Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-16

Mats private vAssi. Nov be could never
psrify . crazy yssschmAn with details os
the nots sender ba,as dragged away. vhsa
As. RAuiiy ~ lahas 10 catch that man
talking With hs wife. And u RAaiiy did
ntrh him. than snmsehins vas bound to
blov up
From his position In tAs ssAh,s ios useis
Nat couldn't - . thing. and be hatsd 70
get caught aioos vSsn the szpsouon o.ns.
rhsa Nat thought a pv. Huznphrsys en
the front gai,asy and totad his skittssAnas
around the north ssds Of the house. vhsrs
he ai down nigh the doctor.
THIS change Of hass occupied that br,sf
interval during which 1aytotn denatsd
With htmsslf bAhind the hedge. He knew the
southern spirit and approved It's oondsmna-
ton oe . man who pursued anothos wife.
rhsrs might b wisdom In Uncle Mats sus.
xsstion that he talk with Miss Stark. who
had been preasnt At tho lakeside mectinxs
and could attest their innocenoA. Yet Clay.
ton wanted To 80 Adelaide hersaK. Just once
moro before hs lsft ths states forever. aehed
10 zee her with such unreasonins desire that
he would soospt any hazard The extent Of
peril to which he might expose the lady.
Clayton had conaidered; but hc did not uas-
psct that his nots had fallen into Raxniys
hands OF that ths husbsnd himself giarsd
from parior window.
He stood facing ths big house With IL
south door opening on . porch and stsps
leading down to ths ssde yard To hh right.
on tho front saIlasy, be stin aw DR.. Humph-
reys smoking alone. untfl Uncle Nat slipped
around and took his scat pnoonsciousiy
Clayton felt heartened by the presence Of .
man Who had always bean his father's frisnd
and could be rslied on In . pinch. Then be
parted tho chArokss roses and pressed
through the broken panel
Upon his unannounced entrance 70 Ben
ningtnm yard. whsre no Clayton had set foot
Gnes his fathers dual, the trepasser's eye
fell upon Mrs. Raxilly, where she sat beneath
tho vistarta. digging holes in the turf with
the heel Of tiny slipper. He thought Of
course that his black horse Lady Of tho Lake
could b none other than Miss Stark. and
satsed hs chance to md .Adelaide," or to
send her . farewell message. So he stepped
forward, hat In hand. and appeared With .
quiet Good evening"" when the lady dtscon-
certed him BY, sprinsins up and staring
wildly. .s.
You! You herer she exclaimed. smother
ering her voice and running to him. Get
away! Get avay Mr.. Radlly will kill your
Those were her exact words as Adelaide
for many years remembered them. And
when her exasperated husband rushed
through the Ede doorway. paused on the
porch. and came leaping down the stepe he
caught his vito pressing both hands against
Clayton's shoulder. showing him backward
toward the hedge. and heard her cry out
that Mr.. Raxilly would kill him.
Then Adelaide recoiled and stinened with
horror as her d1ated eyes fell upon F1ortan
himself. The creole came 20 swiftly that
Clayton had not seen him. As he turned
and also faced Raxil1y the three stood liks
stone. two man confronting each other in
that narrow yard, which yet was broad
enough to stage the worlds most ancient
tragedy. With slight inclination Of tho
head Clayton spoke nrst.
! Mr.. RAxilly!"
The sound of his vudce reused the rigid
Adalaide. who stepped quickly between them
and latd hand upon F1orian's arm. Ten
minutes before she had not quailed before
his vehemence, but this menacing stiffness
was far more terrifying. Her beseeching
eyes appealed to Clayton. Why did he not
90? why did he stand and bow % stin1y a.
he repeated. "Mr. Raziliy, believer
.Wait SIR" The Frenchman lifted hand
for silence and took his wife's arm. Not .
word. Eir. untl this lady has withdrawn.
You viii await me here.s
Tnen Cl2yton renamed utterly SUI u
Razilly whirled and escorted his wife into the
house. So low had been their words that old
Nat hailed to catch q syllable Of what ono
had aid to tho other. II these were two
negroes Wranghng over . woman the entire
county could have heard them. Everything
took place In a minute, and after all Of Mr..
Raxilly's threats. Uncle Nat could not believe
that he had actually done no more than lead
his zife inside, without solitary cuss word.
Nat also wondered why Mr.. Stuart didn't
escape through the hedge when he had such
. good chance
Nothing now prevented the intruder from
leaving. yet he continued staring against the
blank walls of the house. For Clayton had
need to think. He vas unarmed, his weapon
being LEFT It homo to avoid the possibility
of harming . man who protected his own
wife. BY every honorable law Razilly might
veil exact atonement and the offender mast
accord It. Otherwise the country would
siHle With gossip Of an irate husband chas-
ing the roue from Bennington, with bravo
men branding him as poitroon and women
dttering 1t Adelaide from behind their fans.
The thought vas unendurable; yet that
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