The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-11-07

0IOuku o0V IS0G0. s% o0 fWd0 oil tu0s
was left Of the three who had compos-
ed her little world. He sat down be.
fore her and looked at her pityingly
with bis gray eyes.
Edith" he said. 1--WE come to say
something to you. Your father and
mother being gone. you have no n to
rely p
Eyes; / have you. Father often told
me that II he were taken away from
me ! could count on you for anything"
The fisherman WINGED. he had some
thing on his mind, something be had
dreamed without hope OF Its realixa-
ton. He had long wished for Edith's
love, the love Of q woman. not q child.
for q man. Now that she vas left
alone there, seemed a possibility that he
might induce her to look upon him az
sutton. But he had been twenty
years old when she was born. and she
had been accustomed to think Of him
10 something akin to q father. Her
reception Of the opening Of the pro
posal be intended discouraged him.
But what il It you have to say to
mel" she added. seeing that he was
dra wing back within himself. Her ques.
tion was accompanied by q reassuring
smile. It brought him courage. !.
II don't see how you can live here
alone" he said. land you have no rela.
i've to come and live with you. !
was your fnther's friend: He was like
q brother to me, and rye missed him
since he left 10 pretty nigh AZ much
~ you have"
She interrupted him. Whether It
was to stave OF what she saw was
coming or from q sincere desire to
know the truth he could not be sure.
''Tell me-" she said. what was the
trouble that came to the family when
was a little girl, and what vas your
connection with it."
"Your father told me that II l felt 1t
would be safe to intrust you with the
secret after you had become a woman
and he had gone ! had his permission
to do so"
"Intrust me! Did father doubt that
l might safely be intrusted with any
secret?"
mot as a woman. only as an ire
sponsible child. will tell you all. /
ought to tell you. for there is a reason
In it for my not saying. what ! have
intended to say. There was a man. q
misery wretch, who held a mortgage
on this house. Your father was having
hard luck with his nets about that
time and couldn't pay the interest. The
old skinflint wrote him that be was
going to foreclose the mortgage. Your
father went to e him about the mat
ter and there were high words between
the two. The next morning the miser
was found murdered"
Edith leaned forwardF TO catch every
word. a look of dread on her face.
"Your father was arrested charged
with the murder. Nobody doubted that
he was guilty. and since a number
Of criminals had shortly before got
on by the ineflciency Of the law q
number Of men determined In this ase
to be the law themselves. l got wind
Of the move and. taking my gun. went
to the Jail to help the sheriff protect
your father. Nearing it. ! saw the men
advancing to attack it. Taking posi-
ton behind a tree. l fred several shots
at them"
The captain paused.
''Welly' queried Edith.
II killed one Of them"
''Go on"
They supposed my shots came from
the jail. They all went away. You
are the only person now living who
knows that there is blood on nv
hands,"
She reached for the hand on which
there was blood and asked him to 60
on.
mot long after this the police ran In
I criminal with some money and other
property on him that had belonged to
the murdered man. He confessed to
the murder. and your father was re,
leased"
With a sigh Of relief Edith drew
away and. resting her head on the
high back Of the chair in which she
sat, covered her face with g hands
Her companion waited for her to re-
cover from her emotion. Presently
she withdrew her hands and said:
Go on"
There's nothing more to tell" the
captain said. Il wanted to give myself
up and take the consequences Of the
killing / had done. but your father and
your mother dissuaded ne. They said
It was perfectly legitimate and By II !
had saved your fathers Afs, for 4
turned out that the sheriff was UMPIRE.
pared to defend him and was ready to
give him up to the men who had
brought with them the wherew1thal
to execute him suppose this y true,
but / think I would have felt better III
these years II | had confessed"
Never mind that now. What val
Il you were going to tell me before thfs
digressiony"
II can't do it.
Then 1 Will"
She threw her arms about his NECK
and said: ..You will need some b Il
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