The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-05-29
Copyright by A, G. MeClurg Co., 1919

pIlh SitldD.
AS she started to her feet she heard
TWO men running down the stairs and
making a search from room to room
on her floor These must be the men
who had attacked him. She could not
let him fall into their hands, and there,
lore she could not leave him to 20 for
AID. The impotence of her position
] made her feel like screaming to relieve
the nervous strain.
What do you know about this ?
How did he come here? What has
happened to him.
! dunno answered the woman.
There's sOmethm' dom all the time
in this dump"
A sudden knock at the bolted door
chilled Gloria with terror.
What's that?' she whispered.
Somebody's at the door" repfied
Little Ella in the same low tone. This
fact was obvious.
They can't come in," Gloria contin,
ued.
Again came the knocking, louder
and more insistent.
Il 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 bent
over him, wiped the blood from his
face. and brushed back his disheyeled
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"
81 can't git out O. bed. There's no
body here" Little Ella called.
This answer did not pacify the man.
That's 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 1t 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
knew not. 1t 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
her time to parley with his assailants
She looked vainly about for some
place to put him
For Gods sake, help me hide him. :"
she beseeched Il can't give him up
Where does that door lead to-" She
pointed to the door close by the one
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?"
81 can't help you I'm SO weak |
can hardly turn over in bed"
Open this door, say" came from
the man without as he pounded on
the door ominously, "or I'll crack you
over the head.
Gloria understood that there was
no time TO temporize. 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 a number OF garments,
and on chair were more clothes. 1t
was the only chance and Gloria took it.
How she ever managed to get him,
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 forlorn 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 yindictive.
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. If 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 60 away. Offer him anything, prom
ise 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