The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-11-11

give me up, but neither would you
swear to a lie. Not knowing where |
hides, your consciences are as free as
mine that hasn't never been bridled."
Wilfred asked, But when Lahoma
writes. how will you get her letter.
You or Bill will go for the mail. If
letter comes you'll take it to that crev
ice into which Miss Sellimer was drus
by that big Injun. and you'll wait III
there till | comes, not opening that let
ter till am with you. Well read it to,
sethcr, down In the hollow where por,
Miss Sellimers life was saved by La,
homa; then you two will go back to tht
cove and leave me to sneak away to
| my hiding place"
When the next letter came from
Lahoma Wilfred Compton and Bill Al
| kins hurried to the crevice in the noun
| tain top according to agreement. 1t
was cloudless afternoon. but at tn,
| farther end of the retreat the light OF
the lantern was necessary for its pc
rusal. Brick Wilcox, who was there
| before them, read the letter in silence
before handing it to the young man to
| read aloud.
| Wilfred took the letter, tingling with
| excitement. The strained watching and
waiting for the sudden appearance OF
an unknown Red Kimball had made
| his bed in the cabin as sleepless as had
been Bills pallet in the dugout. They
squatted about the lantern that rested
on the stone floor. Wilcox always
with eyes directed toward the narrow
slit in the ceiling that they might not
be taken by surprise.
Dear Brick-By this time you have hid
den where nobody can find you, for
you've got my telegram and you know
wouldn't have sent it if 1t hadn't been
| necessary. You believe in me and as you
| would say-how I'd love to hear you!-
you act according" Well, and believe
in you. Brick. and you needn't imagine
as long as you live that anybody could
| make me think you anything but what
know you to be-the kindest. most tender
hearted, most thoughtful man that ever
lived. Get that fixed in your mind SO
wien l tell what they say about you you
won't care, knowing I'm with you and
will believe in you till death. Maybe
ought to begin with Mr.. Gledware, sc
you'll know more about him when l be.
gin on the main news.
The first time I met Mr.. Glcdware he
acted in a curious way. OF course l was
introduced as Miss Wilcox" and he
started at the name and at sight of me
two separate little movements just as
plain as anything. Then he said he hat
heard the name "Wil1ock" in unusual sur.
roundings and that my face reminded him
of somebody who was dead. That was al
there was to it then. But afterward ht
heard Annabel call me 'Lahoma." ant
his face turned perfectly white.
The first chance he had after that HI
sat down to talk to me in corner wher'
we wouldn't be overheard, and he asket
me questions. So of course, I told abou
father and mother taking me across tn,
prairie to the Oklahoma country.
Then he asked il thought I had eve
seen him, for he thought he could re
member having seen me somewhere. Ant
said / wasn't sure, l had met SO man.
people, and there was something familia
about him. Then he said he guessed w
hadn't ever met unless accidentally OF
the trail somewhere, as he had once beel
down in Texas-and that was all.
I don't like Mr.. Gledware's eye becaus
it always looks away from you. He woul'
| be considered a handsome man by any
l
| ward heard about his trip to Texas An
mabel and her mother were talking abou
Mr.. Gledware's past. It seems that ono
! | Mr.. Gledware and his first wife Il sa
r his first because I look upon Annabel a
certain to be the second joined the Ok
: lahoma boomers and they were attacke
0 by Indians just as my father and mothc
i | were, and they had with them his wife
little girl for he had married widow
l {,,e& cav ho6 fy,,,. ste fat khny
and there was terrible battle And MI
] Gledware. oh, he was SO brave! He kilie
ten Indians after the rest of his part,
including his wife and daughter had bee
slain, and he broke through the attackin
r party and escaped on a horse-the onl
e one that got away.
He doesn't look that brave. Later,
asked him il it could be possible that h
4 was with the wagon train we were II
. but he said there wasn't any Mr.. or Mr.
: Wilcox in his party and no little gi
I named Lahoma Wilcox. But mes bee
J. through what my father went througl
Il and it made me feel kinder to him SOM
how.
Now, I've come to the day when. SCI
|, you the telegram and why l sent 1t, SO
e prepared. There was to be a big picn
n today near town called Independent
and, as it happened. I didn't feel like s
= ing, so begged off-let me tell you VIII.
/ l began a novel last night, full Of brig
s conversation. the pages all broken up
Il little scraps Of print that hurry you alor
as II building steps for you to run down
it was ever and ever more interestiI
u than real people can be. So / stayed
g finish that book.
IL Now, there Is nook In Mr.. Giedware
library, sort of alcove where you ha
+ a window all TO yourself, but are sh
J. off from the rest of the room, and that
r. where / was when two men came in sol
) ly and closed and locked the door behiI
:. them. I couldn't see them, but just as
u was starting up to find out what it mea
h one of them-it was Mr.. Gledware. whi
10 surprised me greatly, as he had gone wi
the rest to the picnic-spoke your nan
= Brick. AS soon as heard that name, a
Is particularly on account Of the way
[e spoke 1t, determined to "lay low a
A. scout out the trouble.
The other man, / soon found. was r
~ Kimball. They had about finished tn
70 conversation before coming into the roo
re | so the first part was lost. Mr.. Gledws
IN had come for his check book, and I
check was for Red KimbalI. Red Ki
ball used to be the leader of band
iii hishwaymen up in Cimarron when it "
ia No Mans Land; 1t was his band that
!, tackled the wagon train when Mr.. GI,
io ware acted the hero-oniy. as they WI
disguised as Indians, Mr.. Giedware did
FL know they were such till later. He ca
nd on them afterward without their d
: guiEes, and they would have killed h
IL you, Brick, hadn't knocked down T
,e- and shot his brother! So, as l listen
1y found out that Mr.. Gledware wasn't
Nv hero he claimed to be. but was the n
"a you saved, and he is my stepfather, an
was carried away by him and taken fr
80 him by the Indians, but he wasn't xii
| at all. And / am no kin to you. at
" Brick, you just took me in and cared
me because you are Brick Wilcox,
i lon .xir RI a