Evening star., 1922-10-01

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him OUT laid him prone on the
kitchen floor. brought snow and rub
4 bed it over his face, slapped his
wrists with 1t to restore his pulse
the village method
He came. to quickly, sat up and
stared about him.
Hush" she said, for fear he would
speak. Can you hear me. Jim? Do
You know what 1 am sayingg
He nodded.
Cooper is locked in the parlor
asleep. You can get away now. My
God, don't close your eyes again.
Listen! You can get away"
Away from what" he asked
stupidly.
Away from the police. Try to re-
member, Jim. You shot the clerk
from the drug store and--the girl at
Heideger's. The police are after you.
There's a thousand dollars on your
head"
That reused him. He struggled to
his feet. reeled, caught the table.
II remember. Well. I've got to get
away. That's all. But 1 can't go
feeling like this. Get me-some
whisky"
He needed it. She. brought it to
the quantity, but after he had had it
his dull eyes cleared.
She had gone to listen at the parlor
| door When she came back he was
looking more himself. He was a
handsome fellow. with heavy dark
hair and dark eyes. big man as he
| lowered above her in the little
kitchen. HIS face did not indicate
his weakness. There are men like
that. broken reeds swinging in the
wind that yet manage to convey an
impression of strength.
His wife brought the overcoat and
held it out for him.
by Shultz's fence you said, Jim.
and then to the railroad. There's a
slow freight goes through on toward
| morning. and IL that doesn't stop,
there's the milk train. And-Jim. let
me hear about you now and then.
! Write TO Aunt Saran. Don't write
here, and don't think once you get
away that you are safe. A thousand
dollars reward will set everybody in
the country looking
He paused. the overcoat half on.
"A thousand dollars" he said
! slowly. II see. When I'm gone
Molly. how are you going to make
out?"
I'll manage somehow: only go,
Jim. Co..
Il don't know about this going"
he said after a moment. They'll
grab me somewhere. Somebody'n get
that thousand. You'll manage some
how! What do you mean by some
how: You'll get married again.
maybe?"
''Oh, no; not that"
He cared little then-in spite of
| the girl at Heideser's,
II he would only go. This thing
for which she had schemcd the whole
night might fail now while he talked
! You can't stay here" he said
slowly. You can't pring the children
| up where everybody knows about
their father. They can't run any sort
of a race with that handicap"
4 x X X
TOR answer she held out his over
J. coat. But he shook his head
Perhaps it was his one big moment
Perhaps it was only a reaction from
his murderous mood of the afternoon
For now quite suddenly he put his
arms around her.
II am not worth H." Molly he burst
out. Il am not worth thousand
dollars alive or dead, but if they're
offering that for me. if you had it
you could go out west somewhere
and nobody would know about you
You could start the kids fresh. That's
about the only thing ! can do for you
give you a chance to get away and
forget that you ever knew me-"
She did not understand at first.
When she did she broke into quiet
sobbing. She knew his obstinacy; the
dogged tenacity of the weak. Now
him refuse to go!
She pleaded with him, went down
on her knees. grew nysterical finally,
and had to be taken in his arms and
quieted as he had not .quieted her in
years. And still there was no sound
from the parlor.
They'll get me somehow" he re-
peated over and over. And IL
would like to feel that / had done
one decent thing first. That red
eyed ferret in the parlor will get the
money if you don't. For the children.
Molly; they've got a right to ask to
be started straight"
That was the argument that moved
her finally into a sort OF acquiescence.
There seemed nothing else for her to
do. He even planned the thing for
her. He would hide in the barn
in the loft. The swift snow would
soon fill the footprints. but in case
she was anxious she could get up
early and shovel a path where he had
stepped.
When Cooper wakened she could
say she thought tho thing over, that
she needed the money. that she would
exchange her knowledge for the re-
ward.
only you get paper for it-get
paper from Heideger. He'll bluff it
out II he can. He was stuck ON the
girl himself"
Jim. did you-care for that girl SO
much?"
His face hardened. II thought I
did: for a-for a little while. She
made fool Of me. and I-showed
her! But all the time I loved you,
Molly"
He kissed her solemnly as she half
lay in his arms and went toward the