Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-11-21
The
Tourniquet
~
Nv R RAY BAKER
Copyright. 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)
BY r. RAY BAKER

u Diue june Sky. arH
The slight frown developed into a
pronounced scowl as his ears detect
cd faint humming which originated
some distance hack Of the shack. The
cumming became roar rs motor
car. with rutout open, whizzed past
not far from the dwelling OF the de-
jectcd hermit. seet, -
ITS the limit the way civilization
chaseS fellow around" he growled.
Here got place all picked out for
qnict. nnmolestcd summer of soil
tude. and when ! arrive to begin my
hcrmlting I find that some one has
built concrete race track ut my back
door. and some one else has erected
a kill-or-cure place In my front yard.
Between shieliing mOtorcars and com
plaining, cOnvnlcscent patients md
giddy nurses my hermitage bids fail
to ripen into main street Of q busy
town on Saturday night,
lie shrugged his shoulders In dis
gust and strobe into the shack, which
consisted Of a living. dining, cook and
sleeping rooni--sll in one. Three open
windows permitted plenty Of light and
breeze to dlspel germs and gloom.
In one corner were cook stove and
. table. In another narrow cot de-
void Of bedding. Still another corner
held n bookcase In which were some
dust-incrusted volumes. Two three
legged stools and one which. possess
Ing four, stood inside in proud dsdnin,
comprised the other articles Of fur
niture. r
The hermit rummaged In his pock-
cts and produced n pipe, sack Of to-
bacco. box of matches and n rail-
rond guide. Planting himself on the
naughty stool. he flied the iirst-men-
TONED article from the second. ap-
piled part OF the third and began to
pcruse the fourth t.
Tie was not veteran hermit. Ills
face wns clenn-shayen and he Ind
clear-cnt. youthful features, set off by
a pair of piercing brown eyes. He
wns only twenty-seven years old, and
that is. altogether too young for one
to he In tho business of herriting.
The decision to become rccluse
was due to two things They were
the acquisition Of fortune and the
loss of m attractive young woman he
had intended milking his partner in
a venture far different from hermit
ing.
Janet Ellison had decided. after MI,
that she did not cnre to settle down,
So just before she left with her par
ents for n tour of the continent she
broke Off her engagement with James.
A mouth later james inherited near-
IL hnlf million dollars from an
uncle who died in the Klondlke. The
money acted as soothing balm for his
shattered heart for brief period
until doting mothers heard Of his
stroke OF luck and began setting
snnres for him.
This having sweethcarts thrust upon
him when he had just lost his hearts
desire was too much FOR james. Ae
got tired of attending dcbuts of young
misses aud listening TO their chat
tor Of society md fashion and other
subjects that held no interest for him.
especially since he was still yeurning
and longing for Janet. The deceit OF
the whole thing grew on him nnd made
him cynical. lie determined to sever
the sphere OF !eminism from his uni
verse;.
lie decided 10 spend winter In
California, md then IN the summer
to start i,rrmitins for fair. Before
his trip West he located this shack In
the Ohio woods, learned who the own
er was. and rented II for the season.
When this transaction took plncs there
was no sign OF n hnhitution or a road
In the vicinity.
Only one man knew his present
whereabouts, and that was his chnm
Of college days. Ralph Williamson. VIII
hanson helped him locate the plnce
and even offered to spend some of the
time with him; but james declined. de-
claYing he was going into hernlting
"fOr all there was In it." ttft
Williamson laughed and remarked |:
"You'll soon be bnck and you'll marry
Janet, after all. when sh. comes
home" Then. thinking to do his
friend favor, Williamson secretly
sent letter TO certain address, in
the Canadian wilds. taking pains ic de-
tni' facts about Klondi!.e gold.
The day after james arrived ut his
cabin. to find It no longer a solitude,
he set out on hike avoiding the turn
Elkc end heading into TIE woods TINT
fTingel the shore. Heavy undeybrush
made progress rather difficult. So re
took CIT long clasp knife 70 cut n
walking stick from a tree. Spying n
branch that looken good to him some
distance up the trunk. he climbed the
| tree nnd. scalrl on enc branch, be.
sfn 10 saw Il. tic one he had select
| ell. which WIS jus. above him.
Jrmcs S.as mt adept rs n tree cut
ter Of climbcr. OK as IN equilibrium
srt.st. enc somehow. jnst as he was
tnkIns fsnl whnck Mt tic branch hi
desired. he lost HIS balance. and fell
The knife. clctched Ia his right hand
slashed his left arm and severed M
artery, and as he snhk In faint 4
Il a L. IN