Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-10-05


and commit suicide, aren't your" she
teased, sitting beside him. Every time
1 come it's always the same thing:
When can l go?' You're not well
yet"
''Tm well enough to do what I've
got to do, Corona and until it's done.
|. Besides, there is Jibbey."
"Where is Mr.. Jibbey this mOrning"
''He has gone up the creek, fishing.
1 made him go. If didn't take club
to him now and then he'd hang over
me all the time. There never was
another man like him, Corona. And
at home we used to call him the black
sheep and the failure and cross the
street to dodge him when he'd been
drinking too muchw
"He says you've made a man Of
him; that you saved his life when you
had every reason not to. You never
told me that, John"
"No; didn't mean to tell anyone.
But to think of his coming out here
to nurse me, leaving Verda on the
night he married her! A brother of
my own blood wouldn't have done It,"
The young woman was looking up
with a. shrewd little smile. maybe
the blood brother would do even that,
If you had just made it possible for
him to marry the girl he'd set his
heart on, John"
'PiffieP' growled the man. And
| than. OIIocnJf fha an
you can tell me a little more about
what happened to me after the doctor
put me to sleep that night at the
DAMP"
"Yes. The only reason you haven't
been told was because we didn't want
you to worry; we wanted you to have
a chance to get well and strong again.
The mans eyes filed suddenly, and
he took no shame. He was still shaky
enough in nerve and muscle to ex-
cuse it. ''Nobody ever had such
friends. Corona" he said. You all
knew I'd have to go back to Lawrence
Vile and fight 1t out, and you didn't
want me to go handicapped and half.
dead. But how did they come to lei
you take me away? I've known Mac
auley ever since was In knickers. He
is not the man to take any chances
The young woman's laugh was
soundless. "Mr. Macauley wasn't
asked. He thinks you are dead" she
said.
"WhatT
"It's so. You were not the only one
wounded in the fight at the dam
MGraw's men. Three days later, jus
as colonel-daddy and Billy Starbucl
were getting ready to steal you away
one of the others died. In some wa!
the report got out that you were tn,
one who died, and that made every
thing quite easy. The report has neve
been contradicted, and when MI
Macauley reached Brewster the polio
people told him that he was too late.
"Good heavensI Does everybody Il
Brewster think Pm dead?"
Nearly everybody. But you needn'
look SO Mortified. You're not deaG
you know; and there were no obitu
aries In the newspapers, or anythin
like that" t @
The man got upon his feet rathe
unsteadily.
THAT'S the limit" he said defin
lively. I'm a man now, Corona; to
much of man, hope, to hide benin
another mans grave. I'm going bac
to Brewster, today"
The young woman made a QUAR-
little grimace at him. "How are 20
! going to get there?" she asked. "It
twenty miles, and the walking is av
fully bad-in spots"
"But 1 must go. Can't you sc
. what everybody will say of me?-tha
was too cowardly to face the mus
when my time came? Nobody will b,
: lieve that 1 wasn't a consenting part
t to this hide-awayl"
? "Sit down." she commanded calmly
and when he obeyed: "From day
day, since began coming out her
] John, I've been trying to rediscovt
/ the man whom / met just once. OF
Z evening over a year ago, at Cousl
{ Adda's house in Guthrieyille: can
I find him-he's gone"
o "Corona!" he said. "Then you re
r ognlzed me?"
"Not at first. But after a viii
/, things began to come back; and VIII,
4 you told me-about Miss Richlande
h you know, and the hint you gave n
. of your trouble-did the rest"
\ "Then you knew-or you thought.
: / was a criminal?'
= She nodded, and her gaze was res
a Ing upon the nearby gravel hear
q "Cousin AIDA wrote me. But tn
10 made no difference. l didn't kno