Forest City press., June 05, 1919, Image 6

About Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??

Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

The
It had not. been a pleasant task.
ScatMIIii was a foul mouthed, foul
Kouled companion for any man to tie
to. and his personal habits were any
thing but attractive. Time and agaiu
llolt had almost turned from his task
with disgust, Resolved to let his rights
creature
••'J
had
'death and
1Iteely
.the ffitt
»y ap
girl
another hour. Yet he had
stuck to him and now, after these
many days of cunning and craftiness,
'^'of
trickeries too numerous to mention,
of
attempted escape on Scathlin's
part
after taking side trips to funer
als of
Scathlin's relatives who never
oxistcd, except in imagination
visitB to
paged to
business men who were sup-
be hounding Scathlin to
ye^
after all
this
they
back fo'Hatfk
wlt»,
back
to
vtK
the place from
Ml opul spaces «t luminous beauty,
spreading the panoply of color 'far
along horiaoaofOr© plain, it was a»
thing to make one look in awe, to hush
evil thoughts and bring a holiness to
"'hearts. Something of its calm and
(ftreo£th
Finding of
Jasper Holt
Crarr Livingston Hill Lutz
Author of "Mama Sciuylor "Phooho ppjuio"
'Hip it).s\sHion of Victoria tJnu^n". etc
his
wltfl never
found—
were on their way
valley !—9Cat
hi
come tti Che' tfnft^hiS'm'dney and
in had
antf'had"tteAh'»ompelled to accept
the escort and financial
bis
aid
of
Holt
which he
started, because 'he did not dare
had
tp
anything else. This he did both on his
own account and for
do
the
sake of .his
employers, who would not hesitate to
leave him in the lurch
selves, and who had
to save them­
warned
him abovo
all things not to let Holt suspect his
mission with tho&e papers to1 the east
ern syndicate. Besides, iherp #as al
ways the hope that lie might yet es
cape and make bis way back in time
to present those papers to thi man
whom Harrington had said would pay
him a big reward for bringing them.
Harrington and his men could, not
have done it without suspicion,
but
plan was that Scathlin* should profess
to have found something valuable to
tho syndicate and be willing to sell it
at a good price.
It was no wonder that Scathlin's
eyes had a hunted look, and lite) bad
old face under its stubbly growth was
almost pitifully desperate a» he
looked at the fresh face ot.the sweet
young girl, an^ tor tlfe, puyqepjt for
got his misery) gloating over her
beauty, while Holt seeued to be en
gaged with the sunset view. But Holt
eaught the gleam in his victim'* eye'
Midi his heart.intraed hotly within him.
fit* could have crushed the creature
then and there for the insolence of his
pace. Ho could have crushed him like
germin and felt.no sjjn. All the man in
Itlm roused to resent the evil look.
"Scathlin!" His tone was cutting
With command and the old man turned
^ringing and met. .the steoly glance of
liis captor, tlion impatient and trem
bling with anger'began to look again
out of the window- again the crimson
$rrath surged up his leathery neck and
lufTuaed his coarse features.
,The girl, half aw:»re of.^at had
boon going on, turned and took it all
In, a frightened color flickering up
^Into her cheeks. Her eyes, growing
forge with vague horror, met Holt's
-aright.
The dusk dropped' down ahd the
Strain sped on over the plains.
And now the sunset stains grew
peeper and blended into gold and
crimson and Uftad the. gray Into clear
the
gazo, saw It change and soften
reassuringly, as li he mete holding ,at
.hay a loataome bloodhound arid wished
Tier to understand7she need not fear.
{The girl, with one fleeting look of grat
"itude toward the young man, turned
.back again to her window as if noth
Mng had happened. In fact no onlooker
would havei: suspected that anything at
alt had happened, and yet really a
rllttlo drama had been enacted and all
".the actors understood It as thorough
it-had been spokeq. gjtt one
tho
i^oif iiii
that
crept into tho glrft expr-es-
as she w**U£i$tL it, and pneo sha gram. But the* porter "said I ni|s£
Jfcalf turned to see if Holt was. watcli- come in here lintiK I saw. you because
lag too. Bnt fioU Vas sitting facing. I had no ticket ftir the Pullman."W
'Y&h) othefr.4*fy *ni could seo only the Shci held out the yellow envgog$
trails ot glory
ain
there would be a station or he could
risk dropping it out of the window
near some water tank or something.
