The evening world. Newspaper, October 2, 1914, Page 23

Penge oe Ne Raat: The Evening “World “Daily eveccecoeooces OLD IRON AND BONES $ LAHOM. The Story of a Little “Mountain Country” Girl Whe Wanted to, Become “Civilized” Mehr agazine. “Wetday, October t By Robert Minor|¥ Coppright, 1614, by The Press Pudtishing Ce, (The New York Evening World.) {A TALE of RED ROSES iN) By George Randolph Chester _ aed tetas Wo cadTo You Get i tor 6 cop (Covenant, 1918, by Bobbe-Merill Oe.) ‘ »PENOPHS OF PRECEDING OMAPTERS, Witteck, an outlaw in the southwest, sates the lives of a settler Giedware and Mtter’s heard: “Test lot me cay « word to the Missoe. “Boys, don't you @ reasonable explanation?” ented othera, “let's hear Some of them did, evidently, for Grim resolution on their faces « “Fast as you please—I've never been left behind, yet!” ‘They galloped on in silence, La- homa slightly holding back. Night ! te | om ch ata Labeme., — rapidly drew on. las pol ee ened; others, however, were | mai ft ciel, Red Pathe, tia brine to Willock's ‘meus. CHAPTER Xiil. patience, 41d not advance. It was & 4 astern voice was raised: - im tle st ores rg hfe Together single figure that swept up the steps Brick Willock do bis own hee See . unobstructed, aided, indeed, by the Bin Atkins knows where hi te } Seine tet bee EFORE them the trail, beaten mass of packed men in the street—® out—and we got to know. orld eal) be granted, ber ae beat | and rutted, stretched inter- figure alight and erect, tingling with started in to be a law-abiding } oe as ton. finaly minadly, losing iteelf in the the necessity of action to which every and that there warrant against "OR this, ‘Wet only ‘Wiktres ceatl SB} darkness before it slipped vein and muscle responded, tingling jock has got the right of way.” cites’ Bio Visite os cote mm Dimeelf fall over the rounded margin of eo vitally, @o electrically, that the «15 there nothing I can say to % eer with ber, Hing that he loves her, the world. As darkness incressed crowd also tingied, not understanding, your hearts? Has a of soy amas, ter, ween be oS the trail gsamed to waver before their the lege thrilled. oneal olreumetancen, i tea Gor tes but seme pearl and onyx pin been lost on \ fae hes ome st aod ts bering 0708 like @ gray scart that the wind “Lahomal” Wiifred was at ber 14% Coujan't you understand, after Cee ett g rues party the howe of g stira on the ground. Are you Western men, and yet : quitne smetiine, ‘arm be is ber =n @ wide detour they had endeav- t ‘ Kien, Oa tee ven tee te the oe to feel the worth af a Western Magnan Lahems mest Wilfred. ored to escape detection from the breathlessly, her face flaming with 6X- jik prick? How he clothed me he stage station, but sheltered by no ap- eitement. “I'm going to talk to thes® ghottoreg me when’ the man wie CH. preciable inequalities of land, and de- people—let me have that”—— She gi oud nave supported the child left APTER XII. nied the refuge that even a emall took the revolver from his unresist- 1°00 Gave hubpotls i “| be > re (Continued.) grove might have furnished, they had, ing hand, uncocked it, and alipped It poet ng aa oes we ge! ‘ \ Like Lovers as tt were, boen held up to view on {nto her bosom, ‘Then she faced the (Vent me and was always tenden s the prairie; and though so far away, mob and held up her empty hand. OS Ter a you think Be OW 4id you know?” he their horses had been as distinctly could kill! I don't know whether” . 66 H returned, pleased and : thrilled by her glowing y brown hair, her eloquent eyes, her warm-tinted cheeks, her form, rect as of yore, ‘iit not #0 thin—as pleased and thrilled if al) these belonged to him. “How aia you know me?” he repeated, look- “fH and looking, as if he would never she able to believe that she had turned Tout’ be’ miich better than he had ever <Sr¢amed she would. **"Oh,” said Lahoma, “when I looked tiit your face I saw myself as @ girl “sitting under the cedar trees in the cove with Brick and Bill.” “Just you three?” demanded Wil- feed wistfully—also amilingly. “Oho!” exclaimed Lahoma, showing her perfect little teeth as if about to bise, im a way that filed him with “fearful Joy, “and 80 they showed you that letter!” * “Just you three?” repeated Wilfred. “Gust reom enough in the cove for yee—and Brick—and Bill?” “Listen te me, Wilfred, and I will @ the talking.” « SWeir’ Ine lowered her voice to a whis- per—"Lean your head closer.” She whispered in his ear, “Red Kim- ‘Dall came on this train—there he {s— ee hasn't seen me yet—was in another conch.” “Wer bo "@-b-h! He knows me, for he wae porter in our hotel. When he sees “Gs heTl know I've come home to warn (Brick. S-h-hi Then he'll try to keep ‘ie from doing it. Look—some of nis . ‘gens are speaking to him—they’ve been waiting here to meet him—they'l) @e with him, I expect. We'll all be in ‘Mev stage coach together!” ' “What do you want me to do to ‘em, Lahoma?” % “ET want you to pretend that you (Gn't know me—and they mustn't find veut your name is Compton, or they'll qPithx ier, Edgerton got word to you oF said the here. Be a stranger till RiGee sate in the cove.” J°"AN right. Goodby—but suppose I hadn't come?” + “Oh, I could have done without 10 asid Lahoma. “Or I think I cou! . » "Tou could never have done without vme!" Wilfred declared ‘seidedly. “7, can right now—" She drew “T'l get into the stage; don't were three stage coaches » at @ short distance from and Lahoma went (Sfawo platform, gwittly to the one bound for ber part ‘the country, Sho was the first to 7 ir; she was seated quietly in a s@orper when the two long seats that faced each other began filling up. The 7 aN Chabal gead were four men: one, tall, red-faced and red-baired, {two others of dark and lowering ‘Pages, who looked upon the former as Jeader, and the last, Wilfred 2, who had unobtrusively *( ‘deined himself to this remnant of Red \ ‘Kimball's gang. { ‘The stage, which was bullt after ) ‘she manner of the old-fashioned om- afforded no opportunity of js to and fro in the selection of 4 ponte, hence, when Red Kimball dis- @evered’ Lahoma's identity—the ex- moment of the discovery was Baa by bis violent start—she was @Afequarded from his approach by her proximity to a very large woman anked by a thin spinster. }TAt the first stopping place the pas- trooped into the stage office taurant for a hasty meal, Lahoma \ «Compton detached themselves tons from the rest and darted the stage barn, By means of handaome deposit they obtained the Gf two fast horses, Mounted on t these, they were soon clear of the ~—= outlined as two ants scurrying across a white page. ‘Wilfred reflected. “If Kimball when he came out of that restaurant, hap- pened to look in this direction, he must have seen us; and the first in- quiry at the barn would inform him who are on the horses.” But he eald nothing unt, from the rear, came the gound long-dreaded, telling, though far away, of bounding horses and groaning wheels. “Lahoma!" “Yes—I hear them.” “My horse ts about used up. We'll have side-trall or they'll ride us down.” “I could go on,” Lahoma answered, as she drew hard on the bit, “but I| wouldn't like to leave you here by yourself.” “You couldn't travel that distance by yourself. And, good as your horse | ia, it wouldn't las! But thank you for thinking of me,” he added, emil- ing in the darkness, as he dismounted. “Let me lead your horse as well as my own.” “No,” sald Lahoma, “if leading is to be done, I'll do my part.” She leaped lightly to the ground and eeised her bridle. Side by side they slowly ven- tured from the trail into the invisible country on the left. They found themselves treading short dead mes- quite that did Rot greatly obstruct thelr progress, The stage was rapidly coming up abreast of them, and Wilfred felt her grasp tighten. There was a flash of lights, a glimpse of the driver's face as of creased leather as he raised his whip above his head—then noise and cloud of dust passed on and the lights became trailing sparks that in a min- ute or two the wind seemed to blow out. The wind increased in fury. For- tunately, it was at their back. Wil- fred pressed forward on foot, leading Lahoma’s horse, and, partly on ac- count of awkward reserve, no more was said for @ long time. Then came @ gust of sleet. The sleet changed rapidly firat to snow, then to rain— then hail, enow and rain alternated, or descended simultaneously, always driven with cruel force by the relent- leas wind. At last Lahoma shouted, “It's a regular norther! How're you getting along, Wilfrea?” Despite their discomfort, his heart leaped ‘at thig unexpected note of comradeship. ‘fad she already for- given him for not loving Annabel? “Oh, Lahom: he cried, with sudden what will become of your” She returned gravely, become of Brick? Northers are bad, but not so bad as some men—Red “What will Kimball, for instance.” A terrific blast shook the half-frosen overcoat about her shoulders as if to snatch it away. “Don't you wish the Indians bullt their villages close to the trail? Ugh! Hadn't we better burrow a storm cellar in the sand? TI feel aw- fully high up in the alr.” “This miserable beast won't move a foot, Come and hold him, Lahoma, while I examine in front, to find out wh scared him.” “All right. Where are you? you find my hand?" “Can't I!" retorted Wilfre’, ing it in a tight grasp. “Gracious, how wet w. arel” she “and blown