Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-06-12
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Last Resort
By ALISON NAY KRAMER
copyright. 1919 by Western Newspaper UniOn.i

Copyright, 19lS by western newspaper onion'i .
1t was a rough district given over to
rough men of rude, uncultured ways.
Outside of the few towns where law
and order ruled, primitive outlaWry
and physical force were tire controH-
ing clements. Thus, when Hal Wyck-
off. the leader of a lawless horde or
moonshiners and raiders, cast his eye
upon Nellie Virdln, the daughter OF
the school superintendent at Macon,
only the genuine fervor of his love
for her prevented his collecting re-
tjnue of his favored comrades, carry
Ing her off boldly, forcing some timer
ant preacher to perform the marriage
ceremony and defying her friends to
get her back.
He lived here, there, everywhere,
with his lawless c0nfreres; had
sister, Althea, for whom he showed
real devotion, had placed her with an
old maid aunt over at the other END
of the county, far away from his own
environment. Nellie, visiting the lit
tie settlement where Althea lived, had
incidentally met Wyckoff. Later he
had seized all kinds of pretenses to
appear in Macon and see Nellie. Then
he had watched her home, making sure
| that she was alone in the house and
| HAD almost alarmed her by appearing
at its porch one lovely September
| evening.
81 want to tell you story" he said
| bluntly, when timorously but with
| courtesy she had invited him to be
seated, and Wyckoff related the in
cidents of the rough life he had led
since the death of his parents both
shot down by revenue officers whilst
defending an illicit still in the noun
tains. He made no secret of follow.
| ing in their footsteps. But now
"And want to tell you that / love
you" was his final addendum to the
| recital. "I am ready to make any
sacrifice to win your esteem. viii
| abandon my present way of living.
will go to work to earn an honest lv-
| ing. / will establish pleasant home
| with my sister, Athea. | will be
| true and faithful husband. Give the
| two of us Il chance to become peace
able, respectable people, instead of the
! Stunned outcasts that we are"
II am sorry" spoke Nellie In gen.
tie. subdued way "but 1 am engaged
| to marry Wade Burton next month"
The tiger in the man sprang to the
| surface in a flash. He was on his
| feet in an instant, quivering all over
LET him beware if he crosses my
| path ~ he ground out. 81 have warned
| you. You shall be mine. Just to gain
| you win plunge the whole district In
bloodshed and ruinl"
"Waiti watt | have something to
tell you" began Nellie quaveringly,
but the man was gone. For two days
| and nights he wandered In the widest
| depths of the mountain timber. When
| he returned to his comrades he was
| morose and captious and kept aflame
| his mad emotions with the constant
use of liquor.
Gradually his confreres became
| aware of the wretchedness that was
| wearing down their leader. Mutterings
against Wade Burton, who was a
lawyer, who had prosecuted several
| OF the band, intensified the insane
| jealousy of Wyckoff. There came a
climax. One evening with six chosen
men he rode over to Macon, stationed
his men in ambush near the Virdin
home and stole towards it a few min
| utes later An agreed on signal,
| low, peculiar whistle reached the men
| in covert. 1t advised them that Wade
| Burton was on the premises and to
| be ready to greet him when he came
| down the woodland path.
Wyckoff had made out Burton and
| Nellie in the garden of the little Vir-
| din home. They were conversing earn
estly, seated on bench beside a
shadowing Towering bush.
you are sure Althea is safe. You
do not doubt that she will evade the
man who would have dragged her into
misery and sorrowT
Il not only convinced her that the
man was already married, but / set
the officers of the law on his track
country. 1t was a narrow escape for
the trustful girl ignorant of the worlds
WAYS"
Her brother should know of this,
Wede,' spoke Nellie.
Yes, he should guard Althea close.
ly. She is a bright pretty girl and
this experience win be a warning to
her. AS to WyckoT, however.
scarcely dare venture 10 approach
him. He is like a rampant lion these
latter days"
He must feel grateful to you for
all that you have done in behalf of his
sister said Nellie. "What was thatw
II was a groan, and il issued from
the lips of Hal Wyckoff as he stag
geied from his covert. The revelation
Of the moment stunned him. This
man, Wade Burton, rightful beloved
Of Nellie Yirdin, had put himself out
70 save his sister from the power OF
a villain who would have spoiled her
life. Hal Wyckoff moved on. indffen