Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-01-10

third time, when me par1or door al
the front Of the house rather noisily
opened, and q man came down OF the
porch and across the yard. As he
walked over the brink Of the slight
decline where the yard dipped to the
creek. he passed In outline for brief
moment against the southern sky.
II was the preacher.
His glasses were on. the stoop gone
from his shoulders and his step
showed not a sign Of mincing. He was
partly dressed. partly In his night
clotbes-precisely as one who had
wakened naturally from sleep and
gone into the yard for some trifing
purpose or other. There was a light
spot at his hip which the watcher
under the clump Of shrubbery sur
missed to be the ivory handle Of the
six-gun that had thudded against the
bottom Of the skin.
He went straight to the spring, took
down the dipper and dipped himself
drink. making deal of noise In the
II. AZ II seemed to the critical ears
under the shrubbery.
The drink over. he hung up the dip
per, with another clatter; sauntered
past the man crouched by the rustic
seat; snatched something that was
reached out to him; hid 1t In the
bosom Of his shirt; whispered very
hurried word or two; strolled back up
the yard; crossed the porch; re-en.
tered the parlor door and locked II be-
hind him.
The man crouching by the seat half.
rose and slipped back the way he had
come. the frogs. AZ before. falling ST.
lent as he came even with them and
resuming their croak again after he
had passed. Jack tried hard to make
him out as he stole by. less than a
dozen steps away. but he was 30
stopped and 30 shrouded In gloom that
the effort was In vain.
And SO they had come-and gone
A burden seemed to be lifted from
the night. A clean breeze came down
out Of the cool dells Of the serene
woods as II to sweep away the faint
of their presence
The woodsman lay q long time lis
tening. and reviewing the astonishing
pantomime. Not sound did he hear
He glanced up at the red-roofed cot
tage. From porch step to gable II lay
as peaceful rs Its background of placid
sky. II was hard to think that at that
moment Il might be standing at the
danger-eenter Of some intangible web
Of evil that was being woven about It.
He knew the lay Of the house as
well ms he knew his own small cabin
along the south and fronting the
road the seldom used parlor. with
the spare bedroom opening Off from Il
on the east: back Of these the sit
ting-room. and the old bankers bed
room adjoining II. with the small
room containing his safe opening OF
II on the west and extending some
distance beyond the main wall; back
Of these rooms the dining.room and
back Of II the kitchen.
Front entrance to both parlor and
sitting-room was from the wide porch.
which filled up almost the entire Jog
between the parlor and the smnll
room that served as Office.
Mrs. Curry and Texie both slept up
stairs. the latter over the old bankers
bedroom, the former over the office
There were no rooms above the par.
lor and spare bedroom, these. with the
porch. being later addition to the
original building.
With every possible caution Jack
slowly crawled up the yard. around
back OF the house, and under the part.
ly open window Of the parlor bed
room: lay listening for a guarded mo
ment; then rose. noiseless as the
night. aud peeped within.
On chair just under the window
hung the somber frock coat on the
bed man breathed even and deep,
apparently sleeping as TRANQUILITY as
tired athlete.