Show ALLEN GRA i I 1 40 w r on nsf the mystery points point zine ao camo came quite close to alwn aate aou ei ing in a cautious undertone that could not be heard a dozen paces away said go away mr gray go at once and never como come near me again if you value your lite life 1 I win will you go with me to the garoll he asked I 1 4 will you leave then III 41 1 I give five you on my sacred promise that I 1 will sai said dAllen alien earnestly lla ile took tho the orni arin ol of the inq pirl girl within Us his own and in silence they walked to the gate hero they halted both casting anxious glances fit at tho the great old ho bouso ll 11 90 which rose up so gloomily before them to the relief of both all was quiet and there was no one in the yard go go said bertha eagerly though speaking in a whisper her voice trembled with passion and fear it would bo be fatal for you ton to bo be discovered here it would be your ruin death she became choked cached with sobs and tor for a moment was silent bertha said allen alien his voice strangely calm 4 you aro are in great distress what is 13 oh do not ask she answered continuing con tinn to sob I leavenia leave mo to my misery and eternal doom I 1 am the most wretched etched of humans my fate Is sealed scaled and it is useless for others to attempt to aid me go away go away 11 but I 1 will not leave you alone in this distress what la Is itt ill tell me that I 1 may 1 I can not dare not tell bortha bertha you arc miserable berets A sob was the only answer let me tal talio a you away aw ayrom from this terrible place 11 no no no not for tho the world do not thial of that lean ican not leave I 1 am held acm hero by bands stronger than iron 11 how long have you lived herd not more than eight months though it seems an so 80 many ages another moments mcm cuis awful silence followed and then allen alien becoming desperate said 11 bertha I 1 would aid you it X could I 1 1 I would give my life it if ne necessary cestary hush hush 11 she quickly interrupted a cizin hisari his am you know not what you say ani oh why dont you got go in heavens name aud and lot us forget that wo we ever met I 1 I 1 lara lam doomed and why should you wish to dra drag both yours yourself and myself down to rum ruin I 1 and completely overcome she buried tier beautiful face in her hands dazed bewildered and confused cont used allea alien gray staggered btag g arelland md caught rt at tho the wall for support W what hajwas was ho he to do how could he bo remove the burden from this object of his affections 1 lie Be beseemed seemed to realize that she was lost lost to him forever A voice at this moment in the direction of the tho great old house caused both to start and the beautiful girl ii abin seizing his arm arin in a gra grasp sp that trembled in a led whisper said go co at once before it is too late go go or wo we will both bo be undone I 1 nimbly as nn an acrobat oc robat allen alien leaped aitio MI wall and with his bis brain in a whirls whirl and a thousand ri MI u tb swaying his bis heart I 1 returned to tho the vita village c the mystery surrounding tho the old stan itono house and its inmates scarred every moment crowing erv iving more complicated allen alien gray tad prided himself on hing h ing a great deal of insight into human charac wr und and that ho he could read people as open pages and hero was ono who famed all his its skill abo was bier bertha that her iier lace a and ri d her name anglo saxon axon but her education and mah laah ners french I 1 abat hat sho she saoko tho the lang taso tago fluently nd jid might bo be mist mistaken aAen tor for a nativo native frenchwoman ho he did not doubt set et when conversing in english there sac lias not even tho the slightest forc gane accent cent on tier her tsuguo sho she we was as n clisma and tho the more ho he strove to sol salvo vo the problem em tho the more difficult it became ot of solution tiou another sleepless bigit nig it another light breakfast und and again at his afflec with a heavy heart and aching head ila iio was vas struggling manfully to fix his mind upon tho the Lus mess before him when the door softly y opened and a farmer entered yer tho the wit editor tor aint yep he be asked 11 yes sir well I 1 fetched yo ye a little piece about our neighborhood fur yo to print in jour paper ef E yo ye use it I 1 think I 1 km kin git yo somo some signers out our way 1 where do you 11 down on billys crick answered tho the larmer farmer ue he was an unpretentious author wearing his pants in his thick cowhide con hide boots was in his shirt sleeves and wore a soft broad brimmed hat on his head his galusca were lome homo made and he hall had an all the peculiar characteristics of a denizen of billys creek allen too took ae tho roll ot of and after much rp arit THE EDITOR AI AIST ift tel trouble unrolled unroll ail and smoothed it 11 out so cc it t could bo be read an amateur manuscript may usually bo recognized by being rolled so tightly that fiat tho the editors pati cuco is 13 exhaust exhausted hausted cd before ho he can get it in shapo shape to read frequently the manuscript is rejected without being read tor for this very reason the manuscript contained only a few news stems items as follows mil 1111 seen tiny thine from rum dallys ys crick lately I 1 that I 1 would