Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-23
Night
Flyer
BY HENRY M. NELLY
Copyrigh.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.
BY HENRY M. NELLY


The color had all gone from
face when | reached her. White and
still and pathetic in her unconscious
ness. She was ineXpressibly beautiful,
and lifted her in my menacled arms
and pressed her TO ne as thouch by
the very vchemcnce Of my love,
could bring her back to life, Her head,
its great mass OF red gold hair. fell
back upon my shoulder. and between
her ha,f.parted lips saw the CLEAN OF
perfect teeth
"Catherine--sweetheart" called.
but her ears were deaf TO all sound
Gently and reyerently | laid her
back in comfortable position upon
the sand and looked about me help.
lessly, for was new to faintng worn
en- and did not know what TO do Then
! remembered that | had heard that
bathing the head and face with cold
water was the usual method Of relief
and ran down TO the shore and wet
my handkerchief in the waves that
Tapped IN upon the sand.
After my second trip saw her take
a deep. spasmodic breath, her eyes
fluttered open and, meeting mine,
seemed to smile happily, and she
Closedsthem again like tired child.
.-.. Gather" | murmurod. my lips
close to her eye.
- "Tom, dc r.
1t was only whisper, but hea i
II. and 1t set every nerve in my body
tineling with the thrill of perfect JOY,
Slowly sire reused herself and sat
up resting in my arms and looking
about as though trying to recall the in
cidents that brought about the strange
scene upon the end of the sand bar.
Memory came back to her gradu-
ally, and she turned to me, the full
flood of her wonderful love trimming
in her eyes Slowly and tendery her
arm stole up around my neck, she
leaned forward and buried her face in
my shoulder, and rested there, con
tent.
ooh" she sighed with pathetic
shudder. at has all been 50 horrible
horrible But it over now-isn't it,
dear? Tell me that everything is all
right"
"Thanks to the Lrayest little girl in
the world, everything is all right
now" | assured her You are
heroine, sweethoart--did YOU know It?
You saved us ALL my life belongs to
You now
"And mine to you" she murmured
"Kiss me, Tom"
Again her warm lps pressed upon
mine; but how different was this kiss
from the sad one That We thought was
to be our first and last, between the
iron bars Of the window up there in
the hut AS she felt me strain her to
me she must have become conscious
OF the steel bands which still manacled
my whists, for she drew back and
glanced down at my hands.
"Oh,' she cried you must take
them off. Casse,ta has the key.
know. ] have worn those same hand
serta?"
looked over to the group about the
aefoplancs at the end Of the strip of
sand. Eakins was there and his three
companions, and Lacey and SIN and
the other two ruifians- but Casserta
was moi with them,
With a cry of alarm sprang TO my
feet.
Where is Casserta" l shouted as
they looked around.
Behind me, heard sound in one
Of the huts and dashed back there with
horrible forebodings. As | rounded
the corner | saw the door about to
swing shut, and my foot was thrust
lust in time 10 prevent it.
Dashins the door open, ran inside
Ind, in the senlidarkness, made out the
form of the Mexican
He was down on his hands and
knees upon the floor, reaching Under
the rude bunk which had served as a
bed. With two springs | was upon !
him
He started TO straighten up drag
ging from under the bunk heavy
caliber magazine rifle like the one
with which my little girl had sunffed
out the life OF the giant Manoel an.
other minute more and he would have
had us all at his mercy. -
n h.