Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-01-19

on the grass. Her face was damp with
tears. She looked up as he was pass
ing and spoke.
Can you tell me, please, when the
relief train will a%rrive3"
NO, ma'am, l can't. Shall l find
o-out?"
She shook her head YEARLY. "Are
you also n wreck Victim?'
"Eot exactly t-that."
"You e to have been lnjuredf"
Jest b-brulSed. And you, ma'amT"
She negatived. you are the man
who helped me" Her voice broke.
Adams bowed Gravely. THE m-man
with the lantern. The dead Teller was
Il friend Of your'n, wasn't hef"
She shlvered. 1.-The dead man was
Capt. Ralph Payne. l am Miss Pearl
Dare. What is your name2"
'T. o. Adams Of Monks Corner,
Nebraska" he responded for the sec
ond time that night.
Monks Corner !" she echoed.
"It's not on the m-map. It's a c-cow
town"
"Oh!" She looked ut him with some
interest "You must be a cowboy
them"
"Yes'm."
She felt that he was evadlng her.
I'm too curious" said she, apologet-
ically.
A pleasant light came into his eyes.
kin / s-slt down and talk with you
a w-while7 Maybe l kin help you lin
your trouble. You seem to have IA
lot Of 1t your mind"
She signifed an Indifferent willing
ness.
Cowboys make good soldiers" she
commented to keep up the CONVERSE
ton which diverted her.
"Yes'm."
She looked ut him askance.
You'd look the part In uniform.
Have you ever thought Of Joining the
army? The country needs fighting
men these days"
"Yes'm, l hev. How do you ego
about it2 You travel around u b-blt
in the army, don't y-you? Would m-my
suffering keep me out2 Your dads u
great soldier, amt heT"
The mans simple mind amused
Pearl. "You ask too many questions
at once" she replied with n little
laugh. "Tll answer them all in one.
Talk with my father when he arrives
if the subject appeals to you seri-
ously."
"Waal," he reflected. II amt g-got
anything else to do, | m-might as well
soldier" Then he changed the sub
ject. THAT there Captain Payne was
s-some officer, w-wasn't he?" Inslnua-
ton lurked in his voice.
"What do you know about Captain
Payne?' she asked sharply.
He replied In an Indifferent tone.
"Nothin' mebbe except w-what l seen
in 1.-THE newspapers. They're always
u b-bundle of lies, anyway"
She seemed to like that.
kin l s-smOke2" he asked, opening
a cigarette case.
His observance of polite form was
unexpected to Pearl. Her curiosity
deepened.
He m-meant n lot to you, didn't
hep" he observed, hunting matches In
his pocket.
"Very much, indeed" she murmured
sadly In the %momentary silence which
had fallen.
"Now that t-there note"
He struck Il match and calmly lit
a cigarette.
"T-that there note" he repeated, In
haling deeply; that there last w-wlll
and Testament Of his. T-that's a
pretty big JOB for a little girl like
you ito tackle"
She sat up and glanced at his profile.
He smoked and stared straight ahead
purposely avoiding her eyes.
"Are you g-golng to tackle itf" he
questioned with n puzzling frankness.
Their eyes now met. why do you
ask?"
nd Like to help you"
"YOuT"
"Why not? ! amt g-got n job j-jest
now"
II fear that q cowboy could not be
Of much assistance" she replied, In
diligently.
"Tm a b-barber, too" he rejoined.
BARRIERS hear a l-lot Of funny things,
ma'am."
The idea seemed so fancIful that she
giggled. "What else have you been2"
"Waal," he drawled, taking n soiled
envelope from his inner coat pocket;
"Tve b-been n little of everything, l
g-guess." He took a card out Of the
envelope and handed 1t to her. "M-my
speciality OF late's b-been telegraph
cooperating"
He struck a match so that she could
read. The card identified him as II.
o. Adams, a member OF the OrganiZa-
tiOn Of T~elegraDherS, q sort of trades