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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1922)
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND;' SUNDAY MORNING, ' DECEMBER 31, ' 1022: STORY BV MA&V ACTION M YSTERV SENrriMEWT i - erf"-- "" ..' WBBSaasjsjSS"- THE small house was drafty. . Air cur, 'rents moved the curtains at the wiv- dows and billowed the cheap rug on the floor. The baby bad had the croup; it -. had given her an excuse for being up, for , the roaring: kitchen fire, and-lights. Early in the evening she had sent over to the doctor's for "medicine. The drug store was closed, and a curious crowd had gathered In front of it. The doctor dis pensed his own ' prescriptions - and had sent back with the bottle a kindly note: '.'Pear Molly: If we Can do anything let us know. Would ? you like Ann to spend the night -with you 7"' j - -The 8 -year-old girl had v trotted back with ' a message that she thought she could manage nicely - The thought 'of Ann's prying eyes made her shudder; ' -- Then the quiet night had settled down on them. Some time after 11. moving about the room, she had glanced out of the window and had seen glowing in the darkness a lighted cigar. ' v She knew what tt meant. The house was being watched. . . . - i '. By 1 o'clock the baby "was breathing easier. A light snow was falling; frozen hard; it beat against the windowpartes with little sharp, cracklings. In the next room the 8-year-old glrr. was sound asleep, one arm thrown up over .her head. She went to the window and looked out again: the tnan across the street moved uneasily, hesitated, came over and : signaled her to raise the window. "How's the boy?" he called through the snow. She knew him then Cooper, one of the county detectives." :' "Better; the doctor's medicine has helped him." - - , He hesitated awkwardly. "You'd bet ter go to bed," he said at last. "There is no use of two of us, staying up. I guess he won't come back while I am hanging around." ' . . "No;" she replied, wearily, "he 'won't come back, Mr. Cooper. That was the last word he said," . . The - detective J coughed, cleared his throat, spat. ; ' . "..-. ' "We are all mighty sorry," he observed, f using a' carefully conversational tone. " "These these things happen how and rf then.- " ; .v ' : ' ; -T- . "I expect you are right cold ' out there.' , .;' "Well, I am . not warm," he replied ' Cheerfully. "I am burning up. consider-' able fuel, but 'it doesn't seem, to heat much." To show his ease he lighted a fresh stogie. The match flare showed his good-humored face drawn and strained in spite of his tone. ;.. .-'-''. "You wouldn't care to come in and ' warm your feet, would you?" He hesitated. The village street was quiet. Owing to Its semi-isolated posi tion, he had commanded all approaches to the house from his -vantage point across the street. Once Inside-- But then again the house' was small and lightly built; one could hear a footfall through it. , A man ought to be able to thaw out now and then. . "I don't know but I wQI for a minute . or two, Mrs. Carter," he assented, "if youll unlock the door?1 ..--.-. now aia it nappen, any now, Molly?" he said at last. He had known her for a long time. "Had he been drinking?" "I don't exactly know myself" ; Hr tone was dreary. "I had asked him not to carry a gun hut when you ask Jim not to do a thing, he wants to right off. "It was the girl at Heldegers. He's been hanging around her for quite - a while. Jim was sociable,; you know, and lately, with the baby and the house, I haven't had much time for him. At night I was tired." The detective nodded. . f - TN HER nine years In the village she had adopted many of its colloquialsms. "From what I gather, because with everybody talking at one I got kind of " ; muBQ up, n seems mat tne clerk from the drug store walked into Heideger's while Jim was there and" asked the girl what she meant by fooling around with ' a married man. Then he told Jim to come' home because his baby was sick. -I'd seat over this ; afternoon for.' soma ' "-".'- - ns UIO tX L irU UU1V came then. :.'