The Starkville news., 1920-09-17


gestive. tender. soulful, aggressive,
pleading, threatening, subservient and
Il think that is all--but only in man.
ner."
81 don't understand It," said help
lessly.
Neither do l." she said. sand
know Just enough to know that l shall
not understand 1t. do not like to find
Romeo among the servants, but |
have learned to accept some strange
conditions here-among them you"
Don't disturb yourself about me-" l
said.
A good deal of my hurt pride must
have found expression in that remark.
II am unjust" she said. II know
that you are doing what my mother
wants done and that you are not con-
sidering yourself. l shall be reason
able. | want to make my mothers life
as pleasant as it can be made. ] can
not understand everything that she
needs of me, but | know that you have
done everything that you could do for
her. | do not want to seem inconsid-
crate"
"Td like to protect you and your
mother" I said.
1--WE are indebted" said Isobei, with
a chill and unkind restraint. Then she
smiled and said:
"Good night, doctor. If am incon-
siderate at any time, put 1t down to a
naturally bad temper"
Jed had taken small shotgun and
said that he was going after rabbits,
which were unusually numerous and
threatened to be damaging to the
young brush about the place. 1t was
an October afternoon with warm
sun. An hour or two after Jed had
gone, l went out for walk. going
down by the pool.
was in the brush for fifteen min
utes, and it happened that while was
there l saw from a little prominence
the figure of Jed on ahead with his
shotgun. He was some distance away,
but l could see that he was going
stealthily from tree to tree in an odd
fashion for one hunting for rabbits. 1t
was as if he were stalking something
rather than trying to kick rabbits up
out of the brush.
again saw Jed ahead of me- came
out on the path and went on to the
river bank, where l sat down.
Whenever I saw a piece Of drift In
the pool aad watched its movements,
thought of the body of the slain
brother. 1t had been whired out into
the current and had been carried down
stream. On the bank had been found
few torn bits of clothlng-the sleeve
Of coat, a collar spotted with blood.
necktie and piece of white shirt.
There also had been found a heavy
walking stick, bloodied and with hair
in the blood.
| hau not been sitting on the bank
shot from the nearby thickets, and a
bullet hit within two feet of where /
was sitting, knocking off the bark of
tree. The report was not that of a
small shotgun such as Jed had car
ried. 1t was the report Of a rifle OF
pistol.
The Clipped bark showed that bull
let, not shot, had hit the tree, and l
was unpleasantly conscious Of what
had happened. Jed had shot at me,
probably with large caliber revolver.
He could not have had a rifle, unless
he had one hidden il the brush. l
had seen what he carried, not only as
ne left the house but as he was dodg-
ing through the thickets.
1t likely was pistol or revolver,
and that was why he had missed me.
Il was stupefed for an instant, and I
did not jump or start. l was notion
less, not even looking around, but l
was thinking rapidly. a subco1scious
protective idea formed almost instant
ly, and when the next moment another
shot came from behind me, fell for
ward on my face, rolled a couple of
feet to bush. turned my face in the
direction from which the shot came,
got out my pistol and lay still.
After minute or two which seemed
very long time, Jed's face came in
view In the brush. He looked malevo-
lent but seemed undetermined and
cautious. / think he was uncertain
whether to leave my body where it lay
and have it discovered, or throw it into
the river and have my disappearance
unexplained. His decision was given
him by the noise Of farm wagon ap-
preaching on the road, and he disap-
peared. l was ready to shoot him If
he came near me.
I was young and had youths coafi-
dence. but nevertheless this event