Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-05-08

lnto his pocket. The wallet sought its
usual resting place for the night: I'm
der q pillow.
He was healthy and he was tired.
Two minutes after his head touched
the pillow he was sound asleep.
He was aroused shortly after mid
aight by shouts, apparently just out
side his window. A man was calling
In loud voice from the road below;
pounding On the tavern door.
Springing out Of bed. he rushed 10
the window. There were horses In
front Of the house-several Of them
and men on foot moving like shadows
among them.
Turning from the window, he III
locked and opened the door into Il,
hail. Some one was Gathering dow.
the narrow staircase. The bolts on
the front door shot back with resound-
Ing force. and there came the hoarse
tumble Of excited voices al men crowd
ed through the entrance. Putnam
Jones' voice rose above the Glamour.
Keep quieti Do you want to wake
everybody On the placer he was say.
Ing angrily. "What's up7 This is o
fine time o night 30 be- Good Lord
What's the matter with himr
Telephone for q doctor, Put-damn'
Quickl This ones still alive. The
other one In dead an q door nail up at
Jim COnley's house. Git ole Doc
James down from Saint Liz. Bring
him in here, boys. Where's your Light
Easy nowi Eas-eew
Barnes waited to hear no more. His
blood seemed to be running ice cold
as he retreated into the room and be
gan scrambling for his clothes. The
thing he feared had come to pass. Dis
aster had Overtaken her In that wild,
senseless dash up the mountain road.
He was cursing half aloud as he
dressed. cursing the fool who drove
that machine and who now was per
haps dying down there In the taproOm
"'rhe other one is dead as q door nail,"
kept running through his head-'the
other one"
A dozen men were In the taproom
gathered around two tables that hac
been drawn together. The men about
the table, on which was stretched the
figure of the wounded man, were un.
dOubtedly natives: Farmers. woods
men or employees of the tavern. At q
word from Putnam Jones they opened
up and allowed Barnes to advance to
the side Of the man.
See IL you en- understand him, AIr.
Barnes" said the landlord. PerspIra.
tion was dripping from his long, raw.
boned face. "And you, Bacon-you and
DllliDgfOrd hustle upstairs and get q
mattress Off'n one of the beds. Stand
at the door there. Pike, and don't let
any woman In here. Go away, Miss
Thackerayi This is no place for you"
Iiss Thackeray pushed her way
past the man who tried to stop her
and Joined Barnes.
1T Is the place for me-" she said
sharply. Haven't you men got sense
enough to put something under his
head? Where is he hurt? Get that
cushion, you. Stick II under here when
l lift his head. Oh. you poor thing
Wen be as quick as possible. There !"
The mans eyes were closed, but al
the sound Of a woman's voice he
opened them. The hand with which he
clutched at his breast slid on and
seemed to be cropping for hers. His
breathing was terrible. There was
blood at the corners OF his mouth, and
more OOzed forth when his lips parted
In an effort to speak.
With O courage that surprised even
herself, the girl took his hand In hers
II was wet and warm. She did not
dare look at II.
"Merci, madame" struggled from the
mans lips. and he smiled.
Barnes leaned over and spoke to him
in French. The dark. pain-stricken
eyes closed. and an almost imper
ceptible shake Of the head signlfied
that he did not understand. Evidently
he had acquired only a few OF the
simple French expressions. Barnes
had q slight knowledge of Spanish
and italian. and tried again with nc
better results. German was his last
resort. and he knew he would fail once
more. for the man obviously was not
Teutonic.
The bloody lips parted. however. and
the eyes opened with piteous, appeal
Ing expression In their depths. 1t was
apparent that there was something be
wanted to say, something he had to
say before he died. He gasped dozen
words or more In q tongue utterly IN,
known "a Bsgnes, who bent closer te
catch the feeble effort. Il was he who
now shook his head; with q groan the
sufferer closed his eyes In despair. BE
chOked and eoughed violently an In
stant later.
Get some water and q towelT cried
Miss Thackeray. tremulously. She
was very white. but sttll chung TO the
mans hand. BE quickl Behind the
bar"
Barnes unbuttoned the coat and re
vealsd the blood-soaked white shirt.
Better leave this TO me-" he said ip