IJut the plain slid by, a level monot
ony, broken only by the rose and emer
ald and gold of the setting sun. Scath
lin grew more and more desperate. It
and all go rather than be tied to the was growing dark, and he dared not do something which would make him
what would be the fate to which- he
was surely, swiftly hastening. States
prison? Or would they take the law
into their own hands? He knew what
that might mean rnly too well, and
dimly from his eyes. How he would
like to spring at that slim brown
throat opposite him and throttle the
life from the young fellow. Only a kid
a mere kid—and yet he had with
stood many, and had power to cruch.
Scathlin in spite of all his boasted
cunning. The look of a serpent crept
into the little gleaming eyes of the
old man as he noticed the quick glance
his companion cast at the girl across
the aisle and his own eyes followed
filled with hate. Yes, he would like to
drive his tat, hairy fingers into the
White throat of the girl before the
eyes of her-gallant defender if only he
had Holt helpless! But instead, here
was he, helpless himself! And he
must find a wajvvto escape before morn
ing, or else get rid of that wallet/%1
some-sate way. Surely, surely Mt
would be off his guard sometimes f$r a
Uttle space. He had scarcely sle* a
wink to* tour days how could h^jep
dure It much longer?
But Scathlin's cogitations were .cut
short by t^e.entrance pf the conductor
at last and he turned tb watch thqjixtrl
she spoke to him.
was to have had a section .re
served for me." she was saying to typ..
conductor. "My brotherlnlaw.f/Mr.
James Harrington, of Hatrk valley, 'ar*
ranged for It. and telegraphed Attitiit'
it ^*a« al! right. See, 1 Jiave the[|eie-
the sky as it and .the conductor looked at It. i'i .r
I awur .Immu': his. S*z.e thcujh ha brother's naine Is Harrington?
,«^0gnt the reflection of ^wander You aro tfihg to Hawk valley?*'-^
a^d uyertcd h}s, 9(wa! Hb lqt^ed at her sharply.
throw the wallet where he could not more certain of what he already be
find it again, or where someone else lieved to be true, and saw Scathlin
might lind it—and yet! They
were
Hearing Hawk valley. The morning the shirt, draw forth a small dark ob
would bring them within the
ranging
of Holt's men—that band of trained Holt had of it, looked like hi3 own
and devoted outlaws who were as re- leather wallet in search of which he
lentless in their justice as they were had come this long, hard journey,
careless of their lives. No mercy was (-Anxious to see what Scathlin's nexti
to be expected from their hands
If
once he fell among them. lie shivered standing and still apparently looking
as a tall shaft of a uarc tree, dead and
stark, stood out in the distance against
the clear gold of the sunset line. It
was on such a tree he had seen
a
cattle thief hang, ghastly against the
sky. as he rode by once just at night
fall. It might easily be his fate be-
fore another sunset. If he could not same time speaking to her. Had the
get away in the night all chance of man picked up something the girl had
escape before they reached Hawk val- dropped, or. was he Preposter
ley was gone, for well he knew Jasper ous! The fellow wouldn't dare, with
Holt's men were set at intervals along a strange girl. She was smiling and
the way, sentinels ready to head him jlooking down at the thing in her lap
off.- And*what treatment could he ex-],and seemed to be thanking him. She
pect from either Jasper Holt or his had probably dropped her handker
men with that incriminating wallet in I chief or pocketbook and Scathlin had
his pocket? He had been a fool to take
1
up with Harrington's offer. Money or back to his seat and found Scathling
no mopey, it wasn't wbrth the risk. He fumbling with his shoe lace. He
was .getting to be an old man and not1 studied him narroWly and fancied that
so ready tb face death as when his he detected a look of cunning satisfac
blood was hot and his hand steady. .! tion on the stubbly old face, yet was
He had not even any weapons of de-' puzzled to know what caused it. Had
fense, thanks to his grim captor who. the scoundrel dared to Sive those pa
had disarmed him while he slept, the pers to the^girl when he stood in full
first night of their journey together, view? It seemed incredible—and yet?
There had never been any open'recog- If he had, Holt's hands were pretty
nltion of the fact between them, save well tied and he' had two to watch in
that one glance as Scathlin put his stead of one. He didn't like the idea
hand to the,, pocket where it had been of shadowing this beautiful young
and was not* He had charged with i'woman. sr.
