Evening journal., 1891-07-30

quaffed In silence and sorrow, after which
Mr.. Thomson fired his pistol few times
through the thin board walls OF the room
in a vague and desultory manner and came
away, leaving the stranger to mediate on
the exuberant character OF his entertain
ment.
"Oh, ! wasn't Amin TO hit him none,
said Texas Thomson, as Armstrong re
buked him gently when they met a mo
ment later in the Gold Mine saloon. q
was Jest runnin' little blazer onto him
and sorter bangs away with my gun as an
evidence Of good faish."
"Ohl the blazer was all right said Arm
strong critically. "rhis yere stranger
takes TO putin on dog an OF course some
things got TO be done for the credit Of Gin
nabar. But when itwins-when You don't
get called on TO make good, you shorely
oughter stop thar. This yere shootin
round the dinin' room was frivolous, an
annoyin' 10 other men as sets thar calmly
eatin' an who Hn't In IL. It's disturbin
TO 'em. What do you think, yourself
Rosewoodr'
'rhat's whatever" said Rosewood Jim
as he riffied deck and snapped it in tn,
deal box. 1T sorter takes them boarders
minds often their wittles that away, an Is
bad for the digestion"
Whoever is this yere strange femaleg
interrupted Bill Tut, who stood looking
from the door.
1t was growing dusk now, and a slight
strange figure ia skirts could be Just seer
as it entered the Office Of the hotel acros,
the way.
"Some she Mexican, over from Chilli, ,
said Armstrong. Chilli Was that portion
Of Cinnabar in which the Mexicans mosi
did congrcgate, and Armstrong's ready ex
planation seemed the likely one.
"Do you know" said Rosewood Jim a.
he sat ut his faro table caressing stack o
blues, "do you know don't feel all right
about this yere bean eater Of Thomson's
| aint sopoerstitious, but I'd shorely lik,
10 know what ever this yer ershorthorn come,
a-canterin' into camp for anyhow"
you jest takes a notion agin him." SAID
Tut, same as you says while back
that's all"
"No, it amt no notion neither" per
sisted Rosewood Jim, still fumbling tn,
stack Of blues 1T gist sorter weighs down
on me thar's goin' TO be- some queer pla,
made round yere."
DO you all know" said Jack Moore
who had been lending his ear in silence
that's the way II hits me the minute
sees this yere stranger That's why make
that talk about rewards. It strikes M
somehow he's bein' trailed fer something ,
81 don't know what you all feeli
comm" said Texas Thomson sourly," bu
You can gamble he eats them beans thre
times day while he stays. sees to tina
personal"
II was playin' poker in the Full Blow
Rose last night an sees jacks on eight
out three times, continued Rosewood
still assisting his musings with the sof
clatter Of the chips as he sorted them be
tween his experienced thumb and fore
finger. "That's the hand the dead ma
held an Is alters a warnin'."
The morning dawned on ripple of ex
element at the o. X. hotel The strange
lay white and dead. By his side, with al
arm across his face, was the beautiful lif
abandoned body of a woman. 1t was tn,
stranger in the dusk Of the night before
Her hair was jet, and her dark skin in tn,
pallor of death, took the hue of cream
The stranger had met death by the stiletto
aud the slender blade which wended him
thin as paper, keen as biting frost, hat
then been sheatbcd in the dark beauty
torrid heart
This yere is murder said Armstron,
thoughtfully, IA he gazed at the pair, ''an
the FIRST as Cinnahar sees. We has hae
killin's here before, but no murders, which
is different a whole lot"
NJ shore hopes whar he now il the grul
beats beans point,~ said Texas Thomson
Dan Quin In ST. Louis Republic