The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-01-15


to dimly make out his surroundings
a couch, covered with a bearskin. q
rudely made chair, bucket of water
In one corner, and a family revealed
figure against the further wall.
"Olga" he exclaimed, "OlgaI"
She moved, leaning forward eagerly
"Who are you? Who calls me?"
"It is you, then?" he sprang forward
Don't be afraid; am Shelby u"
''Shelby-youI Tom Shelbyi o
God this is not dreamT
mo, no! / am just as real as you
are. See; touch me. You thought
was dead?"
Her hands were in his own; her
eyes, still incredulous, searching his
face In the dim light.
"Dead-yesl They told me so : an
Indian said he had crushed in your
skull. He boosted of IT.; and when 1
asked that Macklin, he only laughed,
when he said ii was so."
Laughed. how?"
Her ewes fell.
"He-he didn't seem TO think it
could make much difference to me i;
that I would care"
But do you know who he Is? Did
he tell you? Did the fellow explain
his purpose in this outrage?"
II do not know; he had no time. no
opportunity; we were never alone.
What do YOU mean? Was this all
done for some deliberate purposeg"
Eyes. 1t was, Olga. His name is not
Macklin at all it is probably Churchill
have You ever heard that name be-
fore?"
"No; am sAre not"
"It was your mothers name. She
came from Virginia. and was heiress
to considerable property. 1t was left
to her in trust, and her uncle was the
trustee"
my mother?"
"Yes; she never knew this while she
lived. but your father learned some
of the facts after her death, and en-
deavored to verify them. His search
was what started trouble; for your
uncle, the trustee-his name is Cor
nelius ChurchiIl-had made no effort
to locate the heir to the property left
in his care. Instead he had used the
money, believing himself perfectly
safe. When he learned OF your ia
theirs suspicious, he became fright
ened."
Can this be trpe7"
1T evidently is true. strange as II
seems. Then your father was killed.
perhaps through some row engineered
by Churchill to put him out Of the
way. and they made every effort to
find you. You alone stood between
them and this iIl-gotten wealth. For
tunately You could not Immediately be
located; you had been hidden away in
a Catholic school, and. before Church.
III succeeded In discovering whatJ
school you were at. CaIkins took you
away. and destroyed every trail"
"Calkinsi Who and what was hep"
"A sergeant In your fathers troop:
a faithful fellow to whom your father
had confided his story before he died
His one object was to keep you safely |
out of ChurchiIl's hands until you
should become of age. That was why |
he dragged you from town to town |
and kept you in poverty"
"But why did he never tell me all
this7"
Il cannot answer that; no doubt he
thought 1t best /; believed the time had /
not come. understand he acted under
legal advice. Then. you know. his
death was very sudden"
Did he kin limselfY'
Il do not think so now. That was
the story in Ponca. but 1t is my belief
he was murdered You had finally
been traced: the man who had sue
'eeded In finding your trail was In
Ponca. CaIkins had to be put out of
he way"
You--mean Macklin?"
Yes: only. as saw. that is prob
lilly not the fellows name-he Is Cor
lelius ChurehilI's son.vs
"Where-where did you learn all
his?"
-'->@N "ttA- totRt AAtC StUfF. WDen no
vas drunk. to another rascal. | crept
Up TO campfire one night and heard
ne latter relate the tale"
where was this2"
ION Dragon creek"
"Yes-but when?r
Might before last; while 1 was
eeking TO trail you"
She Ind never released her grasp Of
Is hand nowft tightened.
Might before last; you-you never
new It beforey'
Certainty not"
~You didn't marry me be-because
had eli this money!
Shelby laughed lightly.
Lord. no; I never suspected. Won
ad I'VE cents"
~ADd--and," she went on earnestly
you-you followed after me. hurt AZ i.
on was, never knowing about all this | !
-just-because II was meT
THAT'S sure right leastwise until