Ms eyes in one look of helpless'fury,T Just then tire conductor returned
and Holt's clear gray eyes had met his and spoke to the girl.
unflinchingly in acknowledgment. That "Well, ydur berth's reserved for you
had been all, but Scathlin knew then'all right, |jUtit was in the name of
that there was rothlng for him but to Harringtop^ lt's Section 7, in the next
evade Holt and get away it possible, car. This yqur br*£gage? Come this
He would stand no chance in an open' way and I'll show you."
conflict, and his captor was untiringly The girl followed the conductor,
vigilant. He glanced again at the with a half hesitating glance toward
stern face opposite him, wondering Scathlin, who was engaged with his
again the desperate look passed over' Scathlin, apparently worn out, snored
his face with Hate and Murder looking as he had not dared to dp for a week.
But Holt sat up and studied his prob
lem. He could not afford to take any
chances on Bleep that night more
over his h^art was in a tumult. This
girl was coming to Hawk Valley to
visit the Harringtons. She was a
sister of Mrs. Harrington, the hand
somest" woman, the best dressed wom
an, the most influential woman in all
that valley?"" Would he eyer seje the
girl? Sometimes, from afar perhaps
—and a bitter look swept over his
face.
taw mftuiten till
next car. and then
to be all right
onhts •way. attending
tiu'n«i ma- »a^cn anf thf gir) aai
•iferosfllc »®t tl» t/t 'M 'f itiM wdi iutil #yes." and. remetiiharin*.
nm«a iXlattingtbit"
wilk a' itart arid lobk
.to'vuwvadfcfea' shr'iti*"
tfro' nwrow .-jfle**' of Halt's «nd. 'all
window until It. grew quite dark. But
he had a plan at l::st. In another
minute he goi upon his feet, yawning,
and declared his intention of getting
a drink of wiiter from the cooler at
the other end of the car.
"Good idea said llolt. rising and
following his captive down the aisle
lazily.
Scathlin reached the cooler first and
back to his sent alone, apparently not
noticing him. Scathlin settled back in
his seat with one eye on Holt, and one
eye on the girl.
Holt stood drinking in a leisurely
way, apparently interested in lookilng
through the glass of the door into the
finally, after repeated fumbling under
ject that, in the one swift glimpse
move was to be. he remained quietly
through the car door, though not a
move of Scathlin's was lost upon him.
To his amazement he suddenly saw
Scathlin bend forward and pick up
something from the car floor, then lean
toward the girl in the opposite seat
and put the object in her lap. at the
picked it up. Holt sauntered leisurely
shoe. Holt noticed she held her hand
hag. clasped tightly, as if afie were
afraid it might be taken from her.
When she was gone the night' settled
down unpleasantly about them and
Scathlin slept on, with his coarse
lower jaw down dropped^and all his
unpleasant features relaxed* He was
no charming: picture to^look upon.
Holt notii
that fui
next car, though he was fully aware low? Could he be his son? No, never!
that Scathlin was fumbling in the in
ner pocket of liis flannel shirt. He lin
gered. hoping that, the old man would
there wis
i# of one-1
no longer
hand upon
had bee* since
their
his-side, and-Scathlin himself was en-i
Joying a well earned res& his heavily
shod feet sprawled out under Holt'S|
sairjtoM
art
aj
er ift
h:n thoughts went pounding into new!other direction at the next stop and wild, exultant crackle of fire
heard, so, he k--pt his eyes toward the to her brother at once. There did
not seem to be any good reason why
she should refuse, and yet it had
frightened her, and she wished with
all her heart that she had gone with
the conductor to see about the sleeper
f.'ut
cliuj'iH'l.i. had made a mistakg, of could not deliver the goods himself, knows Its opportunity and power the
course, to le: Molt see that he had and it was most important that it get desperate hysterical clamor of those
who have discovered it, and the mad,
brave shouts of those who would at
tempt to conquer it.
look hi. drin!: while Holt stood wait-1 bag. and she restrained her well cut accident! It had come then! The
ing for the (up and let Scathlin go
nose
hastily put it out of sight.
She had sat looking out of the
darkened window with her heart in
a tumult as the tall young man with
the fine eyes and the air of reckless
assurance came back to his seat.
