The Jack-Knife Man

in, ma'am,"

Nobody here's going to hurt you.

he hardly knew what he was doing or saying. The ghast

f a falling body and a cry. He pushed one of the stove lids aside, letting a glare of red light into the room. The woman had

" the small boy wail

flight-of leaping over the fallen body-but, as he stood, the alarm-clock, after a preliminary warning cluck, burs

. "Don't you mind the racket. It ain't nothing but my old funny alarm-clock. She goes

ldly than ever, calling

ter. "That clock will stop right soon, and she w

ng abruptly, the boy st

r ma. I guess she'll be all right in a minute. You go over by that stove a

He put the peg back in the wall, and placed the gun

ghted down with sleet, and the green dye from the trimmings had run down and streaked her face. She was fairly well clad, but not against the winter rain, and her shoes were too li

the glowing coals of the opened stove. "I better not put my h

t now I got to fix your ma so's

Brandy or whisky would be right handy, and I ain't got a drop. This ain't no case fo

coals of his fire and while he waited

right glad if we took off them wet shoes and stockings of yours and got your feet nice and warm.

white kinks that burst out when Peter pulled off the red stocking-cap into which they had been compressed. From the first moment the boy snuggled to Peter, settling himself contente

said the boy, as Peter

me, too," said Peter. "So far as I can s

oy. "The other foot is the lame one. It ain

not hurt it a bit." He began removing the shoe and stocking from

hed, giving a little kick. "You thought it was a so

hung the wet stockings over his woodpile. The boy ask

toes at the stove, like they was ten little kittens, and

ned her eyes and laughed; a harsh, mirthless laugh, which made her strangle on the coffee, but when her eyes met Peter's eyes, the oath that was on her lips di

d. "I must have keeled over

le feet, as nice as can be," said Peter

ybe he could get a bite to eat. It don't matter much what, he ain't eat since noon. A piece of brea

Bread, and butter on i

and here I went and let myself run clean out of it. But don't you worry, ma'am," he hastened to add, "I'll get some in no time. Just you let me help you over on t

eter led her to the bunk with all the courtesy of a Raleigh escorting an Elizabeth, and she dropped on the

my neighbor's and get something for the boy to eat. I won't probably be gone more than a minute, and whilst I'm gone I'll arrange

on't want to chase you

frequently sleep elsewheres. It'll be

he pinned his coat close about his neck with a blanket pin, and, as he passed the

d, drawing his worn felt hat down over his eyes, he

the clock?" asked the

I'd steal it," said

teal it?" as

woman answered, an