." " Then Jim came home," the detective -prompted, "and after that what,' Molly?" "Then Jim came -home," she repeated,. In a spiritless voice "and said he was -In trouble and he .would have to leave . ' town-i I jgave him all the money I had and got hisl winter overcoat out. It lemelled of moth balls," but there wasnt time to. air It. .He put It on and .went." The" detective sniffed. "Moth balls!" he said. That's what I've been smelling. You must have spilled them around." - : -N ' There was no light in the room or he -would have seen the woman grow paler md her hands clutch ander her shawl. .' f re-; diow ; naa xanen earlier, .ua. . i that early dusk, when Jim had come , In. frantic, and told her part of the truths She only winced now. went a little paler; with the increasing warmth of the room the odor of moth balls seemed to fill the house, -s-'r. M?-;'f She f was vdUssy,1 rather, wHoldmg t - uio ; wk. fli aer.i cnair, sne listen ea tor the'sic child above. , He still slept. "Twofof -themf she said at last. rThe lrug clerkWas a nice young man. We used to talk about books and articles la ' the magazines. And now Oh. my God! :V one puueo nerseir cogetner snarpxy , "it a . a pity of the girt." too. she said, quietly.. "She was young and- the men made a fool - r of her. .1 guess she wasn't really badV . The detective said nothing: He rose, . holstingv himself slowly-' -out of the low ' rocker. f - . , v . - . "Well, back to work!" tie "said." "it's been mighty good of oo. Molly. I am warmed through now." " He yawned again. 4Th sister hasn't got out my -funnel yet and-l-waa nearly frozen. Ii - wasnt expecting an all-night Job. -; , iJ', '.. He' threw the end v of Jiia stogie into' the stove, drew a revolver from, his coat 5 pocket and'; glanced at it, remembered, suddenly that the action was hardly deli cate, and thrust it back. .- ; The womaa's . mind was working again-! a subconsciousr : , intelligence that seemed r to have been " v scheming all the while. :i . 11 waa thinking,' she suggested.. "that, ir I Jeave .the latch of f you could come In now and then and get warm, I can leave a cup' of tei on the fender. Io you -: want milk in it?" - .. r ; "Sugar, thank ydu,, and no milk.", he said. You were always a , thoughtful woman, Molly." . There was something almost wistful in his : voice. Mindful of . the sleeping baby, he closed the door cau- ' tiously behind him and went" out. V ; ""'"-"- , - y "."'"' "jVTOLLY CARTER went back to the ' ' . , ..kitchen and lighted the lamp. - The room was -stifling, but the fire in the range was low now. She put in a fresh, . piece of wood and set the-kettle over it. Then, and not until then, did she go to the wall beside the range and put her lips to it.; " . . "Can you breathe ?"; she said, cautious- . ly. The reply came' with astonishing : clearness through the "thin wall;-even the sound of- a body turning in a narrow space: " , - ' v "I am -making another airhole. Co out and see If any chips fall out.' ! ... "I can't. Jim.- Chester Cooper -is across the street. Did you lusar what -he said? They are both dead. - ' r TJiere was no reply to this. In the si- ,lence she could distinctly fiear the bit as It 'worked its way through the "outer wall. ";jim, did" you hear what he said?" I heard," he said, sullenly. .Beside the range there had been a small, unlighted closet, with a flat wood en door that fitted-close without a frame. Long ago the door had been papered to -, match the kitchen. It had been the work x J of ' only a few moments to take off the lock.' After" that he had gone inside and . drawn the door to behind him, shutting out from her sight, to her relief, his shaking hands and death-colored .face. Halt distracted, ! she papered : anew from s" the ceiling to the floor over the little door and , built a firerin the rapge torlry the ; paste.- In the . lamplight the iinfaded strips did not show against the old ones. . Daylight would reveal them, cruelly. - If she could only keep the neighbors out! They knew .the kitchen. Even at that she had gained a night. She made the tea, crossing" and recross Ing the little room cautiously. . When she came back from placing the cup on the fender of the parlor stove, the querulous voice was speaking from the other side of the partition: ."What the devil do you mean by, Dringing hint In in here, any how?'" , : ; ..