Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-31
MISS LEIDA's Man
BY JANE OSBORN.
.s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s"s" OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"


ciety in the big city where she sat for
seven hours 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. It was her
ambition to carry on the mission work
in a field even more remote than the
one now supported by the mission So
ciety. She had offered her services as
head of mission house such as she
dreamed about, but the board had as
sured her that the perils Of life in so
remote a region would be those that
no woman ought to face alone. Miss
Leida 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
out 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.
It was one evening when she was
particularly preoccupied 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.
"It's bad time to cross, for slip
Of lady like you, 'ma'am," he said,
and from that time every night when
Miss Leida crossed the street the big
policeman was ready to escort her.
Little by little they became ac-
quainted, though it 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
ment. She wanted to present her plan
to him away from the distractions of
the office.
But Bill Duncan got ahead of her
with a plan that had been growing in
his mind.
81 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-
fic cop. Well, I don't want to be, con-
ceited, but just want to let you know
that a traffic cop can be a brave man
# he isn't exactly swell. want you
to marry me. Will you?"
Miss Leida was not quick in an
swering him. She thought for a few
minutes. II will marry you on one
she told him, land that Is
f you will go with me out to the wilds
If the Indian reservation and help me
here with new mission. There are
5nly a few struggling red men left, and
hey are too far from the other mis-
sion to be reached. It is in those that
am interested"
GLOW many of those red folk do
you figure We'll convert?" he said.
"Oh, perhaps none at first. 1t is
'low work. In the other group they
lave converted. three in the last four
vears." .u..
Bill asked few more questions
bout the nature Of the work in the
Vest and finally gave his consent.
SO Bill gave up the little apartment
le and his sister had lived in and
stored the furniture, but he did not
esign his position on the force.
Then one eyening-it was the last
week that Miss Leida was to work in
he office-there was great commo-
ion in the street when she stepped on
he sidewalk. It was the first night in
1onths that Bill was not there to guide
Ter across. A crowd had gathered and
Iiss Leida did not know that in the
enter of the crowd lay her policeman
With a bullet through his arm and an
Their through his shoulder.
Briefly, what had happened was this:
/ fanatic, who felt himself the Cod
ent messenger to cut short the life of
certain millionaire whose office was
4 that vicinity, had sprung through the
ratfic when it was at itothickest. Mis-
aking the limousine of another man !
or that of the millionaire whom he
ated, he had leaped to the running
oard, revolver in hand. And Big Bill
duncan sprang after him. Throwing
imself before the fanatic, he received
he shots that were meant for another.
It was not until an hour later that
Iiss Leida in her apartment had the
ummOns that called her to Bills bed
ide in the hospital.
"Tll come through with only scar"
e assured her when she reached him,
is weather-beaten face not whit the
'aler for the pain he had just gone
through in the dressing OF the wounds.
But I'm apt to be here for a couple Of
weeks more, the doctor told me. Can
Se manage to postpone the trip West?
Miss Leida's eyes were misty with
ears that merely sparkled on the
ashes.
81 guess we won't 60 West at ALL"
he said. at would be hard pull for
ou I We known from the first, and !
now now that there is just as much
God to be done in the streets Of the
ity as we could ever accomplish by
with those struggling red