about. And Can clasp- “It'a time now, Lahoma, time for you to be somebody's sweetheart.” “Oh, how trembly this boree is!” “But, Lahoma!” “Well, what ts it?” “I just wanted to say your name. He started away. “It sounds good te me." “Yes, it stands for Oklahoma.” “It stands for much more than that!” he called. “Yes,” abe persisted in misunder- standing bim, “something big and grand.” “Not so big,” he oried, now at some distance, “but what there's room for more than Brick and Bill in the gove!” If she spevered the wind drowned an obejct which on examination Proved to be a human Lody, a gaping wound in bis breast. “Found anything her voice shivering. He rose quickly and almost stum- bled over another object. It was a second body, stiffened in death. "I'll be there in a minute,” he called his voice grave and steady. After a brief pause he added—"I've found one of the horses—it's dead.” “Oh, oh!" exclaimed. “They've ied Lahoma, driven {t to death.” Wilfred had found a bullet hole be- hind its ear, but he said nothing. Suddenly the horse held by Lahoma gave a plunge, broke away and went galloping back over the trail they had cry traversed, pursued by Lahoma’ of dismay. “I couldn't hold him, gasped. ‘He lifted me clear off the ground.” Wilfred was also dismayed, but he preserved an accent of calm as he felt his way toward her, uttering en- couragement for which their condition offered no foundation. But his forced cheerfulness suddenly changed to real congratulation when his extended hand struck against an upright wheel. “Lahoma, here's the stage coach. It’s standing just as we saw it last, except for the horses.” “The stage coach!" she marvelled, coming toward him. “Oh, Wilfred, I see now, What's happeped, One of the horses dropped dead, apd Red .Kim- ball and his men, jumped on tHe other three, © * © But I wonder what became of the driver?” “Get inside!” he ordered. “Thank God, we've found something that we can get inside of, That'll shelter us till morning, anyway, and then we can determine what's to be done.” Once in the coach, they were safe from the wind, which howled above and around them, rattling the small windows and making the springs ¢reak. There was no help for the dis- comfort of soaking garments, but Wil- fred lighted a reserve lantern and placed it in @ corner, while thick leather cushions and stage blankets dffered some prospect of rest. Armed and watchful, Wilfred wait- ed through the hours while Lahoma slept. When no longer able to bear the uncertainty, he crept from the stage with the lantern, and examined the recent scene of a furious strug- gle. There were only two slain—the driver and one of Red Kimball companions. Either Kimball and his other comrade had escaped, or had been captured, If any of th: attack- ing party had fallen, the bodies had been borne away. Blood stains indi- cated that more than two had been shot. From that ghastly sight it was &@ relief to find himself once more inclosed by the coach wal with Lahoma so peacefully sleeping. Once he fell into @ doze from which he was startled by the Impression that soft noises, not of wind or rain, were creeping over the earth, He sat erect with the confused fancy that wolv slinking among the wheels, were glaring up at the win- dows, were dragging away the corpses, The sudden movement of hia hand as it grasped his pistol awoke Laboma. her eyes wide, but did bgt cheek from the arm that aleng the evshica, “Share you i _ are,” she said, “just as I was dream- ing.” He pretended not to be uneasy, but hia ears strained to catch the mean- ing of those mysterious movements of the night. Her voice cut across the vague murmur of the open plain: “You only came to see me once!” Although her eyes were w' she was apparently but half awake; not & muscle moved as she looked into his face. “I thought,” she murmured, “it was on account of Annabel.” “I went away because I loved you,” he answered softly. “I promised Brick I'd go if I felt myself caring— and nobody could help caring for you. That's why I left the country. Just as soon as we laughed together—it happened. That's why I didn’t come again.” “Yes,” sighed Lahoma, as if it was not so hard to understand now. “And that's why I've come back, he added. “Because I've kept on lov- ing you.” “Yes,” she sighed again. She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep. Perhaps it was a sort of knowing sleep that lost most of the world but clung tenaciously to a few ideas, The noises of the night died away. Pres- ently he heard her murmur as a little amile crept about the parted lips, “The cove's pretty big * © © there's more room than I thought.” ‘When she was wide awake again daylight had slipped