- "I thought it looked as if I hadn't any thing to hide, Jim. -"He'll never think you y are here now I have left the latch? off,' so r he can go In and out when he likes." : "Well, you'd better see about ' those chips. 4 Wait until he comes In the next '' time and then slip out the back door. ' ""The snow will cover them. Jim, there's a thousand dollars on you!"; i .Well, why don't you sell me out? I haven't been worth much to you living; a thousand dollars dead wouldn't be bad." ' Her lip quivered, but she made no re ply. That waa what the detective had said. - "If I could . get to the. barn," he grum bled, "I could work around behind Scbultz's fence and get to" the railroad siding. Where is that fool standing?" - "He's Just across. You , can't ,get to the barn.- Jim, is that sleeping stuff of : yours bitter?" , He gathered the meaning In her tone ' and came close to the papered 'door. "Yes. " Why?" "Would you notice It In a cup of tea?" "I don't know, . "riot with sugar, may be." ' . i . "Have you got your knife?"' "Yes." - . "I thught this way, Jim. If he .cornea ' , in to get warm and goes to sleep by the fire. I will Up three times lightly. You'll be listening there, will you? You won't go to sleep?'-; - -. : ,..-. "God in heaven! I Do you think I am sleeping tonight?" v " vThen listen. You' canslip the blade' ' around the-door from the inside and cut' the paper, jcan't -you t" -he ;ranfup' the stairs and ' brought down the steeping powders In their paste--board box. . One she emptied swiftly into -the. teacup -m the - parlor fender. ' The . ; box she put into the' stove and waited until.it was entirely consumed.. 1 "I'v fixed it,-Jinu -listen for threa rapa If he doesn't drink it, or the pow- ' der doesn't work - . i . ; : Sha broke down. , There waa only .the . sound of the bit from beyond, creaking as . It .turned.; She opened the front door i . ana called- across in a low voice: . !-i T ve '. left your z tea : for you and ' the ': door is unlocked. Be sure to close it tight .when-you go out." - .... ; Then she went upstairs. - r . ? y The baby slept soundly.' : She put out i the lamp and,-drawing her' shawl close about her. sat down In a chair before the s tire. She thought of many things; of the-days when Cooper, across the street, had .wished to marry f her; of her hus- band; of the blond girl at Heideger's; of the papered-up closet in the kitchen and the man In It drilling madly for breath." ? t Her eyes fell on a small white object on ' 1 the How. That brought her back with, a start, v She made another painful exeur -' , sion lb:' the lower floor. C? . , - ""He smelt the moth balls on your over , coat.! sheaid to the wall. "I've got to 1 hideu.it again. 4 It's under the parlor sofa. - ' -WhereU t pat tt?" . "."Hid it behind the wood on the back t poroh."i The ice was muffled. ; ; . - v-. , "Jimj have you grot enough air?" V "Oh, I'll manage, aomehow." 1 " " ; . The kitchen clock struck, a this, ma- ' - '--' C '---AW t t tallic ring. It was a very old clock with j;. flowers painted , on the dial , It had S. marked in its time death and birth, and". eivina- in marriage.: But nevar.. trha f. li had it marked so tragic a night. I jifV' . . ' t v Two o'clock. She went back to her chair and listening. The blizzard had come now:' , , Wind whipped the window sash , and roared about the house corners, t Beneath the 'Ill-fitting frame a fine line of snow had sifted. She was pain fully ''alive. '-Kt Every sense ached with waiting. 1 . More than once she mistook' a slam ming shutter' for the closing of the front door, only to be disappointed. But it" came an hour later, when, the clock with , the painted dial was striking three. The; bait of the unlatched door and "the glow -of the base-burner through ' the parlor window had caught their victim. lOOPER ha-d compromised with his conscience by making a T careful round of the house.. At one place i he, . stopped. In a lull of the windV'lt seemed to him that there was a curious," grinding sound. Then the' gale rose again, caught;' his hat and sent hint running and curs-', Ing, ' When; he cane back the - noise, whateverrit was.ad ceased. , v- .