| Show The Red Lock LockA A Tale of the Flatwood By DAVID ANDERSON A hI by IRWIN IRWI Mm ryo Copyright br by The M Bobba-M Co CHAPTER 26 8 Search Se of the Languid Eye Eyes All through the long and terrible day following that tragic night the angels angels angels an an- gels of ot life and death wa waged ed their grim struggle In the parlor bedroom where here the hapless s sufferer writhed In the delirium delirium de- de that followed the shock of her wound Toward evening Aunt Eliza bellev lag ng with the others that the end was near beckoned the woodsman to the bedside It fairly y staggered him to see the frightful I t change the hours had wrought Under an Impulse of pity that hat he could not not resist he bent over the he bed c caught up up her hands and spoke her ler name name- She Instantly grew more quiet and turned her face toward his voice I The doctor was waa quick to notice this a and d at hi his hll direction Jack dropped on its his knees knees' by the bedside and began talking to her softly stroking her hands handl and wrists and face the while and a III as hel bei talked she aha grew calmer after hour bour the man knelt and crooned the story of their playmate days while the doctor plied hi his hll utmost art and the women lavished their care Late Lat that night she seemed to quiet away Into a light lIht sleep A smile struggled struggled led o out t upon the doctors doctor's grim features feat features ures urH and he be went out Into the yard for fora a moment of ot relaxation The woodsman woodsman woods woods- man laid the girls girl's hands hand down upon the covers rose to his feet stumbled out to the kitchen and dropped down on a chair by the cook stove Barely a minute after Aunt Liza sleepless and faithful tapped him on the shoulder ag ag In He sprang up and hurried to the sick s But Dut b before tore he reached the bedside her tossing had ceased and she he lay Jay back against the pillow still and white lie Ill caught up her hands they were were so cold It startled him At that moment the doctor came back In The Instant be he entered the room room the unusual stillness stillness stillness-or or l-or or the Instinct instinct In in- of at his profession must profession must have warned warned him that something was amiss for he hurried to the bedside and bent benl benta a keen look upon the patient Her lIer hans han's are like Ice the woodsman woods woods- man IDan faltered sinking fa fast t was the doctors doctor's answer as he made ready a powerful stimulant Rub her hands and wrists and temples rub temples rub toward the heart heart heart- and try to call her back with some more of ot that Black Dlack rock and WhisperIng Whisper Whisper- Ing spring talk And be quick with those hot cloths you women If It we can only keep breath In her for the the next hour hour t M The wood woodsman D an tolling with gray one and graven face was the first to notice the clamminess leaving leaving her hands and a faint 1 tinge of r color beginning to drive the chill out of at her fingers The doctor doctor doc- doc tor tot bent low over her noted the respiration ration took her pul pulse again got o a chance he muttered Keep on oa with that talk and rub her wrists and temples temples and am come on with more hot bot cloths the res rest of you ou i Nearly an hour had gone when the thi girls girl's lids fluttered apart and the bill bill- heat Hant eyes eyel strayed strafed open open weak weak haggard haggard hag hag- gard but n no no longer wild and aM vacant with delirium Slowly th the tha eyes traveled over the room a languid questioning In them searched the the- faces about her dwelt at last upon the face of the woods woods- manJack man t Jack Jack It It was only a whisper fluttering fluttering flut flut- out upon the labored breath but It was the sweetest sound his ears can had ever heard heard he he didn't kill kUl yu lie He dropped on one knee by the bedside bed III side de but dared not trust his voice olce wl witha with h ha a word Jack what Jack what Youve ben sick bad and bad and were we're were all t coax yu back well When yu yn git strong trong well we'll have ve a long talk talk talk- you and me but me-but but now wont won't yu try t go t sleep Wont Won't yu Yes she whispered like a trustIng trustIng trust trust- Ing fag child Im child Im so so tired tired One band hand stole across the covers cover and hunted his bis the long lashes lashe drooped over oler the languid eyes and sh she slipped away Dway to sleep sloop The others tiptoed tip toed from the room What she needs above everything muttered the doctor softly closing th the door door It sleep It will do h her r more good gooc goodright goodright right now than all the the world And there Jack crouched crouched himself himself bruised and worn worn- worn afraid afraid to move with her hands In his lest leat she start awake and so 80 lose one moment of at the rest Just then pre precious loul beyond tion Only a man of at his superb physical phy steal powers could have held the cramped uncomfortable pose so long Several times one of ot the women and once the doctor softly opened the thedoor thedoor thedoor door end and peeped In la out they as often closed It again and und left the man to his silent vigil 3 J a D By the nest day dl sh she Ibe was so 80 much better tt r that