of bed, :"
she implored in a whisper. Tell him
there's nobody here"
I cant git out O. bed There's no
body here, Little Ella called
This answer did not pacify the man.
That's a lie" he shouted. There's
somebody in there or the door wouldn't
be locked. Open this door. do you
hear me. or I'll bust it down"
The tone OF his voice made Gloria
feel that he would make good his
threat There in the center of the
room in full view lay the man whom
they were seeking. Once they burst
the single barrier they would be upon
him. to do what further harm she
Nllnew not. ii might be that he was
now already beyond all human aid He
still breathed, however. and Gloria
was willing TO fight if there was even
only one chance in his favor Hence
it would not do for them to find him
the minute they broke down the door
She must hide him somewhere to give
he. time to parley with his assaflants.
She looked vainly about for some
place to put him.
For Gods sake, help me hide him, +"
she beseeched. 4 can't give him up
Where does that door lead to-" She
pointed to the door close by the enc
which led into the hall
That's only a closet under the
stairway" was Little Elias whispered
explanation. They'd find him there
in minute
You wouldn't let them kill him.
would you?"
I can't help you I'm so weak l
can hardly turn over in bed"
Open this door. I say" came from
the man without as he pounded on
the door ominously, "or III crack you
over the head"
Gloria understood that there was
no time to tempoTize. She must do
something and that quickly. Close
by where she stood next the bed, and
on the side away from the door, was
Little Elias trunk. Behind it on
hooks hung number of garments,
and on a chair were more clothes. 1t
was the only chance and Gloria took it.
How she ever managed to get him,
a dead weight. across the intervening
space and safely slowed behind the
trunk she never knew. She dragged.
she hauled, she pulled, she rolled. and
the forloTn hope that she would save
him yet gave her strength. As she
snatched skirts from the hooks and
all the clothing from the chair to pile
upon him, the pounding upon the door
became more and more vindictive.
The girl was out of breath, but as she
bent over the PROSTATE form Of the
man she loved, she managed to gasp:
Joe, listen to me. II you can hear
me, dear, listen. Don't stir, don't you
hear me. Joe?" But he was deaf to
all entreaties. Seeing this was so.
she turned to Little Ella: Get him
to go away. Offer him anything, prom
Use him anything. I'll do it; only keep
that man on the other side OF that
door"
There's at least two Of EN-"
THAT doesn't matter-a thousand
it's all the same. Get them to go
away"
This was easier said than done. but
Little ElIa~was willing to make the
effort.
You git away from that door, an
leave me alone"
Open this door. you she-devil .
threatened the besieger, or III"
And then interrupted another voice
with a suggestion that made Gloria
grow faint
"Aw! Let's bust it in. He's in there
all right"
Let 'er go, answered the first
one.
Then came the heavy thuds as the
men threw themselves against the
/ door. The knocking at the gate in
: Macbeth had no more portentious
sound in the play than had this at
tack upon her stronghold to Gloria.
She felt all the nervousness of troops
under fire that must remain inactive
awaiting orders. There was nothing
/ she could do but wait until the door
/ was battered down.
/ This was not long in happening. As
/ she stood in front Of the trunk ner
/ vously twisting her handkerchief in
her hands, at one last mighty effort
( the bolt yielded, the door few open
and two men stumbled into the room
/ Little Ella recognized them both in
/ stantly. They were Buck Kelly and
/ Turkey Ryan, notorious deniZens oil
/ the underworld If ever there were
two vicious-Iooking cutthroats, these
/ men answered their descriptions. TIC
make their rufhanly appearance worse
/ they bore the marks of their recent
/ encounter. Ke!ly's left eye hat
/ swelled almost closed. and Ryan hat
a long cut across his cheek where
, Wright's ring had left its mark with {
/ slashing blow. He had done even more
1 damage than this, but these showed
the plainest. Needless to say. theil
tempers had not been sweetened by
the episode.
voirs of poison-the deadliest things
III the world"