The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-07
MISS lEIDA's MAN
BY JANE OSBORN.


looking for her man." That, at least,
was the comment that was current In
the Offices of the Indian Mission So
ciety in the big city where she sat for
seven hours a day over her desk help
ing to run the motor that, In the far.
off western reservation, supplied the
energy for the little Indian chapel
amidst few struggling redmen's habi-
tations.
Miss Leida enjoyed the jest as much
as anyone, but at heart she was very
serious about the matter 1t was her
ambition to carry on the mission work
in field even more remote than the
one now supported by the mission So
ciety. She had offered her services as
heed OF mission house such as she
dreamed about, but the board had as
eured her that the perils of life in so
remote a region would be those that
no woman ought to face alone. Miss
Lelda Gray was thirty and to herself
she seemed middle aged.
Daily she read and thought of the
needs of the handful Of Indians scat
tered over the mountainous regions
and daily she heard the voices calling
/ ont TO aid them. And as she thought
of the needs of the wild men she for
got the needs of the men and women
around her. She saw the wan faces
of the children in the streets as she
would hurry at night from her Office.
1t was one evening when she was
particularly preoccupled thus that Big
Bill Duncan, six feet two, put out one
large hand and gently guided her
through the traffic that challenged
those who crossed the streets. A smile
of gratitude went up to him as she
thanked him.
Its Il bad time TO cross, for slip
of q lady like you, a'am." he said.
and from that time every night when
Miss Leida crossed the street the hig
} policeman was ready to escort her.
Little by little they became ac-
quainted. though Ii took time, as all
their conversation had TO be carried
on In the brief snatches OF talk that
could be caught in these trips across
the street. Then they went TO some
lectures together, and SO Miss Leida
asked him TO meet her one day In
the sitting room of her own wee apart
rnent. She wanted TO present her plan
to him away from the distractions Of
/ the office.
/ But Bill Duncan got ahead of her
( with plan that had been growing In
his mind.
Z Il am not exactly your sort, know"
he said. But my sister was your sort
at heart, and we were each others
sort. Do You get me? Only you are
! what a sister could never be. OF
/ course, you think of me as just a traf-
/ fc cop. Well, don't want TO be con-
! ceited, but Just want to let you know
| that traffic cop can be brave man
II he Isn't exactly swell. / want you
to marry me. VIII your
Miss Lelda was not quick In an
swerng him. She thought for few
minutes. Il will marry you on one
condition" she told him, land that Is
III you will go with me out to the wilds
of the Indian reservation and help me
there with a new mission. There are
only a few struggling red men LETT, and
they are too far from the other mis-
sion to be reached. It Is In those that
! am interested"
''How many of those red folk do
you figure we'll conyert?" he said.
"oh, perhaps none at frst II 10
slow work. In the other group they
have converted three in the last four
years"
Bill asked few more questions
about the nature of the work in the
West and finally gave his consent.
! So Bill gave up the little apartment
he and his sister had lived In and
stored the furniture, but he did not
resign his position on the force.
Then one evening-it was the last
week that Miss Leida was to work In
the office-there was great commo-
ton In the street when she stepped on
the sidewalk. II was the first night In
months that Bill was not there to guide
3, her across. A crowd had gathered and
Miss Zelda did not know that In the
LAC i'tittStudh
with a bullet through his arm and an
other through his shoulder.
Briefly. what had happened was this :
A fanatic, who felt himself the Cod
cent messenger to cut short the life Of
certain millionaire whose office was
In that vicinity. had sprung through the
traffic when 1t was at It's thickest. Mis-
taking the Limousine of another man
for that of the millionaire whom he
hated, he had leaped to the running
board, revolver In hand. And Big Bill
Duncan sprang after him. Throwing
himself before the fanatic he received
the shots that were meant for another.
1t was not until an hour later that
Miss Leida in her apartment had the
T summons that called her to Bits bed.
side in the hospital.
"Tll come through with only scar"
he assured her when she reached him.
his weather-beaten face not a whit tie
paler for the pain he had just gone
through in the dressing Of the wounds.