Putnam patriot., 1916-03-31

"'Dlnna greet. | said. I'm get him.
but he mun ha' time. Let Dan Page
20 upstairs and talk 70 them from Il
window
Oh. DAN says the puir lady. Dan
will you do that's Tell them you
didn't mean 10 hurt Mary or-or me.
No. no. he whimpered. 4 can't.
cantr But | grabbit him by the arm
aud pulled him TO his feet. BE a man.
| cried. and | shookit him. BE man
and get you upstairs
You'd he safe in the cupola. Dan.
says Mrs. Page. I'm stay with you
and this kind man will so for Philip
But he kept sayin'. No. no. and
could hear the Others bangin' Mt the
door and | dared not stay. SO slippit
cot the way | came and went of for
Mr.. Langdon."
Mrs. Page, whose anxiety TO be near
Mary had kept her from returning to
the witness room. shuddered M the
memories that MACPHERSON was con
juring up out of the past. The soft
ness which time has lieut. the tragedy
of that chill winter morning was
stripped OFF. exposing the cid horrible
wound. and she could feel again those
cropping fingers. icy cold. clutehing AZ
her as she strove to drag Dan Page
up stairs towards the cupola
She could hear his voice. now thick
with drink now athril with terrible
fear-as he pleaded with her to hide
him and to save him. She had been
mercifullY uumb with the horror Of it
then; consumed only with the desire
To hold those men at bay long enough
for MACPHERSON te bring help, aud 1t
was that desire which gave her the
strength TO drag the heavy bulk of her
husband up the two flights of stairs
into the little cupola at the top.
She could feel again the sting of the
cold dawn wind against her face us she
stepped ont en the platform Of rough
boards aud dropped the inert figure of
her husband 1T her feet.
Then with all the eloquenee of her
great fear She had pleaded with the
mob below to 20 away. They had
seemed all eyes floating ON great pool
of blaekness against the snow rs she
looked down. but later she could see
the grim mouths below the eyes aud
knew that her pleas We're falling ON
deaf ears
Finally one who seemed Co be the
singleader had stepped forward and
| ,ried
Where is your husband? 1t is he
that we want to talk To" And she
had lied and said. "He is sleeping
They muttered ominausly ut that and
lgain the riusleader spoke: We have
no quarrel with YOU Mrs Page, but no
| lrunkard who strikes his daughter and
drives her insane shall stay in this
! town Dan Page has got to go"
Gle will. lie Will" she promised wild
| ~. "I,ll take him away today. He
! ldnt mean 10 hurt us-he didn't know
| what he was doing But he1l go
away, oh, promise that" And again
the grim voice answered her;
Hell 20, but WE'LL SEE him off
Let him stand up like man aud talk
to us.
At that they all took up the shout
fer Page. and he. lying on his face ON
~. boards. moaned aud prayed to the
God he had long forgotten, to. save
him.
How long she talked and urged and
wept and pleaded Mrs. Page herself
did not remember, but somehow she
had held t1en-still threatening-still
ominous-lin far down the road she
Jaw a small speck that size knew was
III approaching sleigh with two figures
in it.
At sight of il she had forgotten ey.
erything except an infinite relief. and
crying in her joy had sped down stairs,
leaving Dan Page still huddled in the
windy cupola.
If she hadnt-she shuddered. and
caught her breadth in n smothered sob.
and for moment the court -r0om hung
in haze before her and the voice Of
MACPHERSON Speaking ON the witness
stand receded to "A vast distance and
seemed TO be again the murmuring
voices of that angry mob. But she
fought back the impending faintness
and the rising tears, and as one brac-
ing himself against the impact Of
some great weight, she Strengthened
her slender shoulders to meet without
hinching the story of that morning s
tragedy.
"When Mr.. Langdon and | drove
oop," Macpherson was saying, the
men were still there. and Mr. Langdon
stood oop In the sleigh aud made Il
speech to them urging them to go home
| 10 70 in bp
hands of good doctor he said. and
| you will only make a bad matter worse
If you attempt to carry out this plan
of whipping Dan Page out of town.
I'll see TO 1t that he leaves the com
munity, but If you drive him out this
way, it's going TO mean disgrace 10 the
town and to Mary Page. too. Do you
suppose she could bear the thought of
her fathers having been publicly whip
pedT Wen shouted one of the men.
It's not beatin her the way he has
done it Drivin her and-the brute
And the crowd began 10 murmur again.
Then Mfr laBeden told them that the
drink was lise a agin beast inside
| sIr. Page. that be knew nongbt OF what
he did that he probably didn't remem.
bel. anytime that he realty loved bis
wife and his girl And while he was
| takm' one of Tie men give cry and
poinfit cop and there in he eupola
stood Dan Page-wiId like the daft.
| c1inein to the rail. and ne cried DOT.
What he SAYS Is Gods truth. | love
! my wife and girl as much as you men
love Yours It's whlskey that hurt
| fhnrn-nnf mn Eve llenn a dive In