What had he to do with the old fel-
did he know about the important
papers? Could he have put the old
man up
to giving them- to her, so
that, under some pretense or other,
he himself might speak to her? She
did not dare to look his .way lest he
should presume upon the old man's
speaking. This, her first western trip,
was a fearsome thing to her, although
she reveled in the joy of it.
Yet, when she arose to follow the
conductor and gave one swift Com
prehensive glance toward the oppo
site seat, Bhe saw a respectful pair of
gray eyes looking interestedly at her,
with nothing presumptuous in them,
and she Instantly felt that there was
no need to fear that young man. He
might be dressed like a cowboy, but
he had eyes like a gentleman:
Miss Grayson was tired, for she had
come a long jpurney, stopping a day
on the Way with relatives who had
taken her sight seeing and kept hei*
going every minute, so that she was
as the porter had made it up.
She shrank in dislike from the
leather case in her handbag, and after
some hesitation took it out and
wrapped it in a leaf from a magazine
she had brought with her. She could
not bear to have the thing in with
her nice fresh handkerchiefs and
dainty little articles. It seemed con
taminating. She had a half impulse
to throw it away or lose it and then
her conscience reproached her loudly
for so dishonorable a thought. The
papers might be valuable, of course,
and in that case her brother would
have just cause to blame her If she
did not bring them. At the same time
she hated the thought of carrying
around anything that had been in the
possession, of 'that: repulsive looking
man.
As she settled herself to sleep and
drew around her the folds of the soft
silk Pullman robe that had been her
mother's parting surprise, loving
thoughts of those she had left be
hind her filled her mind. All the little
tender words, looks and acts of loving
sacrifice that she might be well fitted
out for this journey, came flocking to
be recognized, until unbidden tears
filled her eyes. This silken robe was
an extravagance, she knew, and would
be paid for by many a denial on the
part of father and mother but it rep
resented their great love tor her. A
thought of what they would have felt
about her being accosted by that
rough-man and asked to carry' that
package for him: came to trouble her,
yet what other possible thing was
there for her to do but to accept it?
It certainly could not be dynamite or
an infernal machine. Her. mother
would have thought of something of
that nature the first thing—or infec
tion, perhaps smallpox or something
equally horrible.. That was .possible,
of course. But still, the man looked
healthy enough
Her father? Yes, Her father .would
undoubtedly have approved of her
taking the package: Her father was
one who never thought of. himself
when anything in the shape of'duty
demanded attention, and he had
fought her up with the same feeling
had begun. Scath-1 Anyway, now that she had taken it
Js, with their grasping arid agreed to deliver it, there seemed
____ .yine idly bv nothn*
h«r'word
a,fair'
rea8°n*
seat.
The oiglit droned on tile train sped 1 learning thoughts as she drifted off
re q^rki
on its
way-through
the ittrkness/ and
...
A..
still Holt^aL.wide awalgg and think- to-it came as she remembered
1
a dope things out," he,
4 8
*8'lie Settled back in
(S
Vt li
had fol
tow«d* K^iualfioiAocinduptor into the
a sense of deep relief,
tened since
ing. creature
nKftiously' in her
heard her
Mt5, tT4l.
Harring, on
|j)ir would she be.
case of. I'm*
land not let
Jiad It?
entrust because
aot kaow what else to dor*
alter all It seamed a simply
roqaeat. The man-, had ex-
V1*1 b* h** to go of in a^
7
^1:
and not stayed here to have this dirty
old lenther case put into her keeping I at the foot of her berth a figment of
by that dirty old man. She did not I her imagination. But almost at once
know what to do with it. She hated the cold breath from the broken win
to put it in her dear little new hand- dow brought her to her senses. An
more to be done but to ke8p
and 14
from a shrinking sniff as she thing which her mother had feared
glad to creep into her berth as soon dow to get a better idea of things and
simple enough
°'COlK^' ^lte
Why should it bother
her so?
Nevertheless, it mingled with her
to sleep, and a kind of assurance with
the steady,-clear.eyes of the,younger
Sohly In her silken wrapping she
lay and slept while the' monotonous
hum of the rushing train only lulled
her to deeper slumber.
