Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-09-11

s's sp'"S
IF you will rest and compose your
self for a few moments. I will 60 and
see In what condition the patient Is.
n he is well enough to see you. ! will
take you to him. But l implOre you.
Miss, to bear this In mind. While
expect you Will find him alive and ron.
sciOus. you must be prepared for u
shock when you first see him" Bow
Ing gravely to her he left the / o II
while the distressed girl. biting .
lip and with fingers clenched, suhdueu
her wild impulse to follow him and
| throw herself ut the bedside Of the
man she loved SO dearly.
Morgan, his o and collar of and
wearing u white shirt, was standing
In q room upstairs which had been
fitted up as a hospital private room.
when his confederate, Fream, entered.
as she here?' ne asked. The other
nodded.
"Then well get busy" Placing him
self upon the bed Morgan covered
himself while Fream bandaged his
head and the other confederate donned
n white hospital interne's uniform.
When Fream had finished the entire
head Of the Hawk was swathed in
bandages. save for one eye which had
bee eft unbound that the pretended
' er might see. This done. Freum
..rned the light low and returned to
the lower floor.
Ethel was standing at the window
looking out into the darkness when
he entered. Noting the fluttering of
her lips and the heaving of her bosom.
and fearing that she was about to col
lapse beneath the nervous strain, he
fastened to her.
"Yes, he is still alive" he said hur-
riedly. "He wants you to do some
thing-some strange request. If you
can comply with 1t, I believe it will
help him in his fight for life"
Anything" she cried p~assionately.
Anything he may ask. Only take me
to him at once" Taking her by the
arm, he led her from the room.
Softly he opened the door and
Ethel, feeling herself growing faint
and dizzy, stood gazing into the sub
duedly lighted room. At the sight of
the ~bandaged one in the bed, she ut
tered q low cry and started impulsive.
ly forward. but the hand Of Fream
held her back.
"Slowly and quietly" he warned in
n low tone. Realizing that she must
control herself, the girl slowed her
pace. She kneeled beside the bed
and one hand lovingly touched the
bandages.
II am so glad that You are alive,
dear. You will live for me. John,
won't your" BY a slight movement of
the head, the swathed n indicated
that he wished to speak to her. She
bent closer to him, her ear turned to
catch his whispered words.
HE asks me to marry him, so II
he dies" She buried her face In her
hands. but regained her self control
and looked up at Fream. 81 am ready.
Send for a minister" she said.
ut will help him." returned Fream
sObcrly.
GLOW strange his voice sounds" she
said. A slight smile crept to the lips
Of the physician.
"What would you expect when one
has been burned nearly to death, be-
sides being terribly cut? The wonder
is that he ian speak at all" Silent!
she nodded her understanding.
Fream. stepping into the next room
spoke to the Spider who sat there
smoking.
1.-THE girl is ready. Take the car ant
get the Reverend DIR. Preston nnt
bring him here as quick as the devil
will let you. Then In ten minutes w
will have the thing cinched." Leapini
to his feet. the Spider went hurryini
on his mission.
Leaving their machine, John ant
Rainface walked up to the house. Al
wa dark within. nor did any re
Spouse come to their ringing of tn
!, bell. With vague suspicion crawling
, into their minds they walked abou
l the place, inspecting 1t closely. The'
as the sound Of an approaching aut'
smote their ears, they ran to the from
2 Of the building and peeped around
corner lust as the Spider and anOthe
2 man who was Enthusiastically a minlste
entered the door. Now wholly sus
e picious and alarmed, they fastened t
y the auto and glanced ut Its number. ]
was Calf. 37655, the machine of ID
e Fream.
y THAT other fellow with preachel
him Spider" grunted Rainface. ii
4 got on wig and whiskers, but me kno'
r his walk"
e you're right, Rainface. I wal tr!
q ing to place that gait of his. There
the devil to pay in there sure, an
we've got to get in, locks or no locks
Tearing open the tool box Of the mi
o chine he drew forth a heavy screv
q driver, and closly followed by the II
e dian sprang to the nearest window.
Inserting the point Of the impr'
n yised Jimmy" beneath the lowe
r. frame and the jam, he gave his II
N strument a savage downward pus'
Before the leverage Of the steel to-
the catch burst and the window Z
longer barred their way. Lifting
IN hastily they crawled within and stof
y listening. No sound met their ear
le and with soundless feet they crept
ID the stairs, hating before a dot
i. through the keyhole Of which a sic
l. der fan Of light streamed. John pla
r ing his ear to the crevice, drew n
10 h.aoAh and liafannd Plainly 10 D