The Elbert County tribune., 1918-02-08

gripped his british mind and body.
II left the kid in the barn." said be.
II guess he's all right
We found the baby lying in the
straw crying with lusty vigor which
gave evidence of the fact that he had
not been very badly injured.
"And now my man Wen have your
story" said Jimmy. I'll take 1t down
and Miss Fairfax will sign as a wit
ness, and you can be glad that l let
you off with thrashing and talking
to-for what you've done would land
you in prison all right-if 1 thought
you were responsible for it." y
II seen this here girl comm out of
the woods this mornin' carryin' the
kid. She looked kinder good to me-
an 1 amt so crazy about women
neither.
Il liked her kinder. and then when
I seen good-lookin' chap drive up this
afternoon and her a-greetin' him so
Iovin' / got awful mad-kinder jeal-
| Gus.
Him and her went waikiki in the
woods, takin' the kid along, an 1 fol-
lowed and listened to what they was
a-sayin'.
81 wanted her for my girl-and 1
didn't like the idea of no city chap
| comm to see her and likin' her him
self.
Then all of a sudden I kinder got
wise to the fact that he didn't like her
none too well-that he was kinder
afraid of her, She was holdin' up the
kid an pleadin' with him, and he was
fidgetin' around kinder uneasy and like
he wished he was anywhere else. 1
| got wise to the sort of girl she was
| then"
Madge interrupted suddenly. "Oh,
Miss Fairfax, don't let him talk about
me like that. 1 can't bear to think
what he's going to say about me next
to you and Mr.. Barton"
"Never mind what he says about
you next to u.s." said Jimmy, in his
very. friendliest tone. ''Ive got your
number, little girl. What want is
somebody else's-now, do you remem-
Der just what Conley said when you
showed hiin-his boy?"
"Oh, yes, sir; indeed I do. These
were his words: III do the right
thing, Madge, but let me break the
news to Margaret in my own way"
did you hear that?" asked Jimmy,
turning suddenly on wilkins.
81 sure did. And seen him kiss her
and swear to it-but knew he meant
money" added the fellow.
Then the story went on, Wilkins and
Madge corroborating each other.
Jimmy had arrived just in time to
see Conley step out Of the woods and
then return hastily, as If he had for
gotten something. AS matter of fact,
he had forgotten check for five hun
dred dollars-with which he had ex-
pected to buy off the girl to whom he
owed love, loyalty and protection.
The other in the meantime, seeing
his path clear to reach the girl, was
about to confront Madge. Then his
acute sense of hearing warned him of
his rivals return, and instead he
turned and faced the city man.
Each of them expected an attack.
Finally Conley asked wilkins if he had
been following the girl, and, if so,
why.
Having decided that he was a match
for his rival, Wilkins insolently an
swered: well. what if I WASP"
'What I want to know is, are you
interested in her-are you in love with
her? Would you like to marry herr"
wilkins reply was an evil grin.
well, you can have her and a thou
sand dollars in cash-but you'll have
to marry her-and be good to her and
the baby-mighty good. Do you I'M
derstand?" asked Conley.
And so it was arranged. Richard
Conley and wilkins Matched their
plot.
Madge was wandering through the
woods toward her own home, grooming
to her baby, almost cheerfully.
Baby glimpsed patch of red flow
ers at the top of a bank by the road
side and began screaming Justify for
them. To quiet him Madge laid him
In the grass and climbed after the
bright objects which had attracted the
little lad. minute later she returned
triumphantly bringing the flowers.
Baby was gonel
Then the mother heard its cries and
followed the sound. Straight to the
cabin those cries led her. And when
the mother reached the door of the