The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-06-13
The Exiles
By GEORGE ELMER COBB
1919. By wester, Nswspap.s uaiOa.'

bile along the lonely country road was
in harmony as to face, attire and spir-
it's with the beauty Of a rare spring
morning. He was Norman Reed. Al
Elsdene, twenty miles to the north.
was the plant Of the Warren Machinery
company. Twenty miles across to the
south at a thriving inland city were
the Offices of. the corporation, which
his father practically owned.
Norman whistled cheerily as the
high-powered machine progressed
without squeak or jar.
There was q macadamized road from
city to plant, but this especial morning
Norman had tried a short cut along a
lonely road. Not a house showed In the
first FIVE miles, and 1t was only when
he passed a belt Of woods that he no.
ticed a dilapidated cabin nesting In Its
depths.
There was a pretty flower patch In
front Of it, and vines were ~festooned
over the small porch. Norman o
dered what could have induced anyone
to select that lonely spot for a home.
Abruptly he noticed a vague speeding
object dash from the wild s~hrubbery.
Before Norman could distinguish 1t
clearly it disappeared under the ma
chine and a thrilling scream rang out:
ooh, stop! stop he Is killed"
The accents were feminine. A girl
ish form came into view. Norman
halted the auto promptly, sprang from
his seat and saw a dog lying in the
middle of the road. The animal held
up a lacerated, bleeding paw and
whined in pain. Norma bent over,
gently examined the wounded foot
and lifted the animal in his arms.
"A lucky escape" he spoke, and
turned to face a young girl with blood
less face and distended eyes. Don't
worry, MISS" he continued, "the poor
animal is not seriously hurt. Is It
yourS?"
"Oh, yes, indeed !" fluttered the pos
SCISSOR Of as fair q face as Norman's
eyes had eve rested on. 1T Is our
Ponto. Won't you please carry him to
the house where I can attend to him?"
1t was thus that Norman Reed met
the lovely girl and his fate at n and
the same time. AS he approached the
draw back into an old shed. Norman
called for bandages. Ponto seemed to
comprehend that he was in the care Of
a humane friend. At the end Of Ave
minutes Norman lifted the grateful
animal to a pillow the girl had placed
on a bench, and said:
"Your pet will fare quite we'll sitter
a day or two Of nursing. / will drive
by tomorrow and bring you a famous
curative canine lotion that will help
out"
Thenceforward Norman Reed
seemed to have a motive In life.
Three times q week he visited the
| plant and always returned by the dirt
road. Three times a week he halted at
the little out-of-the-way house in the
woods, ostensibly to see how PontO
was getting along, but In reality to
feast his eyes on the animals mistress,
who attracted him with an increasing
interest.
He learned that. her name was
| Clarice. She gave M other, and as
Norman noted that the old man, pre-
sumably her father, made 1t a point to
keep out of view during his visits, he
decided that there was some mystery
GUS reason for these two isOlatlne
themselves from the rest Of the world
POnto got well, and at every new
visit Norman fingered longer than al
the preceding me-. A month passed
by and Clarice began to look longing
ly for the appearance Of her welcome
visitor. One afternoon she was amazed
to see PontO come running down the
road. The intelligent animal was pant
ing and excited. He dropped q lonf
fiat wallet at the feet Of Clarice. He
looked at her beseechingly. as though
striving to tell her something. He rar
down the road q way and looked bach
at her. Clarice followed him.
1t was to find Norman lying back II
the automobile, bleeding and insensi
BILE. Clarice had learned to direct thu
car and she soon had the machine
up to the house. With the aid Of heI
father she carried him into the house
Norman regained his senses to inform
her that he had been assaulted by
footpad, had thrown the wallet con
tanning a large amount Of money t.
Ponto, and the w~ell-trained animal hat
run of with It, as Norman hoped hi
would do.
Norman was unable to proceed OF
his way and asked Clarice to get wore
to his father. She hurried to thu
North settlement and a few hours later
Mr.. Reed appeared. He was made
aware of the situation and thanked
Clarice for her services and those Of
the quick-witted Ponto. When he OBJ
served the father Of Clarice he gave 9
violent start.
"John Bordenw he exclaimed, "my
old bookkeeperw
Then vas uncovered the mystery Of