Baxter Springs news., 1919-02-21

him md Belle, bSlng the County At
torney, quite naturally had 10 prose
cute him. The lawyers were waiting
when Osborn entered Squire Kellar'a
office. AS is the custom, Ellen held
q moments counsel with Osborn, her
client, then presented the prisoner 10
the Squire who read the charge Of
granddaughter in first degree and ask
ed the prisoner what he had to say.
Ellen knowing there were no eye wit
nesses to the CRIME, responded: "We
plead not guilty, your honor" She
had broken down under the strain and
was leaning, on the arm Of Osborn.
Between Sobs she asked for the ar
rangement of bond for the prisoner
until the next day.
II place the prisoner under $1,000
bond," said the Squire, and address,
ing Ellen asked who the bondsmen
were.
This is just what Osborn had con-
templated. The disgrace of going to
Jail would be viewed by the public
equally as low as the thievery Of the
thief, and his heart yearned that his
good name might be saved from the
Jail.
In the little crowd of spectators
who had gathered IN the 'Squire's Of
fee Ellen solicited a bondsman until
the Squire became impatient at her
failure and ordered Osborn taken to
Jail.
Like an opportunity that knocks but
once and passes on, Belle turned to
the 'Squire-'T1l go his bond," she
said.
"Wait a moment" said the Squire,
"you are the County Attorney. and
will have to prosecute this case"
"And I'll prosecute it to the bitter
end" said Belle.
And the Squire, who had been let
into the joke By Belle, and knew the
rivalry of the sisters to secure the
love of Osborn, and also knew that
Belle was driving Osborn into a pinch
in order to show her gracious love for
him, handed the bond to Belle and
she signed it.
Tom Osborn had never known be-
fore that he loved Bell. On introduc-
tion by the Judge he had admired the
graceful figure of Ellen but he knew
now that his life swung in the balance
and Belle was the barrier between him
and death-he felt the warmth of
that love now and try as he would to
repel the emotion, he found himself in
her embrace.
Ellen's tall, graceful figure was
bending with a smitten heart that
turned a sweet face to one of sadness.
She had thought Of it all. Was she
not going to defend Osborn and save
him from the gallows? And was not
Belle going to prosecute him and
send him to the scaffold? Then why
had he Tilted her? She ran the case
through in her mind until she came to
where, but a few moments before,
Belle had sworn to prosecute him ITO
the bitter end" and then she knew
that Osborn had turned his love from
her that he might control Bellies eff
forts at prosecution.
CHAPTER III
Belle Tells the Joke
On a grass-covered mound, set here
and there with q cluster Of Wild Sweet
Williams, such as lovers dote to tell
hidden secrets, Belle and Osborn had
strayed. She was sure of his love
now, she surmised, and why keep from
him the joke? He had not killed the
thief at all; and what a relief it would
be if he knew it; and would he not
love and admire her still greater if
he knew it was only a joke perpe-
trated by her? "Sure," she thought.
And thus began the story of the joke:
"Ha, he, ha;cgiggle, giggle, gig
gle-te-he-e-e-e"-and throwing her
self in the embrace of Osborne, she
told him of making the dummy, plac-
ing It before the crib door, pulling
the door open, the gun being dis
charged, the dummy falling, her hiding
in ambush, his entry and exit-"ha,
ha"-but her voice chOked up as she
looked into Osborn's face and saw the
quivering white lips, the distorted
countenance- was in a rage. He
knew he had killed the thief. His was
not the frame of mind to be trified
with, and swinging his arms wildly,
he cried: "Deave me alone. I'd rather
be tried, condemned and hanged fol
killing the thief than for my love to
he made the scaDe-Roat of q joke