Show THAN A HERO oy by GEORGE ELMER COBB norman her heart Is slowly break ingi I 1 do I 1 not know it have bavo I 1 not seen it through all these weary months of agony and still I 1 tell hor her to hope oh norman hope la Is dead with us long sincel it may bo be the last forlorn chance said eald the young lawyer but I 1 am going to try it I 1 have discovered some now facts in uio the case that holds all of future weal or woo tor for you and poor dear miriam yon have boon been na as a true son eon to me as a loyal loving brother to miriam heaven bless youl and mrs airs porter seized the hand of her visitor kissed it fervently and bedewed it with her tears A vast tragedy hovered about that humble bumble little cottage in an upper room miriam porter was wearing her young life away amid dark grief and her mother shared that misery norman harle earlo had bad sacrificed hla his all to help them boar their bur dons john porter tho the father of the household was a bluff honest but quick tempered man six months previously lie ho had become enraged at an insult from his neighbor rufus dawes a qua quarrelsome shiftless follow fellow dawes had seized a loose fence paling to assault porter to defend himself the latter had struck dawes with a heavy cudgel he be hold held in his bis hand dawes had staggered away blooding bleeding from a wound on his head an hour later he ha was found lying insensible by the side of a shed a shotgun by his bla side there had been an arrest and a trial dawes recovered his senses but not his reason lie he was sent to an asylum and porter arraigned on the criminal charge of deadly assault assaul was sentenced to ton ten years in the states prison earle was paying attention to mir lam at the time it was ho he who undertook the defence of porter the latter admitted that he had bad struck dawes but claimed self defense no one had witnessed the quarrel when the case was ended earle found that he had neglected his regular practice and the cost of an un successful appeal to a higher court used up about all the capital he had I 1 I 1 tt chattered away about her papa he did not press his suit with miriam under the circumstances but ho he loved i her more than ever from hla his sympathy interest and contact with the i family during their sore troubles 1 I have discovered some borne new evidence he now said to mrs porter it cannot bo be introduced in court but it certainly casts a new phase on the injury dawes sustained what Is it pressed mrs airs porter suspense tully fully 1 I have found a man a traveling tinker who was passing by the dawes place tho the day of the quarrel ho he says ho he saw dawes climb up to a shed on the roof of which rested his shotgun that was after mr porter had bad struck him and the halt half intoxicated man evidently was not seriously injured hy the he blow tt df the club in a revengeful mood he was after the gun to return and m reak his bis hatred on your husband the tinker saw him fall from the tha roof gun and all that tall fall I 1 am convinced brought about hla his loss of reason and not the blow given him by mr air porter oil oh I 1 it if you can only provo that uttered fluttered mrs airs porter 1 I am going to try to explained earlo earle to the governor of the state I 1 am going at once to seek a pardon tor for him the state capital was less than fifty miles from four hours later earlo earle boarded an electric car to mako make a quick run tor for his destination ile he was so immersed in the burden on his mind that he only casually noticed that there were only two other passengers one was a fine looking dignified gentleman smoking a cigar on the front platform and conversing with the motorman the other was a little littie girl of about who occupied ono whole side beat of the car she evidently was waa the daughter of tho the pas outside As earie entered the car the doll the little litile maid carried tell fell teal her grasp lie ho restored it to her bor with a pleasant emile and she chattered away about her papa outside and how they had bad a train and had to tako take tho the trolley line and how she che had four other dolls at homo home and two sisters bisters S suddenly a tough rough lork erk of the car caused cause dEarlo earle to glance quickly ahead and then leap to hla his feet feat gumpl Jur he heard beard the motorman motor mao fairly scream As aa the man spoke lie he gave the brake a violent pull fairly pushed the passenger beside him clear tree free ol of tho the car and followed him into the ditch at tho the side of tho the ralls no no my child shouted tho the passenger but vainly tho the conductor had also left the car R earlo arlo with horror saw that just entering a curve not flety feet ahead a great mass of rock had fallen from an overhanging ledge quick ho he cried seizing the little child and speeding to the rear plat form with her in hla his arms ile ho strove to save her from injury in that wild leap and did no BO but at tho the cost of a bruised and sprained arm ile ho carried her back to where her father lay insensible lingered about the spot until a relief wagon arrived and walked ahead of tho the wreck to got on an his way TUB the motorman told him that tho the father of tho the child was only stunned and that tho the little one was waa tolling telling everybody of tho the bravo man who had saved her life it was about eight in tho the evening when earle ascended the stops of the governors gover norB mansion the servant was explaining to him that his excellency had received a iad shaking up that day and would see aeo visitors only at tho the capitol ahen a prettily dressed little girl crossed the hall she paused and ran towards earlo earle and seized his bis hand oh papal she cried excitedly come come quick ill what Is it my child inquired InquIre 4 a man emerging from a room near by the man who saved me oh papa its bluml 0 1 I could not find you when I 1 recovered my canses souses said the governor as he grasped gra earles carleu hand in a warm clasp 1 I left word to have you located that I 1 might thank you tor for your noble deed oh sir to you wo we owe tho tha life of little Eu eunicey nicel when norman earle left tho the governors mansion that night he ha carried the promise dt df a pardon tor for the father of the girl het he loved the wisdom of tho the kind hearted official was made manifest when later rufus dawes recovered and verified the story of tho the traveling tinker my more than herol berol sobbed miriam sheltered in earles arms tho the evening that her father was restored to the happy family cirol circle le a lifetimes devotion cannot express tho 0 lovo love I 1 feel tor for youl you copyright 1913 by W G chapman |