Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08

the pressure Of his fingers upon her throat.
Granted; the murderer might excuse him
i self, but how about other people? I meant
| to steal" be went on, 'sbut didn't actually
steal, for the money is no longer in my pos
session. It must have been lost or stolen on
the way here. yielded to temptation, it
is true, but when was not in fnll command
of my faculties If had been we'll in
! mind and body never should have done
| that. But shall never profit by 1t, so /
am innocent" Hence, from the moment
when he accommodated himself to this sub
tie reasoning, Talbot began to shudder at
| the idea of losing the fruits Of his theft.
That night, during Kitty's absence, he
! called to the only other occupant of the
| prairie house-an old man-and asked:
'sAren't my clothes just at the foot of the
bed? 1 wish you would put them over me,
| for I feel little chilly"
The man smiled. How could anyone feel
cold in such extreme heat, in the middle of
June? Still, be humored the caprice, and
then left him.
Talbot's trembling fingers sought the
waistcoat. A miraclel The envelope was
in its place. He could feel the bank notes
| cracking inside the paper. Rich? He was
rich at lastl His eyelids closed, and, worn
out by the moral conflict, he fell into pro-
found sleep, full of delightful dreams. No
more remorse, no more repentance. Hence
forth he would look upon himself as neither
a thief nor an assassin, but as bold adven-
turer, taking his revenge upon all the world.
Next morning he awoke upon the fifth
day after the tragedy. He was still weak,
but his brain was clear, and his first WIDE
awake thought was of the money. He was
alone. He took out the envelope, and when
about to open it, saw that there was some
writing on it. The handwriting, as he
recognized at a glance, was that of Mrs.
Relitska. It said:
'If should be killed tonight, as think
Talbot Power has been, and this money by
any chance should escape the hands of the
cowboyimob, hereby bequeath it to Kitty
Mellish. She is a good girl, whom have
abused, and this reparation will wrong no
body else, because have no relative.
MIRA RELITSKA."
Talbot pressed his hands fiat on his eyes.
as though to disabuse them of an illusion:
but when he opened them again they read
the inscription as before. A cry OF joy
escaped from his lips. He was not mur-
derer. The will had been written, as its
language showed, after the cowboys attack,
after she had dropped from his grasp in a
swoon, and after he had been shot. She had
died under the hands of the plunderers, who
QaO DOT IOuQQ Lue ulQOtu
So he was not a slayer of a woman. And
Kitty was an heiressl
Where was she now? He was eager to
tell her of the good fortune. It was day.
break, but not clear daylight, and he could
barely see the writing plainly enough to
read it. A tap at his door interrupted his
second slow perusal. In response to his
"Come in p form with the outlines of a
ranchman entered, and stood in the shadow
against the closed door. The hat, pulled
well down over the forehead, would have
hidden the face even in less obscure cham
Der. For hesitant moment the figure in
the corner stood still and silent Then it
flung the cloak back and pushed the hat
up from the face.
"Who the devil are you ?" he asked in
amazement, peering in the dim light eagerly
at the face.
AS it came nearer he saw that the visitor
was Kitty Mellish.
''There's short time for explanation she
said. ''The house is going to be attacked
byNcowboy bandits The woman told me-
the woman who has been doing the house
work here-and then she ran away to save
herself The scoundrels have an idea that
Mrs. Relitska left money with us, and
they're bound to get it. -
$50 she did, Kitty, Talbot replied. "It |
is here. She wrote will bequeathing it to |
you"
"And have news as startling. Who do |
you suppose was the leader Of the mob that |
murdered Mrs. Relitska, nearly killed you,
and Is now coming to finish its work? Your |
cousin, Gregory O'Carroll. He came to see |
me two days ago. didn't tell you Of it yes |
terday because wished to keep you quiet, !
He said he loved me, hated you, had fol- |
lowed me to America and would not leave |
me to you. He declared he would trump up |
a charge that you had murdered Mrs. Relit- |
ska, and bring gang to lynch you. He
will be here soon."
s'I will fight it out to the last"
"We will fight it out. You are weak yet, |
but together we will equal your usual self. |
I've put on these clothes so they will mis- |
take me for a man, and not think girl is |
your only companion. will be man for |
sn hour, Talbot, or at least half man.
The invalid's eyes shone very brightly.
''Do you mean it?" he said, and the girl |
answered with look that sent the blood to |
the mans face.
went to the window, opened it, leaned out. |
and whistled at a lump of darkness on the |
road. It took shape and showed itself to be |
boy.
$50 to the railroad station with all !
speed, F" said Talbot. "Run as if the devil |
we're after you, and back again with every
fighting man they can muster. They'll |
know what they're wanted for when they're |
here. Be of.
The shadow vanished, and Talbot, after |
making q crude three-minute toilet, let |
Kitty in.
at will take the best part of half an hour |
before we can have q man here, " he said. |
''The later Cousin Gregory and his crew of |
cutthroats come, the worse for them."
"Hush," she said. 81 hear something"
They listened. On the road, nearer and |
nearer, came the clatter of horses hoofs.
'sThere's enough of them, said Talbot. |
"For the last time, Kitty, be off before it's
too late"
She turned on him with fierce look on
her beautiful face.
Talbot. I will be a happy girl to die
with you"
A great light of pity and passion shone in
his eyes. "Well, well, !" he said, 'if you
chance to tell you what think of you. I |
shall be the happy man. But now we must
make all snug"
He bolted the front door. Then be came
back, and in a moment he had bolted and
locked the door of the room, had swung the
table up against it and piled a couple of
chairs on the top. Then he examined the
chambers of his pistol and took Kitty's from
her belt and looked at it.
Fourteen shots, he said softly to him
self 'None of them must miss"
''None of them shall miss" said Kitty,
He took her hand and held it for second.
while they looked into each others eyes
There was q seconds pause, which seemed
endless, and the clattering of hoofs stopped
outside.
There was beating at the door, and, nat
1rally enough, no answer. Then Gregory
0SO.--.11p. ,-o;oa rooa an fha 81. |