through the win- dows, “Oh, Wilfred!” she exclaimed, alting suddenly erect and putting her hands to her head mechanically, “Is —are we all right?” “All right,” said the young man cheerily, ‘There's a good deal of snow on the ground, but it was blown off the trail for the most part. Some friends have provided us with the means of going forward.” “But I don't understand.” “We'll finish the sandwiches and melt some snow for water, and then mount. Look—see those two Indian ponies fastened to the tongue of the etage? They'll carry us to the next station like the wind.” She stared from the window, be- wildered, “I don't know any more about them than you,” he answered her though “But there they are and here wo ar He said nothing about the bodies evi- dently curried away by those who had brought the ponies. all a mys- tery—a mystery of the plains, I haven't unravelled the very first thread of it. What's the use? The Western way 1s to take what comes, isn’t it, whether northers or ponies? There's much bigger mystery than all that filling my mind.” “What is that?” “You.” Bhe bent over the sandwich with helghtened color. “Poor Brick!” al murmured as if to divert hin thoughts, But his sympathy just then was not for Brick. “Lahoma, you sald that this is a subject a man should bring up.” She looked at him brightly, flushing. “Well?” “I'm bringing It up, Lahoma.” “But we must be planning to save Briok from arr “I'm hoping we'll get home in time— note that 1 say home, Lahoma. I refer to the cove, I'm hoping we'll reach home in time to forestall Red ttl owner Kimball. We've lost a great deal of time, but Brick doubtless is safely hiding. And when we get to tho Journey's end—Lahoma, do you know “A marriage.” “I thought that meant.” “Will you marry me at the jour- ney's end?” Lahoma turned very red and laid down the sandwich. Then she was what you laughed. Then she started up. “Let's get on the ponies!" she cried. CHAPTER XIV. Journey’s End. HE snow, that morning, lay in drifts from five to eight inches across the trail, and to the height of several feet up against those rock walls raising, as on vast artificial tables, the higher stretches of the Kiowa country. But by noon the plain was searcely strewn with white, and when the sun set there was nothing to suggest that a snowflake had ever fallen in that sand-strewn world. When the rude cabins and hasty tents of the last stage station in Greer County showed dark and white against the horizon of a spring-like morning, Wilfred cried exultantly: “The end of the journey! And Lahoma, suddenly showing in her cheeks all the roses that had opened in her dreams, repeated gayly, yet a little brokenly: “The end of the journey The end of the journey meant @ wedding. The plains blossom with endless flower gardens and the moun- tains sing together when the end of the journey means a wedding. Leaving Lahoma at the small new hotel from whose boards the sun be- gan boiling out resin as soon as it was well aloft Wilfred hurried after & fresh horse to carry him at once to the cove, ten miles away, Warning must be given to Brick Willock first of all. Lahoma even had a wild hope that Brick might devise some means whereby he could attend the wedding without danger of arrest, but to Wil- fred this seemed impossible, He had gone but a few steps from the hotel when he came face to face with his old fellow cowboy, Mizzoo, now Bherift of Greer County. Cutting short his old friend's outburst of pleasure: “Look here, Mizzoo." sald Wilfred, drawing him aside from the curious throng on the sidewalk, “have you got @ warrant against Brick Willock?’ Mizzoo tapped his breast. “Here! he said; “know where he ts?” Wilfred sighed with = relle any rate you don't,” he cried, “No—'rat him! Where're you going, Bill “I want a horse “No use riding over to the co remarked his friend, with a grin. “That is, unless you want to call on some friends of mine—deputies; they're living in the dugout, Just lay- ing for Brick to show himself. “Lut, Mizzoo!" expostulated Wil fred, “why are you taking so much trouble against my best friend? The warrant ought to be enough; and if you can't get a chance to serve it on “At him, that’s net your fault, Your dep- heretofore, A reasoning voles was “Teer poten Sak cogent” itt * uties haven't any right in that cove, and I'm going to smoke ‘em out. As for Red Kimball"—— “I wouldn't say nothing agelost Red, old top, it ain't gentiemanty to call dead. folk lia “Dead folk!" echoed Wilfred, start- ing up. “Yos, he's dead, Wasn't it enough in the past for Brick Willock to Bill Ked's brother, but what he must needs collect his pals, stop the stage coach, shoot two men trying to get Red, and one