rito a tu lu lines fur yu times are good hero crops Is splendid an farmers acost dun corn tool tom briggs brigga fell ell and broko broke his bit arm last bunett jim jones tuk nat mat slivers to bootin last week wo we hivo have in cetin agal again n at tho the school house bouse sam herrin was feord e cussin the other day bekasi tomo bollor had bad his ox yoke sam bad better barlo bade back tho the corn knife lie bo barred frum from mo me last year when I 1 ai a homo home alad a danco dan c 0 last week at uart house bouse sol smith was there be was BO tall bo bis head aln the list sl hod so much corn juice he BO made abo floor bracic st sl ix Is a 9 t 1 who wrote this ibis III 1 asked allen alien edid 1 idid I did wont it dot I 1 guess so 50 it if it is not so personal as to give to any one ty oil no no its just all a joke bolto OIL aro are you a subscriber for the daperl no how much Is it if if put that piece la in I 1 believe ill sign tur fur it it is ono one dollar and fifty cents per par au num rin but how horr much is it fur a year yearl Is one dollar doll r and ad fifty cents tho ilia citizen from billys creek had only fifty cents but bat he ha promised to bring in the balance next timo time ho he dime came and it a country editor very verv seldom refuses bredt especially ally when ho he gets ono one thiril third cash tho the countryman was gone and allen alien was striving by toil tell to drive away the sweet sad imago image of that beautiful face which had made such a wonderful impression on him whoa when the door opened and this time limo it was tho the ambitious politician tom simmons kimmons who IN h 0 entered no thundercloud thunder cloud was ever darker than simmons Bimi countenance EC seated mr simmons Sit said the editor calmly and politely ko sir air I 1 dont want to set do down growled the politician nervously lingering fingering sono somo stereotyped advertising plates that lay on oa a table near very well knowing that a storm was caming allen alien determined to meet it boldly end co continued n writing away at his desk A theros theres so methin I 1 want to say to you said the politicians politician in a voice som somewhat wh L at husky 11 what is itar simmons I 1 he did not look up but spoke in a manner as imperturbable as it if howaro hofere discussing some gomo ordinary matters and aal knew nothing of the swelling volcano at ills his back ile iio was coolness itself there was not tho the slightest quiver in his voice the total indifference of tho the editor was somewhat embarrassing to the angry politician pol ItI clan mr sin Sima ions cleared his throat and bracing his nerves for tho the terrible torri blo ordeal lu in a voice still more husky said im now that you are me 1 then you dont believe what I 1 say on the matter IL I X ko L or I 1 dont allen alien retained his temper and as a coolly as if lie he was merely taking kini down items of news continued to write ue be was very busy after a few moments ho he aad so you accuse mo me of 0 treachery I 1 yes I 1 do you promised moto me to standby stand by mo 10 for the alio le Isla tur and the minnit rm im away from alerc there comes that in ferna crua stron strong and you are a conniving con nivin an con nivin nn an no ono one knows what in the wet ld yer up to only I 1 know yer settin up some som kind or 0 a job on mo me yer off ou on me an I 1 know it tho the editor nado made no answer but wrote steadily ly on u artil he had bad ini Unish shed cd and then coolly drossc pressed 1 l aa till 3 blotter b upon his paper taking up tho the doc document amenthe he had just written ho 11 read 11 1 I thomas simmons hereby a aceto become a candidate for tho the emco omco of representative senta tive tivo of this county in tho the next genera Acm 11 bly for the state ot of Ms missouri at the ct caming ming election and hereby declare tu that I 1 will bo be a candidate for tia no other office at said election at which time the editor of 0 tho the J pil itic by aid of 0 his hi paper shall dilport me as is a candidate for said office and should alien gray the said editor rao me end and I 1 fil or refuse to ru run it I 1 hereby agree to forfeit and pay to said gray tho the sum of ono one thousand dollars and in of this agreement should the said gray tail fail and refuse to give mo me hit his aid and sur su rort at thi the time lime and in a tho the manver adries lie he forfeit end and is u to pay to myself thoma sim Sims simonn rat nn nf the just and truo true sum sua of one on thousand dollars in case of either cither forfeiture above stated it is agreed b the signers hereto tua that the amidst nt so GO may be sued upon and out olt ot of our goods and chattels chattel in any court of 0 law lava in this tau state haying having jurisa diction over the sam lu lit witness of w which ich walla we have hereunto detour set our hands handi ano seats seal is thip thi was a ver vcr lega lea looking doc decumen umen to dimmic us aua filled bis sou sol with wilb dolit delight 11 once have it executed an ana a he be woud have his onea stron oo on the hip hin ui ile was ven to sign sl n it at once but ar A lea instated insi bcd on it excel teu tea if ic dul di U i cater si 21 d 11 hext ter tins this tta a dore aua and be had a cc py in lis pocket ho he was consia eroLl relieved I 1 at a on