Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-28
Why Grace Draper Calmly Faced
Hugh Grantiand and Nearly
Took" Edith Fairfax
with Her.

TOT IpHS HloHSHh hHNN hphh'
ing save that my baby boy was alive
and safe in my arms. heard nothing
but his grooming little voice saying,
Mama. mama" over and over
again. as II he never would tire OF
the word.
Then. as the aeTid smoke cleared
q bit with the opening OF the Won
dows and doors by one OF Hugh
Grantland's men. | saw the old col
ored woman kneeling by the pros
tfate figure OF the man | knew only
as Tim-saw also with horrihed eyes
that another OF Hugh Grantiand's 5
men had torn the coat and shirt from
the officers shoulder, and was
Stanching the blood that welled
from an ugly wound in his shoulder.
"He drilled you, major" the man
said respectfully, but | don't
think"
"Tie it up quickly" Hugh Grant
land snapped, "and let NE get my
coat on"
saw his face change as he looked
at the man on the floor.
"Send for a Doctor he ordered.
"You-don' - need - no - doc
tor Tim gasped. II won't be here
by the time he gifts here. Don't take
on so, Aunt Sukey. It's the best
thing that kin happen to me. But !
didn't hurt the kid-though that She
devil wanted me to-"
His voice failed, and his eyes
closed.
Give him some brandy" Hugh
Gran,land interposed. and one OF his
men poured a drink from a flask
and gave it to the dying man, who
drank it docilcly, lay quietly for a
minute, then reused himself and
opened his eyes.
Have you got the she-devil!" he
demanded.
mo, but we're going to, if you
help us by telling all you know"
Hugh Grantland answered quietly.
Curse her." Tim replied fervent-
ly. "I'll spill all l know if it'll put
her where she belongs. I had to do
what she said. She knew some
thing"
Hugh Grantland motioned to one
Of his men, who crept behind Tim
with notebook and pencil.
"Shc always made me stay somc-
where near her." he said. "Shc told
me she wanted this young one taken
and put out of the way for good,
and" he gasped for breath.
"She had it all planned out" he
went on. THE last few days l
stayed at the house Of that man
across the road, and at night she'd
slip out and we'd go over to the
studio. She had the keys and l fix
ed some boards in the closet floor
at the side where l could come up
and down from underneath and hing
ed board in the floor OF that win
dow-seat of drawings with a hook
and eye underneath the floor. The
day the baby got in there l was hid
under the floor all day-waitin'. That
devil had drilled the kid so he'd get
in there and hide under the drawings.
And he had a picture he called his
Danzie's drawing at the bottom of
the pile"
b I gave strangled exclamation, for
] saw the diabolical way in which
Grace Draper; had played upon the
little chaps love for his grandnoth-
er to send him to what she meant
to be his death.
Hugh Grantland put his uninjured
arm back, and l felt his fingers
clasp mine firmly with strength
that sustained me. I
"The baby came running back to
the studio" Tim went on with pauses
between the words. II could hear
his little feet, and he climbed into
the box and rooted to the bottom
of it, as she had taught him to do.
I slipped the hook of the board be-
meath, caught him as he fell out, and
gave him a whiff of choloform
sponge
1T Didn't Take Much"
Only the fact that the man was
dying kept my fingers from his
throat.
1T didn't take much to put him
OUT he went on. Then l throw
ed toy the baby had out on the
path to the orchard, as she'd told
me to. When she give me signal
that it was all right l took the kid
and carried hinl-she guiding me.
But the baby woke up and called
its mother twice before I could get
my hand over its mouth. I nearly
lost my nerve then, for I heard YOU,
mean, come shrieking out, but that
she-devil pushed me on and stopped
YOU"
So my ears had not deceived me
that night! My arms went closer
round my boy.
II got the kid to the house of the
man across the road, and / had hard
work to keep him from finishing the
boy. He drove me off into the hills,
where we met a big automobile, and
since then I've been passed from
one automobile to another till I got
down here. That woman is head of
of a-gang-"
His voice trailed away. and even
less experienced eyes than mine
could have told that he was very
near his end. And so we left him
in charge of the old colored woman