Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-14
CHAPTER VIII.
A PRICE ON HIS HEAD.

CHAPTER VIII
| PRICE ON HIS HEAD
No sprinter ever made better time
than did Mr.. Drane in his first run from
the Retreat. A medal at the end of a
track is not half the inducement to
speed that pursuer at the beginning
is. If Lawrence had been timed by a
stop-watch it would probably have ap-
peared that he had broken all records at
| the end of the first hundred yards; and
| yet 1t seemed to him that he was not
running half fast enough. The street
was absolutely deserted, but he came
presently to the corner of an avenue
that was brilliantly lighted and lively
with many passers.
Then he stopped abruptly and walked
| slowly up the avenue for short dis
tance. His heart was beating violently
with excitement and the exertion of his
run, and he knew that he must get
somewhere out of sight at once. Just
ahead of him he saw that the street-car
tracks entered tunnel, the sidewalks
and carriage-way rising over hill above
| it. Believing that here lay his oppor-
tunity he entered the tunnel and
walked through its half mile of length
without molestation save from cars
that passed him occasionally. The
drivers and conductors looked at him
sharply, and that made him wish that
he had staid above ground. 1t also i'm
pressed him with the necessity of dis
guising himself
At the end of the tunnel ho found
himself in front of the Grand Central
Depot. If he could only take train
and go somewhere! lnstinctively his
hand went to his pocket and then he
remembered. The thought of passing
again through an-experienee of hunger
with its possibilities of police courts
and ferry-boat concerts so distressed
him that he had half a mind to return
to Jenkins and confess himself a
lunatic. Then probably he would be
put in straight jacket and be confined
in a loathsomeAcell for the rest of his
days. Horrible!
Suddenly he remembered that he had
been in the habit of carrying a fifty
dollar bill in little pocket unobtrusive-
| ly made at the waistband of his trousers
Most of us would have thought of that
before, but Mr.. Drane had passed his
boyhood in the lap Of luxury, and in his
| manhood had not escaped from her lead
ing-strings until the beginning of these
unhappy episodes, so that the where
withal was naturally the last element
to enter into his consideration of practi-
| cal problems. In this case he felt GER
tain that his enemy, the tramp, must
have overlooked that pocket. He thrust
trembling finger into it. Glorious
He felt the soft but firm texture of a
bank note, and he knew that he was
saved. He marched proudly into the
depot and inquired about trains for
Boston. That was still further away
| from home, but he had friends there
who would identify him and sec him out
of his trouble. A train would leave in
the course of an hour. Good. How
much? Five dollars. Very reasonable.
One ticket, please.
While the strip of paste-board was be-
ing stamped Mr.. Drane drew forth the
hidden bill and unfolded it. Then his
heart went down to hold sad com
munion with his heels.
81 beg your pardon" he faltered, ad-
dressing the ticket-seller, ''but | don't
The bill was two
The tramp had been commendably
thorough in his search through Mr.
Drane's clothes, and, having found use
for the fifty dollars, had recognized the
utility of an emergency fund and had
limited his reserve TO two dollars.
':Not bit! You won't come to haru.
I'll see you through and give you money
afterwards
'I'll have to go you, What am to
ao?"
Change clothes with mer'
The tramp was staggered at this sug-
gestion, but he consented, though he
vainly tried to get Lawrence to unfold
the scheme.
"The only trouble is said Lawrence,
81 don't know where we can do this
%Well, | do" replied HIS companion,
and he forthwith led the way TO de-
serted rookery where they speedily ex.
changed garments. Mr.. Drane put on
the rags again with some revolt, but he
was confident in the success of his
scheme, and that nervcd him
When they>stA'-.I,jed out again into
! IL fso g Street he asked the tramp where he
had gone when he first took the clothes
from the Adams Hotel.
oh" he said, Il played in great
luck, and III be all right if you get me
ont OF this affair with little money in
hand. You see. pranced around town
for the day, and the next day fell in
with an old sweetheart of mine. She
used to live in Buffalo. and she was
poor enough then, but it seems that
some time ago she went through q
mock marriage that afterwards turned
out 70 be binding"
Ihe tramp paused and laughed glee-
| fully.
ssYes, yes exclaimed Mr.. Drane,
eagerly. What then?"
why. you sec, tho fellow she married
was laundering rich, and he went OF
and got killed just after tho ceremony
and left all his money to her. Eswi
lIawi hawi And thens Fon know, told
her that had got rich, too | made a
good bluff at it with your money and
Jour clothes and She believed me. Sa
; we got married that very day"
You married her2' GasDed Lawrence.