- ,. He . stamped cautiously on the low" . porch and opened the door. A. homely' . odor .of tea met him. mixed with com-, f ortlng..warmth. s He turned up the lamp . and took ; off his' overcoat. Jt - was - his ": best overcoat' and shabby at that. If he- had any Juck and the storm drove Carter, backhe'd be able to buy a new one. . He dusted it of f with his hands before hang-" ing it over the back of a chair to dry. On his shoulder a few grains of sawdust .' "caught his attention. Ht looked at them i I with 'speculation, ' but 'without suspicion.". ' - He had a sense of humor. ' -- ' ' "Ha!", he said to himself. "Even-the . . sky has gone in for adulteration Sawi dust, in the. snow! " ' - - , He smiled at the conceit and sipped the . tea. It was not very good, but-it was, hot. Overhead he could hear the slow rocking .of a chair.- - - " . , "Poor child!" he said. . Poor Uttle4 girl all. this for that damned skunk!" - .'He affected' a further compromise with his sense of duty by getting up every" few . minutes and inspecting the street or tip-, toeing through .the kitchen and pulling- open unexpectedly the back door. 'Al ways on these occaaiona he had his hand Cn his revolver pocket. . V Three-thirty. . - - ",".,"""" i ', The storm had Increased in violence! -Already small drifts had piled in still cor- ' ners. The glow of the base-burner was ' dull 'red the r rocking . overhead had ceased. . , ' , - Cooper yawned and - stretched out his legaL 'i' ."Poor little girl!" he said. "'Poor 1VTL ; ; ' . -m ? . -J girl! x And. all for the sake all "for' sake ;".". ' ' : ' ' - He', drew a deep breath and -setUed lower in the chair. - - - M OILY CARTER bent down from the !r: - top of the staira and listened. - Tha ? detective ' hadcome in; and BJm had not d hW.p oC it '.would nUdo to 7L -" s f . . ? - , 1? F"1 sieaixouy ior. tear ne were mint .'"6 .'-K-'l '21 j-.Lt- I ' m.mm,m.3. : -jzm 1VA.UU7 biju lwwii,uu LX - '' bottle ef the. baby's to fill with milk. i Cooper, waa sound, asleep in the parlor, ..... A .. v... ' . ' . . ... 1 i nis neaa aroppea iorwara on nis breast. i.'' There was a strong odor of drying, wool .aha his overcoat steamed by. the fire. ' Still holding .the bottle, she crept to the - kitchen and tapped lightly three times on the papered door" , There was no re- ply. -Her h,eart almost 'stopped, leaped on again, raced wildly. " She repeated the signal." , Then, desperately, she 'put. her . Hps o the walL ' ' "' , "Jfm!"' she whispered. " There was' absolute silence save for . the heavy breathing ;of the . detective in J the . parlor. Madness ,seised , her. . She -' ; crept along: the tiny passage to the par lor door, and working with Infinite cau "tl&ri. lrt' sptteomer frensyrshe closed It and locked 'it from the outside. Then . back to the kitchen again, pulses ham- mering'. The bottle Tell off the table and broke , with a" crash. For a moment she felt as If something in her had . given" away also. -But there jcame no ontcry from the par- - lor, no heavy weight against the flimsy door. . .-. v . -. - ..She got a knife from the table drawer and cut relentlessly through' the new pa mper strips.v; Then with jLhe"edge-of the blade she -Worked the' . door 'open. ' 1 i - ; ' .4im half sat, half lay, in the bottom-of , ,the. closet 'with closedLeyesl v Drihk. and , fatigue had combined with -stifling air.. She reached in and' shook him, but ,he moved under her h&nd." without' opening : his eyes. , . With almost' superhuman strength she dragged him out, laid him prone on the ktchen floor, brought; snow and rubbed, it 'over -his f ace, slapped his " wrists with it .'to restore hisr pulse--the r - village method. . , -. 7 ! : '; Jle came'to quickly, sat up and stared , about him. ' . - ' " " v "Hush, she said,- for fear he would speak Can you hear me Jim?' Do you know what I am saying? . - .. ; II9 nodded. r . - - . . '.-5 . . . . . ' . 'Cooper is locked, in the parlor, asleep. You, can get aray now. . My God, don't close. your eyes again., .Listen! . You can get away." '".