The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-19

you and are going to be good friends,
good friends"
| 1 left the dusty granary and went
back to the clapboard house, already
redolent Of frying pork. Mrs. Gottlob
accosted me with a stare as nat as her
| TANKS.
Mrs. Gottlob. I'll buy that old high
boy and pay you twenty dollars for it, 4"
1 said as I opened my bag. And here's
| five dollars more for a nights lodging.
If you can put me up until tomorrow
evening Any kind of bed will do me,
so long as there's a roof over my head"
"You1l be right next t the roof" she
said as she took the money in her
hawk-like fingers.
rs there any walnut timber on this
| farm" asked by way Of diversion.
II dunno" answered the housewife as
she hurried off to her crying offspring.
Hes off in the sheep-f1eld fixin' up
| the line fence" So I backed out Of the
area Of frying pork and once more
| edged a way through the squabbling
| ducks
| Straight back from the barnyard to a
woodlot, probably half a mile away, ran
lane bordered by a rail fence. The
higher ground of the house commanded
a fairly good view Of this lane. In it,
even as I looked. I could see the figure
noticed something that held my atten-
ton. 1t was the figure Of a man in a
tattered straw hat and a faded blue
| shirt and eaFth-soiled overalls He
was quietly but determinedly following
the girl and the moment 1 fully awalk-
ened to that fact I hurried down
through the BARNARD, opened the lane
| gate, and started TO tail" the crafty
hulk that was shadowing the bare-footed
| girl.
AS the girl advanced from the lane
| end into the open fringe of the wood
land, noticed the man suddenly hide
| himself in a clump Of alders. fol-
lowed the direction Of his gaze and saw
/ the hare-footed girl look furtively back.
| She suddenly dropped down on her
knee before one Of the many stones that
stippled the parched pasture-land. I
could see her carefully turn this stone
over and pick something UP from the
| ground. It was a small object, so
small that I could not make it out.
But could see her wipe It on her faded
dress very tenderly and stare at It long
| and earnestly. 1t puzzled me more than
could explain. AS the girl knelt there
the man emerged from his hiding place
and crept up on her. Then he pounced
! on her, with a throaty howl of triumph
| oddly mixed with anger
The grill didn't scream; she didn't
even speak, But she crouched back
1 with terror in her stricken eyes. I
noticed that her captor carried a pair
of driving reins Topped over his left
arm. He caught up one of these reins
and quickly tied the girls unresisting
body to a saplins beside which she had
been kneeling. At the same time got
over the fence.
What ara va, 70 ~ -A3T5 81
was my prompt and passionate chal-
lenge. He turned and looked at me
with studied Indifference
I'm a-goin' to lick 'er!" he announced
and looked outwardly calm.
mo you're mott" 1 shouted like a
Sioux as I strobe recklessly in between
him and his victim. "I1l-Iu ldn you
first!"
Howl" he inquired with a sudden
impersonal curiosity. Instead of my
answering that question I put one of
my own to him.
Are you Eph Cottlob?"
II am" he retorted, AN what about
it, What're you doin' on this farm O.
mine anyway"
IN tell you that in a couple of days, +"
was my answer. My gaze, all the
while, was on the man. Just rs his gaze
was on me. Still watching him, /
reached out and united the shrinking
figure against the sapling.
You amt a-comin' b'tween me an
them I've got Z rear. know what Tn
dom an I tell you again that I'm
a-goin' to whale that grill"
As we stood facing each other. like
two prize-ring rivals between the ropes
there was an interruption to our en-
counter. 1t came in the form Of brisk
moving little man in a blackboard
who hitched his horse in the gate-lane
and advanced on foot into the wood-Io-
where we suddenly moved apart and
awaited him.
; "Howdy, Eph.'' he said with brisk i'm
personality.
. lido. Burnley" responded the suller
hulk Of man at my side.
There was little warmth in that greet.
ing. but vague abashment took pos
session Of Eph Gottlob. persuadinE me
the newcomer was a person Of frnpor-
lance.
Air you Miss Rymal, young Iady?'
inquired the brisk-spealing parsonage
IT am"
We'll. I'm Burley. the postmaster
over to Wellsburg. And New YorI
wants to talk to you over long-distance
right away. I'm the Bell agent fol-
this district. and the Chief over t.
l CheNAAelAAA ScHN LHo Cd4l on TO me. Beer
trying every town along the TaIbo
Road for twenty miles back"
What Chief?"
The Chief OF Police" announced
) Burley. giving neighbor Eph the full
benefit OF the announcement. "And tn,
best way to have you talk with New
: York"-he smacked his lips over tina
delectabie word as though it were
I peppermint-'is to ride right back will
5 me In my spavin-proof hmmyzeenl"
= knew at once that It was inspector
{ Sloan trying to get in touch with m,
j from the home Office. It reminded m,
why was there at the edge OF ,
J Western Ontario cow-pasture. It mad,
r me realize how remot from my own nfi
was the problem which had doomed $,
3 preposterously big before my anRrl
eyes Yet as looked at that wistfui
= faced child with the dog-like eyes.
e Hood Of pity swept through me- An,