The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-12-16

| I shall be your grateful debtor for What
you have done tonight. May ! 80
now"
she rave bin leave, and when he
was gone. she went 10 her s;a,eroom
10 write as be had suggested An hour
later she save the newly written letter
TO the night clerk; and the thing vas
dorA
In the ordinary course o, things.
Miss Farnham's letter should have
reached New orleans In time 10 have
procured Grisvold's arrest at any Doe
Of a score Of landings south Of Mem.
pits. when the spires Of the Ten.
nessee metropolis disappeared 10 the
southwark. he began 10 think that her
resolution had failed.
He had no near CT knowing that
she had given her letter 10 the night
clerk within the hour OF their inter.
view on the saloon deck promenade
nor did he. or anyone else, know that
IL had lain unnoticed and overlooked
on the clerks desk until the Belle
Julie reached Cairo. Such. however
vas the pregnant fact; and 70 this
purely accidental delay GrisVold owed
his FRS, sigh, Of the chief city OF Mis-.
souri lying dim and shadowy under !is
mantle OF coal smoke.
The Belle Julie made her landing IN
the early evening. and Charlotte vas
busy up TO the last moment getting
her own and her aunts belongings
ready FOR the transfer 70 the upper
river steamer on which they were @
complete their journey 20 Minnesota.
Hence. Il was not until the Belle Julie
vas edging her way UP 20 the stone.
paved levee that Charlotte broke her
seliImposed rule and slipped GU; upon
the port promenade.
The swing stage was poised 10 the
air ready 20 be lowered. and two Of
the d~eckhsnds were dropping from
the shore end 10 trail the bowliEe up
the paved slope 20 the nearest moo
lag ring. There vas an electric arc
light opposite the steamers berth. and
Charlotte shaded her eyes with her
hands 70 follow the motions Of the
two bent figures under The dripping
hawser.
one o! the men was wearing a cap,
and there was a small bundle hanging
az his belt. She recognized him at
once. At the moor!ng rms he was the
n who stopped % make the line fast,
and the other. a negro. stood aside At
that moment the landing stage fell.
and In the confusion Of d~ebarkation
which promptly followed. the thrilling
bit OF byplay At the mooring ring
passed unnoticed by all save the silent
watcher on the saloon deck.
While the man in the cap was still
on his knees. two men stole from the
shadow Of the cares freight pyramid
and flung themselves upon him. He
fought iercely for a moment. and
though he was more than doubly ont.
weighed. rose to his feet. striking out
~yic!ously and dragging his assa!lants
up with him. In the struggle the
bundle dropped from his belt. and
Charlotte saw him kick IL aside. The
waiting negro caught Il deftly and
vanished among the freight pyramids
w~hereupon one OF the attacking pair
wrenched himself out OF the three. man
scufie and darted away IN pursuit.
This left but a single antagonist FOR
the fugitive, and Charlotte's sympa.
thies deserted her convictions sor the
moment. But while she was biting
her lip TO keep from crying out, the
fugitive stepped back and held out
his hands. and she saw the CLEAN OF
polished metal rejecting the glare OF
the arc light when the officer snapped
the handouts upon his wrists.
II was with a distinct sense OF cul.
pabil!ty expressing her that she went
back 10 her aunt. and she was careful
not 70 let the invalid see her face. For.
~tunately, there was a thing 10 be done,
and the transfer 10 the other steamer
came o~pportunely to help her to re.
establish the balance OF things dis.
torted.
She vas sorry. but. after all. the
mar had only himself 10 blame. None
the less. the wish that someone else
might have been his b~etrayer was
promising TO grow later into remorse.
full and lasting regret when. with her
aunt, she left the Belle Julie and
walked up the leyee to go aboard the
Star OF the North.