Suddenly, in the midst of the com
monplace sounds of the journey there
came a grinding, grating shriek as of
strong metal hard, pressed and unable
to withstand. A .crasfi, a jolt, then
terrible confusion. The very founda-
had landed a worn tlbns of the earth seemed upshaken.
the cars climbing thro^gh the awful
alr then pitching,. writhing, tossing,
and, at lit Settling uncertainly In
strange positions,' white the night w«s
tilled with horrid sounds' too* varying
to analyze. Crlea of women and chil
dron!, Cteoana of pan in mortal ag
ony breaking glass and' splintering
tttnocirz rending of SMtal in rdtK
tant, dlsoordaat clangl^And below,
rising menacingly to threata^ trans-At
'tjnvit'-wigm-
1
and tried to provide against. She
was in a railroad accident all alone
and out in the wilds of the west
where she was utterly unacquainted
with anyone! It was characteristic
of Jean that, when she realized her
plight, she thought first of how her
mother would take the news, and not
of how she herself would bear the
experience, or whether it meant life
and death to herself. That she must
get out of danger and let her mother
know of her safety was her Instant
impulse, and from that moment her
senses were keenly on the alert for
every detail.
Her mother's horror of railroad ac
cidents made the possibilities of her
present position as plain to her as
if at\e had: lived the whole experience
before. She seemed to comprehend
in a flash just what had happened,
and about the position the car r/as
in at the time. The lurid glate that
was already leaping and flickering
outside showed jagged glass in the
window frame, and scattered gleam
ing fragments all about her. She must
move carefully .not to be cut by them.
Fire! That was the next thing she
took in. That meant that her. only
hope of life was to get out at once.
Cautiously she looked out of the win-
her hc^xrt stood still with the horror
of it all. For one little terrible sec
ond she forgot her mother's fears and
felt her own gasping, choking terror
at what was before her. One moment
she faced a probable death, felt her
helplessness and gave a cry of
anguish for those who had al
ways protected her from peril, and
brave courage rose and steadied her
nerves. She resolved not to die if
there were any possible way out of
it and terror relaxed its hold upon
her at sight of her courage.
With resolute determination she
held her horror stricken eyes to take
in the situation in detail. She must
know everything, see everything, if
she were, to save herself, for, she
Comprehended readily enough that as
things w.ere it was every one for him
self. No one was going to risk his
life to hunt her up and drag her forth
from the pile of doomed cars.
that
Jean Grayson awoke in dazsd be
wilderment'. For a moment the noise
seemed a part of her dream her
strange, huddled position on the wood
The train had been crossing a river
when the crash came. There waB
water down below, black and terrify
ing in the glare of flame that was
leaping like great tongues among the
ruins just ahead. She could not tell
if the cause of the accident had been
a broken bridge or a collision, and
knew little about such things to judge.
The cars were piled one upon an
other in wild confusion, and the Pull
man in which she was immured was
standing on its forward end almost
perpendicularly. The engine was
overturned and fire was creeping up
ward and threatening the whole mass
while below the great black stretch
of water reflected the sight, making
doubly terrible every feature.
iContinued
Next Week.)
WINNIPEG SITUATION
GROWS MORE SERIOUS
Walkout of Telegraph Opera
tors Leaves City Isolated—
No Break In Strike Seen.
By Associated Press.
Winnipeg, Man., May 19.—Conditions
in Winnipeg brought about by the
general strike of more than 30,000
union, men and women are becoming
increasingly serious this morning. Pri
or to the walkout today at noon of
press, commercial and broker, telegra
phers, reports were spread by union
men that. Winnipeg, members of the
three great railroad brotherhoods were
discussing the advisability of joining
the -strike.
No announcement was made by
leaders of the trainmen, but the re
port p^rsibted a.t unipn labor halls that
the'strike vote woul'd. be taken today.
A message sent out to all commer
cial and press telegraphers in Canda
by Chairman A. .Robinson, of the lo
cal telegraphers' strike committee con
tained the request that no business,
either commercial or press, originating
in or destined to Winnipeg, except
death, returning soldiers or govern
ment messages with regard to the
strike situation be. transmitted.
The telegraphers have offered to
leaVe a sufficient staff in the commer
cial telegraph office to transmit such
telegrams.^
'.TWO PLIERS KfjkXVP
Pensaoola, Kla.. May 19.—Ensign P.
M. Fowler, of 8alem, Mass., and Chief
Quartermaster Byard were Wiled here
today, in the' fail of a seaplane into
Peosacola bay. The plane was
&
'l
-.'Y,