the doctor declared her herout herout herout out of danger time danger time alone being all an that hat was necessary to bring her well In the serene lerent evening the sun un peeped under the porch roof for one last lut look before reluctantly passing on to less lean Interesting scones scenes nes beyond the gates ates of ot the he west wet fell feU In la at the oJ open e parlor window crossed the t and Just missed the big old fashioned sofa ofa soft and cozy cosy with blankets where the woodsman wo man had carried the ctrl airl in his great grut arms the wonderful landscape of ot lawn and bottoms and winding river spreading before her The woodsman tin himself sat eat on a low tow footstool II at L her side The room had bad settled still From the kitchen came the loW drone of ot voices where Mrs hits Curry and I Aunt Liza Uza sat at by the cook stove A Aall AtaU I taU tail old clock In a corner of ot the parlor taller taller than the woodsman himself with a peasant man and maid on the theace face ace raking hay punctuated hay punctuated the silence si si- lence ence Into a sort sort- of drowsy rhythm The girl was waa so still that he ho thou thought ht she slept Glancing around at her he was amazed to see her eyes full tull of tears Vy what's W what's the matter matter f r Nothing Nothing l 1 tier Her lips quivered she he turned her hr face tace away and cried silently lie He picked up her hr hand attempted n a comforting com com- forting word The sprawled dead ure are In the old cabin cobin crossed his mind the the brother In whom she still belIeved believed be- be whose death she still mourned of ot whose degradation and deep dishonor dis- dis honor lonor she Bhe was Wal haply spared from ever knowing knowing and and the attempt failed She turned back to him after atter a time bru brushed bed away the tears and a n brave suggestion of or the smile that made her lIer eyes so 10 wonderful brightened them Aint It fist terrible fr tr me t cry like this when yure lure all s' s good to tome tomer me met mer l llie lie He hitched the footstool closer to the sofa ota It surprised him to feel a queer weakness In his ht brea breast t and a tightness lightness In his throat when he tried to speak Do yu think yure strong enough t talk talk some some a Wy I could git It up amot up A sudden thoughtfulness displaced I Ithe the smile Do yu u remember that letter yu Ju I give me me from Pap Simons las las' Sat- Sat urd The girl raised rallied her eyes T 1 be opened the day youre you're one ty-one Ive I've Ive I've wondered and wondered what was was In it itHe It He lIe looked down at the floor looked up again This Is II the dayNo day No I Im twenty one and tree and free he was about to say but didn't Is It possible Its It's only ben six days sence sence Bence- Six Sir days dal was his slow comment t s F 1 i s' s e. e 9 r rIt It Was the Biggest Word He Had Ever Said In His Life Dont seem like s' s much could happen hap bap- pen In six days hardly days hardly He lie fumbled tumbled In his blouse took out the letter In Its formidable envelope held It toward her She took It and glancing over It handed It back lie He tore It open and anddrew anddrew anddrew drew out Its Us contents Wide-eyed Wide they read rend It through through- a title deed in fee tee simple to the War War- hope homestead together with allstock all nil allstock stock and betterments and growing crops thi duly conveyed and executed executed exe exe- to Jack and folded Inside the de deed d a bank draft In his bis favor for tor ten thousand dollars The man stared at the girl the girl stared at Dt the man Im Pap lap Simon meant ant t do this all oil along he mused at last I can an see It now as I look back That's why he was s s' s good to me Meb Meb- be he be he hesitated why he lie had me bound me-bound- bound Pore tat father the father her 1 the I the girls girl's eyes ejes strayed away to where the silver sl contour contour con cnn tour of the river rimmed the bottoms bottoms- It was his his way way He lie let loose the deed leaving It In her hand She turned back bark from the silver rimmed bottoms and glanced It over again Wy Wr It was made out only last Friday Fri Fri- day day he he never It It but that was slipper lady day day and and s so he lie made It a abig abig big big day day after after all all aU- Very slowly with the tightness still at his throat the woodsman took out his pocketbook and laid a flattened ye yel yellow ellow el low orchid In n the girls girl's palmI palm I found it there re at the edge dge of It Med Met haul where you got on the house houseboat The Che i girl 1 fumbled the flattened blots bio bl soul som In her hand the color of In Ing health tingled Into her ber cheeks ek The one you found that day that day a she ahe tr stammered She lifted a tiny glance up to him from under her long lathes lashes let her eyes stray far out acro across l the bottoms bottom toward Alpine Island Po Pore Ken Kent I Hopkins met me up the road rod an l told me he be was sick Ick on the tha bout boat I I X didn't know Hopkins Hopkins th n. n I did did and and I Brickbat al ale ley ler That's why I rode after atter J yu yn the tha minute I got rot yur lur note Hopkins was 1911 a abad abad abad bad bad man bu weve we've already about him and what 0 of huff him All that money he I tuck