The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-04-20
will jes' take a run back to the town.

Will 1eS t0ke TUT D0ck 10 tue Town.
m thinkin', aud make sure there's ma
arm COON to Dan Page through, this
icht's work And MIR. I.ansdon says.
;uick like. What do you mean? So
old him aud the doctor. and Mr.. Lang
Ion was all fer comm wi me. but the
loctor wouldna let him. 'Dinna fash
ersel'.' l said. when | saw the doctor
was RIGHT. I'll gaze fast. and ii there
10 need fer you I'll come RIGHT back
And the doctor said. You're all worn
out, Philip. You've got to have some
rest. Be sensible So I went back
alone.''
"At what hour did you reach the
home Of Miss Page?''
II dinna ken the exact hour, but 1t
were ABBOTT daylight. and l cude see
quite ways ahead Of me-"
"Will you tell us, please,> what you
saw when you approached the Page
house?"
Slowly one great hand clinched itself
into a knotted fist, and the muscles Of
his jaw frightened. and across those
who sat between, the gray eyes of the
Scotchman and the tear-dimmed eyes
Of Mrs. Page met in mute commun-
ion Of terrible memories. Then. slowly.
with new tone of suppressed excite
ment lending a thrill to his voice he
said:
when | got ME enough to see the
hoose. cude see great black splotch
in front Of 1t. that l made cot to be
men. Then | cude hear shouts: Come
DOT, Dan Page, we've summat to say
to your So l didna drive right COP
to the place. stoppit in the road and
crepit through the wood at the back
and, hiding under the hedge, got oop
to the rear. Then l wrote on a wee
scrap Of paper. I've news Of Mary
and come to bring help Then !
tappit on window, till | saw Mrs.
Page perrin oot-and held up the
paper.
"After minute or so she unlatchit
the back door and slippit in. oh,
Mr.. MACPHERSON says the puir lady,
cryin', is my girl safe?' And l says,
Safe and sound asleep And she says
Thank Cod Then heerd another
voice sayin', Annie, Annie-who is it
Don't let them get mech, my God
don't let them get met And l saw
that Dan Page was hidin' behind her
clingin' to her skirts like scared
BARN. His face We're all drawn anG
twistit like, and his mouth was slob
BERN, and he kept cryin'. 4 was drunk
Il ,l- al In
You tell themr At that she says like
one speakin' to child, There, there
Dan-youre safer And then there
came an awfu' cry from ootside
Come GOT, Dan Page-or Wen smoke
We cot like the beast that We arer Al
that Mrs. Page began to sob and says
oh. what shall l do? What shall
do! They will ma talk to me-and
they'll burn DOR hoose. they'll burn DOR
hoose! Oh, If Philip were only here:
"'Dipna greet said, III get him
but he nun ha' time. Let Dan Page
60 upstairs and talk to them from ;
window
"'Oh. Dam says the puir lady. 'DaI
will you do that? Tell them yor
didn't mean to hurt Mary or-or me.
No, no. he whimpered, I can't.
can't! But grabbit him by the arm
and pulled him to his feet. BE man,
l cried, and shookit him. BE mar
and get you upstairs
"'You'd be safe in the cupola. Dan.
/ says Mrs. Page. IN stay with you
and this kind man will 60 for Philip.
But he kept sayin', NO. no. and
could hear the others bangin' Mt thu
door and l dared not stay. SO l slippil
DOT the way came and went Off fol-
Mr.. Langdon."
Mrs. Page, whose anxiety to be neal
Mary had kept her from returning II
the witness room. shuddered at til,
memories that MACPHERSON was con
juring up out Of the past. The soft
ness which time has lent the TRACED.
of that chill winter morning wa
stripped off. exposing the old horrible
wound, and she could feel again thos'
cropping fingers. Icy cold. clutching a
her as she strove to drag Dan Pag'
up stairs towards the cupola.
She could hear his voice. now thicl
with drink. now athrill with terrible
fear-as he pleaded with her to hid,
him and to save him. She had beer
mercifully numb with the horror Of /
then: consumed only with the desire
to hold those men at bay long enough
for MACPHERSON to bring help. and i
was that desire which gave her TIN
strength to drag the heavy bulk Of he
husband up the two flights Of stair
into the little cupola at the top.
She could feel again the sting Of tn
cold dawn wind against her face as sh
stepped out ON the platform Of roug
boards and dropped the inert figure 0
her husband at her feet.
Then with all the eloquence Of he
great fear she had pleaded with tn
mob below to go away. They ha,
seemed all eyes floating on a great poe