Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-22

GIG OttPpSu an Arm Onder his Snoui-
der and Raised Him.
mitted him to see You'll rob an old
man first, and then call him a thief
and set the sheriff on him, will you-?"
Massingale'g pistol was dropping to
the firing level when Brouillard flung
away the telephone earpiece and got
between. Afterward there was
crash like a collision Of worlds, a
whirling, dancing medley of colored
lights fading away to gray and then to
darkness, and the engineer went down
with the avenger of wrongs tightly
locked in his arms.
After the period of darkness had
passed and Brouillard opened his eyes
again upon the world of things as they
are, he had a confused idea that he
had oversight shamefuIly and that the
Indulgence had given him bad head
ache.
The next thought was that the head
ache was responsible for a set Of singu-
lar Authorizations. His blanket bunk
In the sleeping shack seemed to have
transformed itself into a white bed
with pillows and snowy sheets, and
the bed was drawn up beside an open
window through which he could look
out, or seem to look out, upon a vast
sea dimpling in the breeze and reflect.
ing the sunshine so brightly that IL
made his headache a darling agony.
When he turned his face to escape
the binding glare of the sun on the
sea the hallucinations became sooth-
1ngly comforting, not to say ecstatic.
Someone was sitting on the edge of
the bed; cool hand was laid on his
forehead; and when he could again
see straight he found himself looking
UP into pair Of viofet eyes in which
the tears were trembling.
You are Amy-and this is that
other world you used to talk about,
isn't it y he asked feebIy.
The cool hand slipped from his fore
mead to his lips, as if to warn him
that he must not talk, and he went
through the motions of kissing it.
When it was withdrawn. he broke the
silent prohibition promptly.
The way to keep me from talking is
to do it all yourself; what happened
to me last night?''
She shook her head sorrowfullv.
The last night you mean was three
weeks ago. Stevie was trying to shoot
Mr.. Cartwright in your office and you
got between them. Do you remember
that?"
Perfectly he said But it still
seems as if it were only last night.
Where am now?-not that it makes
any difference, so long as I'm with
you"
You are at home-our home; at the
Little Susan Mr.. Leshington had
the men carry you up here, and Mr..
Ford ran a special train all the way
from Denver with the doctors.
Stevie's bullet struck you in the head,
and-and We all thought you were go
ing to die"
I'm not" he asserted, in feebly des-
perate determination. I'm going to
live and get to work and earn a hun.
dred thousand dollars, so I can say,
Come, little girl"
Again the restraining hand was laid
upon his lips, and again he went
through the motions Of kissing it.
You mustn't talk" she insisted.
you said you'd let me-" And when
he made the sign Of acquiescence she
went on: cat first the doctors wouldn't
give us any hope at all; they said you
might live, but you'd-youd never
never remember-never have your rea-
son again. But yesterday"
"Please!" he pleaded. That's more
than enough about me. I want to know
what happened"
THAT night, you mean? All the
things that you had planned for. Fa-
Their got the mine back, and Mr. Lesh-
ington and the others got the riot
quellod after about half of the city was
burned"
But Cartwright and Schermerhorn-
l promised them"
Mr.. Leshington carried out your
promise and helped them get the
money out of the bank vault before the
mob sacked the Niquoia building and
dynamited 1t. But at the hotel they
were arrested on the order Of the bank
examiner, and everything was taken
away from them. We haven't heard
yet what is going to be done with
.~a5GA1.
And GOmorrah ?" he asked.
She slipped an arm under his shout
oers and raised him so he could look
out upon the mountain-girt sea dim,
ping under the morning breeze.
There is where it was,'' she said
soberly, where it was, and is not, and
never will be again, thank God! Mr..
Leshington waited until everybody had
escaped, and then he shut the waste
way gates"
Brouillard sank back upon the pill
lows OF comfort and closed his eyes.
Then it's all up to me and the hun
dred thousand" he whispered. "And
III get 1t honestly this time"
The violet eyes were smiling when
he looked into them again.
rs she-the one Incompatible She
worth it, Victor?"
Her price is above rubies, as I !
told you once long time ago."
I,,sx