-' ".- - . C " "Away from what?", he asked,, supidfy. "Away -fromr the police. -- Try 'ur "re- ' s. member, Jim. You shot the clerk 'from " the drug store and -the girl ' at Helde- ' gers. The police are after you. . There's - a thousaid dollars on--your head." ' . That roused him. He struggled to his . ; I feet., reeled, -caught the table. r vj- . , , "I remember. Well, I've got to ' get away: ' That's an. ' But I 'can't go feeling like this. Get me some whiskey." ' " ' Ite needed it.'. She brought it'to-him, 'measured it yut,""He grumbled at the j : quantity. J&ut after he had-had It his dull ; ;2 eyes cleared. 1 She had gone. to listen, at the parlor ' -door."-When aha came- back he -waa look . ! ing more Mmself. i He waa a, handsome . fellow, with heavy dark nair anddark eyes, a big man as he. towered above her ' in the little, kitchen. . His face did not In- dicate his weakness. ' There are men like .(hat. broken reeds swinging in the wind, that yet manage to convey an impression '- : f of -strength,; 'j.vJ'V."v j;; ;";j , His wife brought the overcoat and held ft out for hinv:,?, -t-j f-Av . ' ."By Schultzs fence,, you' said, Jimr and : .. then to the railroad. There's a slow "; freight goes through on toward morning, and it that-doesn't stop, there's the milk train. And Jim, let me hear about you new and then. Write to" Aunt Sarah. Don't wlt ? here, and 'don'thlnk once 1 you get away that you are safe. A thou sand dollars reward -will 'set: everybody .in the court try looking,- - He paused, the overcoat half on. ' . 'A thousand dollars,' 'he said, slowly I , ' "I see. ,'t When I'm gone. Molly," how are ' -' you golnjr to make-out?!:,.,; , . - T11 manage somehow;' only .go,. Jim. . GoP ' ".--- . "I don't know about this, going." he said after a 'moment. "They'll grab me . somewhere. S6mebodyU get. that thou- " - You'j! manage somehow! ' What do you , mean by 'soniehow? You'll bet married - again, maybe r.' -. -, "Oh, no; not that." , r He cared a little then in spite -f the girl-at Heideger's! i-j: 1 If he would only! go! This thingr for which she had schemed the whole night ' - might fail' now while he talked. "You can't stay here. he said, slowly. -"You can'r Wring the children Up where everybody knows ' about their : father, " They can't run any aort of a race with v that handicap.- t ' y For answer she held out 'his overcoat. But he shook his head. ' -Perhaps it' was .his one big- moment. 'Perhaps ft was only a . reaction from -his murderous mood of the afternoon. For now quite suddenly ." he put his arms around her. - 'T am not worth it'. Molly," he burst - out. "I am. not worth a' thousand dol lars alive or dead but if they're offering v tttat, for me, if you had; It you could go out west somewhere and nobody would -know about you. You 1 coulfi. start the kids fresh. That's about' the only thing . I can -do fojr 'you give you a chance to v get away and forget you ever knew me." ' - . She 'did -not understand at first, "When 1 she did she broke into quiet sobbing. She -knew his obstinacy; the dogged tenacity" of tbmreak, Nowf when every second counted to have hint refuse to go! ; She pleaded, with him,' went down on --v her knees, grew hysterical 'finally, and -had to be taken in his arms and quieted., V as he had -not quieted her In years. And still there was no sound from the. parlor. v "they'll get me aomehow," he repeated . over and oven ''And I rl would like to V feel that I had done one decent i thing : Tlrst- That red-eyed ferret in the parlor(i'. will get the money if you'don't. For the children. Molly; they've gotv a right to - i ask to be started straight. . v THAT i was the argument that .