Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-07


'holdssf ana very soon they was gone, Hs
lived two mile away, IN a eotlage near North
Mil which belonged 10 bis mother and he hade
the giri stop al certain place while lac slipped
back and got Ills birds and air sun, jsmlnia
was always calm and self'pessesssd' aud when
he Joined her again she saw only too clearly
what he'd been up TO and was sorry,
"oh. Mr.. ciegg." she said, u shall always
feel very grateful and kind 10 you for THIS
night's work but I'm tsrribls ashamed that such
a brave. fine chap should sink 10 that I'm cure
yon be made of too soed stuff TO sink 10 snsh
thngf"
lie felt shespish and eussed himself Tor show
ing her what he'd been up 10.
Lucky for sou was poaehns, anyhow he
said, .for IL I hadn't been ~ Thorpe Woods
you would stii be iugged in the Devils Hunting
Horn, my dear woman, But don't Sou think
I'm not very thankful Was there, for very
well know this is the best nights work ever
done in my life. aud shall be terrible proud
OF IL TO my dying day.
She liked his voice and she liked his looks rs
he marched her in and woke NJ his mother ana
made the old woman come down house aud
find some supper for Jemima,
Then Mrs ciesg heard the awful news and
was sworn TO secrecy, and next morning jacob
fetched his pony along, just after dawn, and
drove the girl to catch tho first train TO flym-
euth from Cornfofd station, four miles down
the line.
she promised TO write and tell him where she
was. and she kept her word. and the moment
he'd got her address, at a little inn down on the
Barbican. where she Was used to put up. II
Jacob didn't travel down for a day and call IN
upon her and aN her TO come and have bit
Of dinner with him. and 80 on.
She knew by now there was something drew
her to him. and instead Of being NcNcd at his
cheek In coming to sec her she felt quite pleased
and must needs buy him "a present, because.
after ALL a life is a life. aud Jacob dciicately
reminded her over u veal outlet that she'd bc
at her last gasp now and dying with hunger
In the Devils Hunting Horn but for him.
But for you and Providence" corrected
Jemma.
"Proyidence first" he granted. "and may
tell you that this affair have made mo take n
much more serious view Of Providence. Miss
Mason. Because my mother has pointed out
to me that the Lord chose a backslider like me
To do this useful piece OF work; and IL the Lord
haven't throwed me over. as everybody, includ-
ing myself. imagined long ago, then there must
be hope for and a rare chance OF making
good. And hope you'll help me to do So"
Well when a handsome young man tells
woman he wants her help to make good It's
any odds she'll feel bit pleased at the prospect.
aud before Jacob went home that night Jemma
found herself good bit along the road TO
liking him. She brought him a tie pin in the
shape of a little silver fox. costing shillings.
and she bought him green silk tie also; and
she made .one solemn condition. that Jacob
would come TO church next Sunday; and he
swore he would do SO, and wear his fine adorn-
nients.
Then he began about Henry Bird, for they'd
been SO interested In each other up to now that
they almost forgot what had thrown 'em to-
gether
Jemima saw Jacob to his train after they'd
took cup Of tea, and 1t was fixed up that she'd
come to his mothers cottage for night on the
way home in three days time; and then he was
going to tell her Of the wonderful plot he'd
hatched against the would-be murderer. She
asked him il he'd seen Henry heard aught
o: him since she left, and he said that he had
not But Jacob had took occasion TO so up to
the tower the day before he came to Plymouth
to see il Henry had been there.
"The devil haven't stirred finger to save
YOU" he explained. 81 don't mean Satan, but
Henry Bird. The great logs against the
door, and no doubt he thinks you be dead and
gene by now. But his turn will come next week.
and I've got very pretty clever thought upon
the subject. And yet God forgive me, can't
feel righteous mad against him as l ought
to feel"
'Why for not?" asked Jemma. "Be you such
a Christian all that?"
But Jacob explained.
"'Ts because If the wretch had never bawked
e up there should never have rescued e;
and because If I hadn't done that should have
lost the bestest thing that ever happened in
all my lfe."
And then the train went off afore she had
time to answer him.
Well Plymouth seemed thought empty to
Jelnima Mason after Jacob had gone, and she
asked herself what 1t was about the man had
took her fancy, above the fact that he had
saved her life and she judged that it must be
his voice and his cheerful nature. Besides, he
terrible handsome, and, though she knew
handsome is as handsome does, her wits began
to grow quick in the matter of young Clegg and
she reckoned that. by nature, he nice
ind cd nd nd-he nd might
very like turn from his doubtful, sporting ways
and be successful man in clever hands. At
any rate, she dreamed good few dreams about
him, and. strange though it seemed even to her
SELF Jemma soon found lot more interest in
her heart for Jacob than bided there about
the man who had tried to murder her Her
only kind thought and hope for Bird was
that he'd gone daft and would be proved SO.
Clegg was at the station to meet her with his
trap when she came back and alighted at Corn
ford Then he drove her home for that night
and told her what a clever thing he'd Matched.
LAS to Henry Birds sentence, that's in your
hands," he said, "but I've fixed up a very pretty
trial for the blackguard, and you've got to help,
Jemma: and If I'm too forward in calling you
'Jemima,' then tell me so; but tits a very beau
tful name and I'm very wishful to call you
by it,"
"My few friends call me Jem'" she answered,
but he said he thought Jemima' better, be-
cause it was like the notes graybird begins
his song with. And then he told her what he'd
been up to.
I've fallen in with Henry" he said, "and it's
very easy to see that he's haunted man. In
fact, more than one at Thorpe marks it and
reckon that too much religion is turning his
head. OF course, didn't whisper there a
very different reason for his wild eyes and wild
speech, but I went to the man himself, so
humble as a worm, and told him that things
had happened to me and I'd a Light and
hoped to turn over a new leaf and mend my
ways And that's true Gospel, Jemin1a, for
I fully intend to do after hearing you on the
subject. But didn't mention that you was the