Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-10-03
CHAPTER VII.
To Save a "NIuuer.D

1t proved to be a short, sharp
struggle, from the first the advantage
altogether with me. With all the old
time dislike in my heart, all the hat
red aroused by what had overheard,
closed down on his throat, rejoicing
to see the purple of his flesh turn into
a sickening black, as he fought des-
perately for breath and as he lost
consciousness and ceased from strug-
gle. was conscious of a pang in my
wounded shoulder, yet 1t seemed to
rob me Of no strength but only added
to my ferocity. The fellow rested
limp in my hands. 1 believed 1 had
killed him, and the belief was a Joy
as tossed his helpless body aside on
the floor and stepped through the
open window into the room.
In my heart hoped he was dead,
and In sudden feeling of utter con.
tempt ! struck the inert body with my
foot. Then. as my eyes lifted, they
encountered those of the girl. She
had drawn back TO the table, startled
out of all reserve by this sudden ap-
partition, unable to comprehend. The
pistol yet remained clasped in her
hand, while. she stared at me as
though a ghost confronted her.
"Who-who are your" she managed
to gasp in a voice which barely
reach my ears. my Godi who-who
sent you here"
''It must have been God" / an
swered, realizing instantly that ]
needed to make all clear In a word
II came only to help you and was
Just In time-no doubt God sent me-
ITO help me? You came here to
help me? But how could that bel
II never saw you before-who are
your
stood straight before her, my eyes
meeting her own frankly. l had for
gotten the dead body at my feet, the
incidents of struggle, the pain of my
own wound, eomprehending only the
supreme importance of compelling heI
to grasp the truth.
"There is no time now to explain
all this, Miss Rene. You must accepI
the bare facts-will your
"Yes-I-I suppose must
"Then listen, for you must know
that every moment we waste here IL
talk only makes escape more difficult
l tell you the simple truth. / am Ste
ven Knox, an officer in the army. 1
chanced l was passenger on the boa
when Judge Beaucaire lost his life.
witnessed the game of cards this maj
won, and afterward, when l protest
ed. was attacked and flung oTerboar,
into the Tiiver by Kirby here and tina
fellow who is outside guarding tn
door. They believe me to be dead
but l managed to reach shore an,
was taken care of by a negro-Fre
Pete he calls himself; do you kno1
himr
'Yes-oh. yes; he was one Of tn
Carlton slaves" Her face brightene
slightly in its bewilderment.
"Well, 1 knew enough of what wa
bound to occur to feel an interest, an
tonight he brought me here for tn
purpose of warning you-you, you
mother and Eloise Beaucaire. He ha
his cart and mule out yonder; we ir
tended to transport you across tn
river, and thus start you safely on tn
way to Canada"
"Then," she said slowly, seeming (
catch at her breath, her voice tren
bling, "then It must be really tru
what these men say-Delia is m
mother? II am a slave?"
"You did not really known You wei
not warned by anyone before the
arrival?"
mo. there was no warning. DI
, anyone in this neighborhood unde
, stand?"
: "Haines the lawyer did. He fu
! nished me with much of the inform,
: tion I possess. But 1 am the Oh
! puzzled now. If the truth was n,
/ known to any Of you how does it ha
! pen the others are gomez"
1 so far as / DIN aware that is mer
e ly an accident. They walked over
the old Carlton place early this ev
I ming; there is sickness in the famli
\ and they hoped to be of help. That
I everything know. They were to I
: turn two hours ago, for 1 was here 6
e alone. except for the negroes in the
I quarters. cannot conceive what h
Q occurred-unless they have learned
some way Of the trouble here"
e "That must be the explanation
o they have hidden themselves. Al
n these men told you why they came
o "The only one saw at first did. /
r, came in all alone and claimed to
h n deputy sheriff. was terribly frigl
u ened at first, and did not at all I
II derstand; but I questioned him al
t the man liked to talk. So he told I
# all he knew. Perhaps should ha
e thought he was crazy, only-only sol
e things had occurred of late which |
:. me to half suspect the truth befo