Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-08-10
Beautiful Jim.
BY John Strange Winter.

ulNl everything. uUu sDe ioiu tDe Wv w.
mind yo, tha, she is bound 10y no promise
to shield you. and has no reason for con-
cealnlent
the Dire place biahkly. trying hard tore
cover from the blow which Beautiful
Jim words had dealt him: but at last he
looked up
Am to spend the rest OF my life In
purgatory under Nancy's thumb7" he
asked hoarsely
I'm afraid that's about IT," returned
Jim. st0lidly
But ! tell yon II was an accident, .
pure accident he persisted. miserably
OH yes OF course most murders
are replied jim quietly 1T couldn't
be your fault for pitching seven pound
dumb bell at owen when his back was
turned but poor dear Owens funlt for
getting in he way OF II believe that's
generally the way with murders but I'm
ofrllalely iirynen are such internal
block heals hat they cant often be got
to i,n,k at the matter In the right light
II y u devil of u nuisance. OF course. but
there the jurles a.e. and their decision Is
law
Life won't be worth having" Tommy
groaued ublecily
Neither would !, at Portland. even II
you got ic, of so easily as that. returned
Jim with what Tommy designated in his
own mind ny unfeeling brutality And
you should have thought of that. you
know. before yon took 10 shying dumb
bells about
And hen all nj once. and without warn
ing Tommy burst out crying. and sobbed
convulsively for some minutes
''lt's too hard. he burst out. THAT E1y
whole life should be ruined like this, l
tell you Id no idea no notion, not the
smallest. of killing the fellow lie always
was u contrary. crossgraincd brute -
Take care. take care. muttered Jim
between His teeth
lie was-perliaps not to you. but to mo
from the very first and always. Tommy
cried. passionately ''And that day after
spy ing and busying himself about my pri-
vate affairs. which had and could have had
no, hing TO do with hiri. he goaded me
almost-almost." Gercely-"nay. alto.
cilious. damnable airs | was mad when
did that. but mad US was, had never o
thought of killing him; ! swear ! never
had :"
AT the same time" said Jim. frigidly,
you would find it unconmonly difficult
to persuade q jury to look at 1t in that
light.
II know it," Tommy rcjoined. wretch
edly. but do you think ever forget it!
Night and day. alike, have that horrible
thud In rly ears. and Owens dead face. Us
! saw II In the morning. before my eyes
good heavens. nan' don't you think that
have suffered very hell of regret and that
Idon'i suffer II still every day every hour.
ay. every moment Of my lifeY'
no, don't returned Jim. no more
moved by this outburst of passion against
a self wrought fate than he would havo
been by blue bottle 1y buz=ing up and
down u window pane Il saw you in the
Winter Garden an hour ago. and pom ray
soul. even knowing you Us well as do. |
was astonished at your powers of enjoy.
ment-l was indeed
you told mo yourself" cried Tommy,
ficrccly. that was TO look as usual. that
! was not to so about looking hang dog
and wrctched
so did, bu, never expected to SEQ
you take mp yoir little 1irlations again
with quite ihe zcst you displayed this af
ternoon Eovever, it's no use going over
tho old ground ugain and again in this
way have given you your sisters mes
sage. and. for the present. you appear to
be safc, though. of course. one can never
tell what may or may not turn up, |
don't think you need irlarine hat she is
going TO riake your life burden 10 you.
for really | don't believe sic will ever
want to see you. or be In any way raiycd
up with you again think what she
means by your doing anything that she
disapprovcs' is The chance that you might
want to rlorry--the girl ut the Duck s
Tail for instance.
"Oh! that is altogether ont of the ques
tion," said Tommy in a relieved tone aud
with last of tho Earlcs" mir about him
''Ycs. I'm sure il is" said Jim. for
Miss Mceking simply would not look at
you now All the same. ! don't think
your sister would stand you marrying any
body. she wouldn't think ii right to let
any lady go blindly into such mine rs II
marriage with you would be Least OF
al would she allow your marrying one Of
tho Lcslies. so you had better let your ut
tentions cool off in that quarter.
''lcaut see what diGerence"-Tommy
began. when Jim cut him short
"Do you think you are fit to marry any
good worlanY'' he asked why. you
know as well as co. that If any ono of
the Leslie family had the least idea of tho
truth. they would shun you as they would
shun lepcr You know it; SO be warned
In time. and bo sure that your sister
would never allow marriage with one of
them to take place without fully acquaint
ing MIR Leslie OF your past dare say IL
IL hard on you-wickedness and crime do
fall heavily on those who commit them.
and very properly too And Ill tell you.
Earle. tho very first thing you've got to
10 to make your life better than 1t is now,
and your mind easier-that is, get rid OF
the false idea you've cajoled yourself into
believing of Owens death being all acei
dent. 1t was no more all accident than my
nsking your sister to marry me was OH nc
cident. SO the sooner you acknowledge the
truth to yourself aud try to conquor that
| cowardly temper OF yours. the better
and with these words Jim got up and nn
locked the door. as an intimation to
Tommy that the interview was Mt an end