of ‘em the innocent driver? You say, yes. But hold on, that ain't all he done. No, sir, The very next day after Red swore out that warrant—and It vas yesterday, if you ask me—what is saw, when we men of Mangum comes out of our doors? Three corpses lying on the sidewalk, side by side, You say, what corpses? Walt. I'm coming to that. One was that driver; one was the pard that got shot with the driver. The other was Red Kimball his own self.” “I knew the bodies h ried away from the trail,” exclaimed Wilfred in perplexity. He related his discoveries of the stormy night. “But you didn't know they had been brung to town all this dir .noe to be laid beside Red. You didn't know Red had been stabbed so he could be added, teo. You didn't know the three of them had been left on the street to rile up every man with blood in his veins, Why, Wilfred, it's an insult to the whole State of Texas. Such high-handed doings ain't to be bore. If Brick Willock don't want to be tried in court, ts that an excuse for killing off all that might witness against him.” Wilfred elaborated, for Mizsoo's benefit, hia theory of an Indian & tack, described Brick’s peaceable dée- position, his gentleness to Lahoma— then dwelt on the friendship between himself and Brick and the relations between himself and Brick’s ward, Miszoo grinned good naturedly, “Yap, Well, we've got a clue locked up in jail right now that could tell us something, I judge, and will tell us something before set free; it's name Till Atkins, and it refuses to say @ word about where Brick Willock in,” Wilfred, followed by Mizzoo, hur- ried to the Jail for a word with At- kins, The street in front of the jail was jammed with am angry crowd. Mizzoo whispered to Wilfred, “We'd better get in as quick as possible.” The words were lost in the increas- ing roar of voices. He spoke int “When I swing open the door that dunch will try to make a run for It, You jump inaide and I'll be after you like a shot * © * We'll lock our- selves in” “Hey, Mizzoo!" shouted a voice from the crowd, “bring out that old cuss, Drag him to the platform, we want to hear what he's got to sa: “Bay, Mr. Sheriff! Tell him if he won't come to us we'll go to him, We've got to know where Brick Wil- Jock's hiding, and that's all about it." re!” growled @ third, "What of a town ts this anyway? A refuge for highwaymea and mur- derers?” A struggle took place at the foot of the stairs, not eo good-naturedly as been car- CHAPTER XV. Facing the Mob. was the first time Lahoma had ever faced an audience larger than that composed of Brick and Bill Willoek. ‘The mob was awed by that ‘ner eyes, by the crimson in freahness i ft | ner ohe ks, by her beauty, jand grace. “['m a Western girl,” Lahoma sald at last, “and ever since Brick ‘Willock gave me a home when I had none, I've lived right over yonder at the foot of the mountains. I was there when the cattiomen came, before the Indians had given up this country; and Twas here when the first settlers movod in, ‘and when the soldiers drove them out. 1 was living in the cove with Brick ‘Willock when people came up from ‘Texas and planted miles and miles of wheat; and I used to play with the rusty ploughs and machinery they left scattered about—after the three years’ drought had starved them back to their homes. “Then Old Man Walker came to Red River, sent his cowboys to drive us out of the cove, and your “iff led the bunch. And it was Brick and my- elt that etood them off with our guns, our backs to the wall and our powder dry, and we never saw Mis- soo In our cove again. Bo you see, I ought to be able to talk to Western men in a way they can appreciate, ‘and if there’s anybody here that's not a Western man, he couldn't under- atand our style, anyhow, he'd better go where eded, for out West you need only Western men—iike Brick Willock, for instance.” Lahoma’s manner changed; it grew deeper and more forceful. “Men, I want to talk to you abar: this case—will you be the jury? Con- sider what kind of man swore out that warrant against Br’ k—the leader of @ band of highwaymen! And who's his chief witness? You don't know Mr, Gledware. I do, You've heard he's @ rich and influential citisen in the East. That's true. But I'm going to tell you something to show what he to-and what Brick Willock 1s; just one thing; that's all ri say about the character of either. As to Red Kimball, you don't have to be told. I'm not going to talk about the, general features of the case—as to whether Brick was ever @ highway- man or not; as to whether he killed Red's brother to save me and my stepfather, or did it in cold blood; as to whether he held up the stage or not, These things you've discussed; you've