The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-02-19

wouldn't"
Serve him right soor. chjped in the
crowd.
"Say. fellers." he went on, SIT was as
much as could do to keep my hands OF
him the last time saw him. He'd better
keep out of my way:'
.'You sock it to him, Gerry, and we'll
stand by you, suggested one OF the men,
who looked very much as if he meant it
''You 60 and see him, and then Ell
he won't keep his hands off and do the
decent thing by you, just lick him. was
the advice of one of the more conserva-
tive members of the crew.
The upshot of it all was that Gerald
grew more and more excited as the mat
ter was discussed, and INDUCED in a good
many threats of 'staking it out of Gran
brooks hide" in case he refused to ex-
tend the time for payment.
He left the crowd at about o'clock
to look for his creditor. going direct to
the bank" as Seth's little Office was
called. He was not there, so Gerald de-
termined to 60 to Seth's house.
Weston was sensible fellow, after all,
that having lost his temper Cranbrook
would have him at disadvantage in the
argument. and he determined to take a
roundabout walk to the house, so that he
might cool down before the meeting took
place. On the way, strangely enough, he
only saw one man, Jim Turner, whom he
met some three miles from CranbroOk's
place.
At about three o'clock that same after
noon, bronzed, sturdy looking fellow,
dressed in the rough blue clothing COM
monty worn by the fishermen, was seen
by two or three people entering the lit
tie garden in front of Cranbrook's house.
There goes Weston" said Elijah Has
kins to his wife, 81 guess he's gOin' to
see Seth bout the mortgage" Every
body in Seabrook knows all about every
charms of small places.
Mollie was alone in the house that af-
ternoon, and it was baking day. AS she
came from the pantry with dishpanful
of flour, some one opened the kitchen
door without the formality of knocking.
Expecting to see Mrs. Haskins, she
turned quickly towards the door.
''Richardr' she cried, "Richard-my
God! Can it be you?' and before Rich
ard Weston could catch her she had
dropped the pan of flour, reeled and fall
| len unconscious.
When she recovered her senses she
found herself in Dicks arms.
''Mollie," he whispered, ''Mollie, dear
est-open your eyes. 1t is I, Dick, 1
have come back to you"
| For a minute or two Mollie was dazed
by the sudden temperance of the lover
she had mourned as dead. Then the
horror of the situation came to her, and
gently repulsing him she arose and tot
tered to the table, where, f1inging her
self into a chair, she bowed her head
and gave way to burst of hysterical
weeping.
| For a few minutes Dick stood watch
ing the woman's agony. A smile of
triumph illumed his sun-burnt face and
cleaned in his dark eyes; then, striding
across the room, he laid his hand on her
head with the old caressing motion she
remembered SO we'll, and said:
"You have not forgotten me, Mollie;
you love me, you are mine."
Checking her sobs, she replied in a
voice which had lost all it's music, and
sounded hard and unnatural:
Not yours, Dick, not yours. God
forgive me; am Seth Cranbrook' 8
wife!''
| 81 know that" he answered slowly
and distinctly, ''his by law. but mine by
right. am rich man now-come with
me-far away from Seabrook, and we
will be happy together"
! Mollie's eyes dilated with horror She
arose from the chair and throwing his
hand off her shoulder, took three slow
steps backward from him. After look
ing him full in the face for an instant,
she said in a low voice, thrilling with
Indignation:
"How dare you? How dare you. say,
come to an honest woman and insult her
like this?"
Nonsense, Mollie!' he said. after a
pause. You are the last woman in the
world would willingly insult. Be
reasonable. Seth stole you from me
while was away. He has no right to
you, for l love you and you love me-
and you know it,
At this moment Seth Cranbrook stop
ped at the open door and heard the last
words uttered by Dick. Before he could
recover from his astonishment Mollie's
voice rang out with no uncertainty, no
wavering in it.
Richard Weston" she cried, 'syou
are worse than coward, you are con-
temptible scoundrel to propose this dis
honor to me! Seth Cranbrook is not here,
but i, his wife, order you to leave this
house,
Like whipped puppy, Dick turned
without another word. As he faced the
door he saw the white. stern face of
Cranbrook. who, with uplifted arm stood
prepared to bar his passage from the
house.
The sight of Cranbrook appeared to
madden him, and darting to the wood
box in the corner, he picked up a round
billet of beech wood, and rushed at the
old man.