Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-03-06
CHAPTER XIV.
HGod Save You kindly,"

"God Save You Kindly"
A nurse" from the hospital had re-
lieved Diane and Sheba at daybreak.
They slept until the middle of the aft
ernOon, then under orders from the
doctor walked out to take the air. The
fever of the patient was subsiding. He
slept a good deal, and in the intervals
between had been once or twice quite
rational.
The thoughts of the cousins drew
their steps toward the Jail. Sheba
looked al Diane.
evil they let us pass. do you
think?"
"Perhaps. We can try"
Gopher Jones was not proof against
the brisk confidence with which Mrs.
Paget demanded admittance.
The prisoner was sitting on the bed.
His heart jumped with gladness when
he looked up.
Diane shook hands cheerfulIy GLOW
is the crimlnal?'
'Better for hearing your kind voice."
he answered.
His eyes strayed to the ebon-haired
girl In the background. They met q
troubled smile, grave and sweet.
lawfully good of you to come to
see me- he told Sheba gratefully.
"How is Macdonald"
"Better, we hope. He knew Diane
this afternoon"
1--WE haven't talked to Mr. Macdon-
aid yet about the attack on him." d.
ane explained. "But he must have
recognized the men. There are many
footprints at the ford, showing how
they moved over the ground as they
fought. So he could not have been
Unconscious from the first blow"
"Unless they were masked he must
have known them. It was light
enough" agreed Elliot.
"Peter is still trying to get the off,
GERS to accept bail, but don't think
he will succeed. There Is a good deal
Of feeling in town against YOU"
because I am supposed to be an
enemy to an open Alaska, judge"
MAINLY that. Wally Selfridge has
been talking good deal. He takes it
for granted that you are guilty. Well
have to wait In patience till Mr.. Mac
donald speaks and clears you"
Gopher stuck his head in at the door.
'You'll have to go, ladies. Times up"
When Sheba babe the prisoner good
by it was with a phrase Of the old
Irish vernacular. "God save you
kindly"
He knew the peasants answer to the
wish and gave it. "And you, too"
The girl left the prison with mist
in her eyes. Her cousin looked at her
with queer, ironic little smile Of at
lection. To be in trouble was sure
passport to the sympathy Of Sheba.
Now both her lovers were in sad
way. Diane wondered which Of them
would gain most from this new twist
Of fate.
Selfridge had been shocked at the
sight of Macdonald. The terrible beat
ing and the loss Of blood had sapped
all the splendid, vital strength Of the
Scotsman. His battered head was
swathed in bandages, but the white
face was bruised and disfgured. The
wounded man was weak rs kitten;
only the steady eyes told that he was
still strong and unconQuered.
II want to talk business for min
ute. Miss Sedgwick. Will you please
step out?" said Macdonald to his
nurse.
She hesitated. "The doctor says"
'Do as say, please" Al
The nurse left them alone. Wally
told the story Of the evidence against
Elliot in four sentences. His chief
caught the point at once.
After Selfridge had gone, the wound
ed man lay silent thinking out his pro-
gram. Not for moment did he doubt |
that he was going to live, and his brain
was already busy planning for the fu-
ture. He knew now that In the vio-
lence Of his anger against Elliot he
had made mistake. To have killed
his rival would have been fatal to the
Kamatlah coal claims, would have
alienated his best friends, and would
have prejudiced hopelessly his chances
with Sheba. Fate had been kind to
him. He had been in the wrong and it
had put him in the right. BY the same
cut Of the cards young Elliot had been
thrust down from an impregnable po-
sition to one in which he was a dis
credited suspect. With all this evil
dence to show that he had conspired
against Macdonald, his report to the
department would be labor lost.
Diane came into the sickroom strip
ping her gloves after the walk. Mac
donald smiled feebly at her and fired