I-tuck tuck away from mm at the parsonage the evening of ot the the funeral funeral and drove Ii out o o 0 Flatwoods Flat That That's why he went an and andall andall all 1111 that stuff tuff he told yu about Ken about Ken was as lies lIe Iv Ive I've got all that mone money hid and well we'll put It back In the safe ut as ns soon Boon as youre you're able t open olen It It The eyes eyE'S came back from the distant point where Alpine Island split the allver all IU ver rim of the bottoms I know now that what he he said was WI all alt lies Ues but I didn't then As Aa soon loon III as II asI asI I got on the boat I saw saw Ken Ken wasn't 1 there but Hopkins locked the door and wouldn't let me IDe off oft And such auch a 8 cabin n ns as that boat houseboat had had tight tight as aa a 8 Jail He lie made all the apologies a man could fr tr raisin false lalle hopes about about Ken Ken and told me hed he'd done It all aU fr ft my own on good Then he told me there was two men to rob the site safe that night and hed he'd brun me on the boat t V git mo coo out o 0 danger Sho Sha paused looked at the tIle man wont went nt onlie on lie He sold said he was i ln t git you ou t. t t thep hep Im lm and you'd both watch the house and after the danger dancer was 1911 over yo ld come and bring mo me home lie said laid one o the robbers would be Slim SUm Finger Inger Doolin the most mOlt dangerous pivot pta pta- tot tol ot fighter In the world I asked mm Im how e found It all out out not not knowin then hen that he was II Slim Finger but Doolin-but but he said IBid hed he'd rather tell ten ID mo all about It next nert day From that minute I was 1111 afeard of ot him though h he was as al polite and aDd respectful to m me ae as a. ase ase e could be short of lattin me goShe go 10 go She felt the eyes erel of the woodsman upon her He looked away and she went on From that minute minute J mistrusted he was one o the robbers robber though I 1 never DeTer let on and as II soon loon as U he was rolf gode I tried all I could t V git out outI I was wu afeard she afeard she looked down at the blanket blanket blanket blan blan- ket crumpled a corner of It hard In 10 her fingers you Angers you might chance t t thear thear hear em and I If yn yu did you'd loud fight and I was halt half wild fr fear tear they'd kill yu u Oh If It Fd rd only It was you rou that moved mond the boat I I- I Jack why didn't yu let me out out I I IThe The man stared starel at the floor and twisted his hla great hands till the knuckles turned white G Q d U dl dl I he groaned groaned If If I only had hadt I 1 But Dut I thought you'd be safest there It was wal the worst wont mistake I ever made In my life that life that e-that that and Hopkins preach Pap rap Simons Simon's funeral funeral but I didn't have havo no good proof on lul Im then them The girl glanced at his bowed form The tick of ot the tall old clock In the corner throbbed l loud ud on the silence through the open window came the call of or crows flying home i I It was a the he night the girt girl went on at last last thoughtful and slow 1011 b finly got rot out by a hole bole In the tha roof root with stove tove a leg leg- swum ashore and anti run home as 81 fast fast as I could Id I'd got ot In the yard when I saw laW you i a stain there by br th the winder Then come come that shot and I thought Slim Finger Finger Fin Fin- ger ger Doolin hod killed had killed yu u I dont don't know what happ happened ned after that after that After Arter that the man echoed hit voice low and brok all ben to coax the bravest and aDd most moot wonderful girl to In the world back t to life Life Lite I she site murmured as if it the word came new and strange to tier her after being so 0 fearfully close to death Oh I want so much t have It all back agIn aln agin- And yu shall have haw It back beck I I thaman theman the tha theman man crl cried catching the appeal In her voice Youve got It now Every breath brings the woods and hills hUl the tha sunshine and flowers jest that much nearer nearer wy wy youre you're as al good as al well this ery very minute The Tim smile mile In her eyes came aliva again stole out over her lier face and aDd brought back a heartening suggestion of the dimples By Dy some Intangible bridge all aU unseen of human eyes the smile found Its Ita way across to the mans man's grave and serious seri serl ous face kindled it like It like the glint of or morning upon the front of Black Dlack rock II Ht lie picked up her hand touched tb the tha faded orchid In her palmI palm I low yu aint froot tIe the day we weI we- we I found I-found found Itlie itlie It It- It lie He felt the twitch of ot her fingers I tried t ask ak yu t t promise promise me me- me that day day Im Im I'm askIn yu t t promise promise me now me-now- now It was the biggest word h he had ever said Mid In his life Much luch like a mars man who had committed a crime and awaited his sentence he raised his head bead ventured ven yen tuned a glance at the girl Irl Something ery very wonderful had come coma cometo cometo to her face lIke face like the birth of ot morning and oDd her ller eyes like star atar trails a trails a mar- mar marvelous elous transfiguration that only one thing In the world can bring lie He slipped from the footstool and knelt down by her side aide her |
