The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-10-23
In D[.'llb'io us
Garbl:
80
- ~aror1 - 40 ryY ~~~.4
By RALPH HAMIL TON

~ $3.50 = 1870 - -
Copyright. 1919. BY the western News
paper Union.) 49, fsssal
Dear, dear!", mourned and pitied
Alvin Prince. and stood looking down
at human form lying prone upon the,
straW-littered floor of an abandoned
shelter shed at a remote corner Of his
farm.
He was genial old soul. this pleas
ant-faced. kind.hearted deacon. select
man and the prop and stay Of sterling
uprightness and dignity in the COM
munity. He had been passing the shed.
when he fancied that q groan proceed
ed from within. He stepped across
the threshold and. startled and puz-
zled. gazed down at the recumbent fig
ure. It was that of young man with
q refined cast Of features, his eyes
closed in sleep. Two further discov-
cries of the farmer brought serious
expression to his face. One hand was
abrased and bleeding, and cut in the
head showed second recent injury.
"A convict-an escaped convict" So
liloquized Prince. poor fellow! And
he's badly hurt. What Is my duty in
the case? He looks likely. and per-
haps mother, sister is worrying
about him. There isn't anything of
the criminal in that face. Shall l pro-
tect him?"
The decision was quickly made.
Prince proceeded across the farm, got
to the house. made up bundle and.
hitching up horse to the old family
carryall, started back the route he
had come.
Mother and Zelda away" he solilo-
quized. land don't see Zeph anywhere
around. That just suits me-"
Zeph Barnes was the handy man
about the farm. At that moment he
was making bis way past the old shed.
His coarse lips puckered as he dis
covered it's inmate. He scented mys-
terry as he saw Prince returning. He
wondered if there was any reward Of
fered for the apprehension of con-
victs and, climbing to the shallow loft
in the structure, waited for develop
ments.
These materialized with the arrival
of Prince. The latter proceeded to dis
robe the stranger. He made a bundle
of the discriminating convict garb and
thrust it into an old manger, attired
him in suit of his own, lifted him
into the wagon and drove to the house.
He got his involuntary guest to bed,
applied lotions to his wounds. and won
dered what his story would be. When
consciousness was restored, Alvin
Prince gently inquired if the injuries
were painful.
II think only a stumbling fall" re-
piled his guest. "Let me see, vas
Where was I? What was l doing?
I'm all dazed. My name is Wilbur
Thorne. l have a home, but left
it for wandering long time ago. rye
kept going with all kinds of jobs. You
must be pretty kind sort of q man
to take in stranger this way"
"Oh, that is all right" declared
Prince lightly, and felt certain deli.
cacy about referring to his convict sus-
piciOns.
Mrs. Prince and her daughter Zelda
came home two days later from a
weeks visit. to a relative. to find the
interesting-looking stranger insisting
upon doing some light work about the
farm. They were so used to the chart
table impulses of the husband and IA
Their, that they did not question him
when he told them that he was taking
care of his visitor until he got on his
feet again.
His frank, engaging ways won the
favorable opinion of Zelda and her
mother. and as the, weeks drifted on
Wilbur Thorne became so useful and
so happy that Prince had not the heart
to either question him or turn him
away.
He had not noticed that a bond of
mutual liking was being cemented be-
tween the two young people, but Zeph
Barnes, himself secretly in love with
Zelda, though the latter detested him,
was witness to an interview between
Thorne and herself when the latter
confessed his deep affection for, the
farmers daughter. Just before dusk
that evening, just as the family were
seated on the lawn. Mr.. Prince read
ing. Mrs. Prince at her knitting and
Zelda and Thorne looking over pic
torial magazine. there appeared Zeph
Barnes and man whom the farmer at
once recognized as the town marshal.
There's the man." spoke Zeph,
pointing to Thorne. He's an escaped
convict. and here - and he tore open
a bundle under his arm, revealing the
cOnvict's garb in which Prince had
first seen Thorne.
why! you give me link in the
past ALWAYS mystery tO mo - ovcloir,,