satisfied now sir mr simmons I 1 I es 1 ell I 1 am very busy good morning ammons left tho the office CHAPTER S X A 09 VISIT 41 bayou bo you the edit crill crl it was a faced little old man with a frosty leard on his chin end and weak water eyes who looked anat in at the doot of 0 hi sane bane turn tum his dross dress was the home boine spur spun of a tanner farmer and his hat brim was up on one side S yes yas sir I 1 am allen alien answered 6 my gal scratched off this little piece and 1 I thought as nay may bo be like it the little old man timidly entered tho the office and handed tho editor a neail folded bit ot of paper allen alien was MM andee to not no find it rolled unfolding iw found written in a plain legible hand some news new items of tho the neighbor neigh boi hood tho the article is very good sir I 1 will use it dy dye a think that pal gal id ida n write I 1 tho the old man ciau asked somewhat anxiously yes sir air sho she licks cultivation but she will acquire that the old man laan smiled and said sho she aint got no larnin to mount to any thing but sho she likes well an studios hard to git bit her piece picco right ut lf yo ye abi think n k shed ever make bake a writer id send that ur gal to saulo she has good strong common sense liar her article shows it how old is she I 1 11 only foul fousteen teen 11 6 so young and yet do liar her work so well I 1 if she 11 has proper cultivation anti and perse persever vcr ance site she may mico m ico her bar mark in ia tho the world do you take tho the paper oh yes I 1 subscribed when yo first commenced it tell byoir daughter that I 1 will wil away always 4 be glad to have any tiling thing front roni her pen else an aa a soon as I 1 am able to d do 0 so will pa her for or her contributions much cible agod to yc ya mr editor ill tell her anti and karahal Ka Sa rahil be right down glad to know it rut m ashes might ili sot on oil IV whitin bitin said theold the old man a as s lit in left the obi e f thordis true genius in a log ing cabin said allen alien f acing at tho mat lu script 4 there is modesty associated wit with hit it a contrast between the modest littlon country cirl and tho the ambitious miss hopkins or toney barnes bior liar there is a bright future Iii turo for anem t iem nothing but envy jealousy and grumbling at hardhearted hard hearted editors cut but who wad would havo have thought thou slit that so many midy pro peo P plo turning their attention to filera luro lure and journalism I 1 supposed ell these to bo be avocations avocation which were demanding followers but instead the p professions IV sessions fes aro are ove overcrowded r it seems as it if tho the whole wor world ill was going into literature people living in tho the most moat i 3 emote parts of tho the earth to have caught the inspiration to write toney barnes at this moment entered with tho the freedom of a popular author whose services were indal indispensable spen sable to his publisher and t throwing himself L carelessly arc lessly 04 9 a chair bald 41 well SWell mr gray ive got something g grand this time it beats poe raven it famo fame and fortuno fortune are within div your grasp ther thant till well ive got it tho the great success of poes raven was that nobody could ever understand der stand st now ivo got something hero here that cant bo be half so well understood as the raven allen alien had read several of his productions that were superior to the raven on those grounds in ia fact all of mr barnes barncs poetic ef fusions were difficult of solution just let me read this to you said toney I 1 am very busy leave it 11 no no no its not lono long s and I 1 will read fast go ahead then toney read once in a deep dark lonely swamp await ing all alone while the dew 0 of even lamp damp lay upon tse the tone 11 did the dew lay only upon tho the stones the editor asked 11 oh ob no wait and you will sea how it all comes out and he continued the night was wa dark the th bun was down ano ana all around me m rose T ten e n thousand fancied gobbles bold T ton en thousand mortal foes oca alone I 1 searched the forest oer alone I 1 searched search ed the forest wild when suddenly I 1 heard a cry proceeding irom from some omo wandering child ro hours houri I 1 searched vainly ainaly on for hour I 1 searched le he forest houna abon a horrid ghost aro arose bleeding from rom bit ground its iti bead vaa cycles hair on fire blood from the soc sets down on till this glomd thing I 1 cast a glance and aad then fel senseless to tho the around rohnl Cro rou und nl vow now sir cried toney triumphantly can you tell me in that poem no sir I 1 give it up nor do I 1 think theres a man living that can alien un hesitatingly answered that speaks well for it said a wild ecstatic laush laugh this poem poca ifil pvc give in me c wealth and almo now how much will you ave mi me tor for itt 11 at present I 1 do not feel ablo able to buy it ob you night make a lit big profit proffit on an it Y yc ca but I 1 an am not able to purchase it 11 jhc dc you think could I 1 the th t harpe rs might 11 send it to them bythe by tho very verv next mail a d toney quite enthusiastically ay iy AI allen CD never knew what the tato fate of this weird u unnatural driever poem was though lie has bar been a constant reader of harpers periodicals from that |