-moved , her finally into a sort' of acquiescence. There seemed nothing else for her to-do. He even planned the thing for hr,- ;He would hide in the barn in the loft 'Tfie swift snow would soon fill the footprints","" but 'in case she was anxious, she could ' get up early And shovel a path where he , had stepped.' . -v:-"- ' f-v. : :''.V -- Pi- When Cooper wakened she could say she thought the' thing over; that she needed the money; that 'she would ex- ; change her knowledge .for the reward. ' "Only you get a paper for it get a v paper from Heideger. ' He'll bluff It out " if ha can. He was stuck on the girl him- . self.? . . ,V- x. :-;-,'- i ::V.y,rT-V v"Jim, did; you care forthat. girl ao much?". --r X ' His face hardened. ,'J thought I did; for' a for. a. little while. She made a fool of me, and I showed her! ' But all the time I loved you, Molly." ( , .He kissed her solemnly, as she half lay , ' in his arras, and went toward the door.. . V "Oood-by and God bless you," he said. "And 'kiss' the -" 'ir, A, He choked up at that and made his way out through the 'drifts on the porch, to the little yard.' v-j.-i . ?:'.i.'.;i,A 'She closed the-door and1 fastened It ' behind hrm. Then very carefully she un locked the parlor- door and opened it. Cooper was still in his chair,, sunk a little ' lower,' perhaps,' and breathing " heavily;" the overturned teacup -on the floor be- ' aide him. -:K 'Y ':V .V.'- . '. She went back to thakitchen and .1 filled a fresh bottle for the baby. - t ?". 'v As before, it served as an -excuse for1 her- presence: JwKh it; on the table near- ; at hand she trimmed carefully the rough-j cut edges of the papered door. The hi alde ,of the closet was a clear betrayal. Still listening. and walking aoftly, she got a dust brush and pan and swept up the Y bits of wood and sawdust from the floor. ; " The .bit she placed 'on ' the shelf," and,' turning, part and 'brush in' hand, faced ' the detective in the doorwayi 5r : He made a quick dash toward ; the ClOSet. J- :l ';-.?-, ;f-J'i'V..s--.T'':";.-i -v'.r':if,''i,-i; "What havelyougot there he. de . manded, shortly. . , ; ' ' ' ,. '...'.. .,'- V' - But now. as through all the long, night.';; ; her woman's wits saved her:: v., Vrt--:: "Don't jump at ? m like.t that-; ' I'ya ; broken one of ithe. baby's- bottles and I &m Just sweeping it up,4:; '"w;;Hft'' - She stooped and swept the broken glass on to the pan.. He stared into the empty closet. - , ' -i4--i5:-,v..; , " Tm': sorry,"': Molly I ; didntfean;jto . startle you ' Thats tea -and; the heat of the stove, put me to- slep. - I've been half frozen -1 guess it was the bottle break-; tlng that wakened ine.i I thought "you 'said yon would ge to bed "Vj.; .y-; I couldn't . sleep," she,. evaded, "and . about this time the baby always has to -be fed." . . ' Xi?'rr.f-:fr&f':Sf-' , She took the bottle of milk' from the tabla and set: tt Inside the teakettle te ,'' ,- S oi ,1.. . u.L'i.i h.l died from the'man'i ees. 1I ygwhtJ again, ctretcbed, compared tne ciock v.Ti.' his watch.-- ' '..''.; ' ' , "It'a,been a long night," he aald. "Me for the street again. ' listen to that wlnd I'm sorry for anyone that's out in the mountain tonight. ' TTE went. into the parlor and, putting ""Von his overcoat, stood awkwardly in the little hall. . .- , She . faced her hand. ' .: .him, the child's bottle in " "I guess. you know' how I hate this, Molly," he said. "1-7-1 this isn't the time for talk and there ain't any disloy alty. In it but I was. pretty fond of-you one time I guess you, knew It. and I am not" the changing sort. I have never seen anybody else 4, liked the ' same way. It dop't hurt a good woman to know a thing like: that. Good nighty , Before she. went "upstairs site took a final ,look out the- back doof.1 Already . Jim's footprints were effectively erased ..... by the wind. An unbroken sheet of white . .. snow; stfetched .to .the barn. By morning. at this rate, the telltale marks; would be buried' six inches or .more. 'Vy? -: 6he blew out the .'kitchen , lamp . and went slowly up the stairs. , . , y The baby cried hoarsely and she gave " him his. bottle, lying down ,.p.n ,the bed beside him and' taking his head on her ,' arm. He drooped asleep there and she kept him close for comfort. Andthere, .lying alone In the darkness with staring T-eyes," she, fought her battle. She had nothing in the world kbut the cheap fur - jniture in the house Her own health v was frail. It. would be a year perhaps before she could leave the children and seek any kind of employment. J t , f The deadly problem -of ' the poor. In -extricably mixed as it is' with every event of their lives, complicating birth, adding . ; fresh trouble to death the : problem of - money confronted her,. Jim had been, In town parlance, "a poor ' provider," but -. at, least, she had managed. Now very soon she would, not have that resource. . . To get away from, It all! She drew a . long, breath. From the disgrace, from .the eyes of her neighbors, the gossip,- the . 