formed opinions about them. I want to tell you something you haven't heard. Will you listen?” At first no one spoke. Then from the crowd came a measured, impar- tlal voice: “We got lots of time.” Lahoma plunged into the midst of ber narrative. With no attempt at elocution, sh told Brick Willock’s story, beginning with hie finding of Gledware's wagon. She went on to sketch her own life with him, and, as climax, told of Red Kimball's deal with Gledware, From several of the intent listeners burst involuntary denunciations of Gledware, while on the faces of oth- ere showed a momentary gleam of horror. Red Kimball's confederate spoke loudly, harshly: “But who killed Red Kimball and his pard and the stage driver, if tt wasn't Brick Willock?” “I think it was Red Feather’s band. I'm witness to the fact that Kimball agreed to bring Mr. Gledware the pearl and onyx pin on condition that Mr. Gledware appear againet Brick. After Mr, Gledware deserted Red Flower, or, rather, after her death, Red Feather carried that pin about him; Mr, Gledware knew he'd never give it up alive: He was always afraid the Indian would find him— and at last he did find him, But Red Kimball got the pin—could that mean anything except that Kimball discov- ered the Indian's hiding place and killed him? But for that, I'd think it Red Feather who attacked the stage and killed Red Kimbell, As it ig 1 believe it must have been his friends.” Biull was told his hiding place oF not. But if I knew it, do you thinit I'd toll? And if Bill betrayed but Bill wouldn't do it. Thask Ged, ~ I've been raised with real men that know how to stand by other and be true to the You want Bill to turn traitor, I what kind of men are you?” She turned to: Wilfredy biied hot tears. y say. ao them!" she gasped, clin, arm, : . 4 “Go on,” murmured Wilfred couldn't reach ‘em, and you, point, that time. Go on—don’t ‘em @ chance to think.” 3 But I oan't—I've + 14 all thedléer say"— ae Don't stop, dear, for God's eakew the case is desperate! You'll dave, ¥: do It—for Bill.” “And that isn't all,” Lahoma cated in a broken pathetic voice, as she turned her pale face upon the curious — crowd. “That isn't all. You know Brick and Bil! have been all I all in this world. © * © You know — they couldn't have bee.. swester te me if they'd been the n---set of kia— they were more like women than mea, | somehow, when they spoke to me and =” eat with me in the dugout—eaé I~ guess I know a little outs moth ers love: because I've always fr Brick and Bill. But one day some. body elee came to the cove and—and* this somebody else, well—he—this somebody else wants to marry to-day. This was end of Journey,” she went on blindly, “and— | and it is our wedding day. I thought | there must be some way to get Brigk to the wedding, but you see how it lon And—and we'll have to marry with- out him. But Bill's here—in that jail” because he wouldn't betray Bis — friend. And I couldn't marry with- out either Brick or Bill, could I?” a She took her quivering hand Wiltred’s aturdy arm, and-m the top of the steps, held out; trembling arms appealingly; oe Men!—Gtve me Bilt!" The crowd was with her, #00, =. doubt of that. All Sercenegs tears here and there, bro hide deep emotion, open touched with tenderness,"I4 ¢ that: toofe df “chptwehney, voices cried,” “Give het ‘Bult her Bit* nei bas “Bring him out!” continved spokesman in stentorian tones..’ not ask him a question, clear a path for ‘em.” A broad lane was formed. the throng of smiling men sudden, unexpected light of woftened magically. v While Miszoo hastened t, cell some one exclaimed, “Invite Gy too. Make it a town wedding!” And another start the shout, “Hurrah for Lahoma’ Lahoma, who had*téken refuge behind Wilfred’s protection; wept and laughed in @ rosy apa ome Joy. Mizzoo presently reappeared, leav- ing the door wide open. He walked to the stairs, the wrinkles at the esr ~ ners of his eyes deep cut oe ciation of the situation. he called, ‘he says you carried in here, and dinged if you to carry him out, for not @ step Sill he take.” 2 At this unexpected development, «® burst of laughter swelled into a ross, After that mighty merriment, Bill was as safe as unteers pressed forward to carry wedding guest from his cell. when the old man slowly but pi K followed Wilfred and Lahoma to ‘ hotel where certain preparat were to be made—particularly touching Bill's personal ap) the town of Mangum began gat at the newly erected church they had been invited, z When the four triends—for Mi “ Joined then—drove up to the charet hs @oor in the only carriage avallatl Bill descended stiffly, his eyes ing tercely from under Sony if daring any one te! juestion about Brick. *