The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-11-21
VANITY HARDW ARE.
BIZ ALAN MUIR.

IF you were fifty men you can't escape
Drop the pistol, and don't put rope round
yoCr neck for the sake of another quarter.
hour by yourself in that ROOM"
Cool language, all things considered
Hardware answered with roar Of laugh.
ter.
''Come tlown!' he cried. mo, thank you;
I am master here. Come up, you The way
is narrow. and you are broad enough. Still,
II take care, l may riss you; I may not
make your wife widow; come along and
try"
Nov, my good man." the officer said,
with reasoning air, but watching Hardware
narrowly. and making ready to dart back if
he should fire, ''you are clever fellow, and
you kno,o the games up You have played
well, but you kno,c the games up. Don't be
a madman."
"A mailman! "a madman!" roarel Hard
ware, catching Mt the word with another ter
rible laugh. Come upstairs, mister; up
into the madman's room. Don't Re afraid
of catching the complaint. l promise you
will be safe enough before your foot is on the
top step Up to the madman's room, and
let's have dance"
The officer hesitated.
Here's your good hcalthr' shouted Hard
ware. May you never die until you taste
blue plum. Your health, my man! your
health! your very good health"'
The detective was meditating how he
could break his way through, or whether he
could coax his man down, when Hardware,
having drained his tumbler, hurled it saw
agely at the officer. Quick as the detective
was, he saved himself only by a hairs
breadth; and the glass was flung with such
fury that it scarcely made a crash as it
shivered upon the floor.
Your health for forty years." roared
Hardware, with his diabolical laugh, land
after that, your lifetime! Walk upstairs and
have chat with the old mani"
In the moment while the officer drew back
Hardware must have carried out his awful
scheme, for when the detective looked up the
stairs again all was raging flame. Hardware
had delnged the place with kerosene, or some
lnfiammable liquid of the sort, and had set
the whole on fire. At the top he stood as
before, looking now like some gigantic fiend
Come up to the madman's room!" he
yelled again. Hot fame, cold lead!' all
ready! Up to the madman's room"
water! water!' the detective shouted to |
his companions; ''water here, or tho whole |
house will be afre!'
Another roar of laughter came from above |
Won't you come up! won't you join me |
in glass: l am going to have another. |
A glass with the mailman! glass in the fire |
with the madman.'
Then they heard another loud crash, the |
meaning Of which was evident the next in |
slant. Hardware must have thrown a great
glass vessel down the stairs filed " it'll kero- !
sens, for Immediately after the crasl, a |
stream of liquid flame ran into the room.
Another crash followed, and another. and |
now tho room began to swim in fire.
Until this moment no one had thought of |
wounded Vanity; and there she lay on the |
ground. But now the fame, running across |
the floor, had just set fire to her dress. when
the detective caught her up IN his arms and
dragged her out of the house. Indeed, the
whole party had only time to rush out before
the fire filed the room.
And no sooner were they in the little gar
den than Hardware flung open the window
and glared out upon the group with face
from which every expression except triumph,
defiance and hatred had vanished. He held |
his revolver in his hand.
Five chambers!' he shouted out, land
only one wanted within door, Which shall |
have first!'
He glared round wildly and saw Gracious
Me, and his face lit up with diabolical
recognition.
'Ah, my friend! my little friend Peeping
Tom! Why not begin with Peeping Tom:
first
He pointed his revolver at wretchctl Ora
,ious Ne, who was too frightened to RIM
away, and fell on his knees pleading for life |
with fearful energy. Meanwhile the s,noks |
legan to rush out of the window in clouds.
end halt hid the awful face of Hardware
but he ioared afresh with laughter, and did |
rot fire at first, seeming to enjoy the terro:
"t the wretch below. How many lives that |
little l,,,sc saved M man can saw.
Lot the ug!ies he helped firstl" cried Hard |
ware again. Ohio. Peeping Tom! Open
Your mouth and shut your eyes, and SOC
what somebody sends you!"
Little Gracious, paralyzed with agony and
fear, poured out his entreaties for mercy.
and Hardware answered with TINT awtni
laugh, which seemed defiance of God and
man.
Crack went the pistol. and down. without
sound. dropped little Gracious Ne. and
then, from the angi> II the house. thew
ieairt yell of rage f,..n Hardware. for. in
that instant, lns other victims had rot ont of
reach. and the sn'o:.,' Legan to roll out in
volumes, and. i'll ">s .inle than it takes to
pen these lines. :.!' whole Of old Tumble
down Farm was in flames. Ana vet Ito
count the tim" again it was not more than
hve minutes since that old blind. deaf,
decrepit hgur' had been cropping over his
newspaper III the corner. But Harlware's
plans were al III long before. It was plain |
that tho man Was resolved never to l,e taken |
alive. The summer air grew dark with |
smoke, and every room in the Farm was full |
Of fire.
But within The most profound silence pre- |
vailed. None were able to tell whether or |
not Hardware bad fired another shot. Ho !
may have done ~, but the last that was
ever seen o. known of him was when he dis |
charged his revolver at Gracious Me-. The
detectives made some l,l.ett,,se IF tr.;,,r e.