'constant knowledge in every eye that met V hers that her husband had intrigued with another woman and killed -her. To start . anew under another name and bring her v children" jup In ignorance of the wretched past i-that was ona, side. .' x. ;S . But to earn it In this way that was another. To sell out to the law I All her' husband's weaknesses -t and brutaiitlr I i faded .from her mind. She 'saw him j -f wun mat piuiui memory or women wnich' ' . forgets' allj but the good in ' those' they1, love only as he had looked In the one great moment of his life ' an- hour ago. ; 1 Once again he was her hero her lover; : nee again he held her in his arms. "I Y. would like to feel that-1 have done one .. decent thing." ; ' : .' ;!. y--- The battle waged back and forth. She .no ronger cried. ; There are some trage dies to which the relief . of tears is de nied. , . '..'- .'.. '.,. J' " ' . '.' 1 Four o'clock. X ..' K ;r ',..' ;; She slipped the baby's head from her arm and got up. , Ooeper was still across the street, huddled against a house, stamping to keep warm and swinging his ' arms.' In an hour the milk train would ' come In and wait on the' siding for the ; express. .That would have been Jim's .' chance. If he. could get away, 'he could start all over again and make good. He --. had it In him. ' He was'a big man bigger than the people In the village had ever realized. , - They , had never appreciated him that was the trouble! Why' should -yhe have a fresh start? It was Jim who I, needed it -. She moaned and turned ' her face to the pillow. ; r .. ; . ' " . ; -' ;." ; ; . . ''.. Five o'clock. -,' i '" ' .'Z ." " . ;. '"' The milk train whistling for the switch. - It was still very "'-dark She crept to the window and looked out. 'It was a gray s dawn with snow blowing like smoke 'through the trees. ; The cold was proving, too much for Cooper. He was making , his ; way cautiously ' across ; tha street through ; the , snow .toward the house. Once In, the parlor agalp, ahe could get .to the barn. - The freight, waited on the .'siding 10 minutes sometimes, and tonight, with the snow, it might be longer. , 'i She. Yeaped - off the bed and hurried .down the staircase." Just before the front door opened to admit the detective, the ; kitchen door closed behind her. She waa - out fin the storm. , V" ;';"" ' , She stumbled . along, sometimes knee ' ' deep, holding Up her thin cotton wrapper. ;.i.;.-- ::a - . . !., r-" ::,-:-' HrHE barn -door waa open ; ' and she - slipped in. ' P.'-:r:':' -';;; .- ,. , f "Jim," she called. "Jim l" - ; s '' She, was : standing at the foot of : the . : ; loft ladder, all her heart in her voice. : ; y can't do It, Jim. ; I can't sell yoa " . ".out. even for the children,' Jim!" -1.- '!-, There was no sound from above. -f jShe climbedNup,; trembling.-;' The loft ... - was dark; She would not believe tha ; ' - silence, .must creep around to each eor-'ner.--':" i''--.'.v :; ';;..; . C'-ir 'J'.Z: '.''-'. :."-';' ". ; ; ' ."I can't do it."; she said over, and over 1 - "I can't do It, Jim,!" .. He was gone, rj f She felt her way down through tha ' . darkness' and ". staggered .-to the door, of . ' i the. barn.- ; Cooper waa " standing there, ' quietly waiting for-her, " : '';'" t-'--- ':tm Ftom the ; railroad came the whistle . j of the express as it: raced through; and ; " the. slow Jangle of the milk, train as tha 'y engine took UP the mmM ... "-. ,: ' ' , "le's gone. Molly." said the detective. "He went put by Schultz's at a quarter to five. ;;I. guess he'll make his getaway. . i There ' Wa shame and something else In .::,'.hls eyes,''.-';-';... -y-Z' ' .v.; 'The-.freight'-. gathered;' way. ".''Aa the ': v listened it moved but on the main track. " ' :, CeprriM. AH'- risbt reMrvad. Pruu4' sy ait. mmmt iriU Jietropoluaa Kntpvt Bnio Xy