Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-18

slant. -
''Weli, said Strange, 81 don t think
far. -
MAY be not, but have gone quite
far enough. In any case. I snail not
allow you to benefit any longer by my
enemy IS downfall. -
''What do you mean?T asked Strange
in an alarmed tone.
That the play is played and to-mor-
| row l put Nngent in the possession OF
! certain information that viii land YOU in
Sing Sing, my man You marry a pure
young girl: Fan! 1t sickens me to
think of it. -
Strange's expression grew set aud
hard. Even a rat viii tight when it can
not run, and so he, when he saw the
whole fabric of his future Happiness and
security erumble away, became for the
moment brave.
And you think 1 am going to fold my
hands and give up without a struggle?
Why man, what proofs have you that
you are Houston?''
81 don t think Nugent, as ne calls
himself, will need a second look at me-
1 have not changed much mere than he,
and knew him at a glance. Besides,
as you may remember, l took steps to
prevent your showing your teeth.
think have in my pocket here a confess
sion of certain feIonlous assault COM
mitted by one Lemuel Strange and Wit
messed by me. -
For the last moment or so Lemuel had
been fumbling unnotieed by the other Ia
drawer in front of him. Now he sud-
denly sprang up. Then, by GodI'' he
cried ''you don t leave this room alive
fbof
and he pointed a revolver at the other
Quick as a flash Houston 8 right hand
skipped to his hip, but with a look Of
chagrin he murmured, GIVE forgotten
my gun;' then in a louder tone, but
still cool and collected, he answered,
''Don t play with that. It might go OF
You fooII Do you think you viii mend
matters by numbering me? People get
hanged in this part of the world for that
sort of thing.
With cunning Ieer Strange replied,
still pointing the pistol at the other, 'sI
have thought OF that You are unknown
while L am man of undoubted respeota-
bility. Don t you think it will be easy
for me to tell story of attempted rob
berry and assault, and a hasty shot fired
to scare but unfortunately having fatal
effect? Now will you give me the paper
or not?'
''You're pluekier than I gave you
credit for, - said Houston, cycling him
steadily. "Suppose we compromise.
will let you go and say nothing TO NJ
gent provided you are out of the country
inside of twenty hours.
''Thank you, you are very kind. -
sneered the other, ''but mean exactly
what L say. Hand over that paper or I
fire. -
Houston slowly unbuttoned his coat
and apparently was going to place his
hand inside the inner breast pocket when
with an agility hardly 20 be expected
from one of his years he made q sudden
dart at Lemuel. As he did so there came
hasty knocking at the outer door,
and between the surprise of this. and the
suddenDess of Houston s movement,
Strange lost his head for moment. The
elder man closed on him, there was
short struggle for the pistol, a report,
and when the smoke cleared away
Lemuel was lying stretched out on the
floor with a strehm of blood trickling
from his foreRead, and the still smoking
pistol clasped firmly in his hand. He
had discharged it himself, but the bullet
had taken his own life instead Of that pr
his adversary. sza -.
Houston walked to the door AZ cooIiyS~
as though nothing had happened, un-
locked it, and Proudfoot rushed IN FOL
lowed bp Jack.
"Then you are not hurt?'' gasped the
former. "But where is Stranger
''I don It know who you are, SIR, but
if you are friend Of Strangers you had
better send for policeman. He is lying
in the inner room shot through the head
and am inclined to believe he needs q
coroner rather than doctor. -
''Thank God! - painted Harold.
'sThat sounds as if you knew Strange
well, - said the other with grim sar-
casnr
81 mean am glad you are unhurt. -
was the answer.
''But what is it allabo ut2 And what
does it mean?" broke in Jack, who
thought, as he afterward averred, that
the stranger must be an escaped lunatic
and that Harold had caught the malady
from him.
81 was about to ask that question my
self, - said the stranger, ''for matters
seem little mixed. Suppose, to begin
with, you tell me who you are, - and be
turned to Harold.
81 am Harold Proudfoot of the Chron-
iele. -
''And your friend9''
els Mr.. Jack Houston?'
Houston stepped up to Jack, and put
ting his hand on his shoulder peered
eagerly into his face. ''Don t think me
too eccentric, said he with a queer
smile, "but want to have a good look
at you. L am John Houston, yoEv
father!''
CHAPTER XIV.
FATHER AND SON.
Jack stared at his father with q COM
zeal expression of bewilderment and ap-
prehension. for he was now more than
ever firmly convinced that he had to do
with lunatic. The older man did not
fail to notice the expression and to right
ly interpret it.
81 don t expect you TO accept me as a
relation on my mere say so, - be re-
marked, 'fbut within a very few hours
1 shall be able to convince you Of the
truth of my somewhat startling state
ment. In the meantime, Mr.. Proud
foot, perhaps you VIII explain how you
managed to arrive in the very nick of
time like the hero of one of those start
ling melodramas I used to steal away to