The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-06

crime with fearful vehemence. He I'm
| gered the pistol nervously. UnexpresseC
thoughts were coursing through his brain
In obedience to one of these he seized tbs
weapon and raised it from the table.
81 tell you, Bland, you are provoking me
beyond endurance. Flesh and blood won't
stand it. Let up, for Gods sake" He
lowered the weapon and laid it down
again
"Am to sit here and listen to your blus
ter because you happen to have temperi
Do you think to frighten me into the be
lief that you would dare try to injure meiH
II won't try to iniure you If you will 70
call your words as to those l hold dear"
81 have spoken no such words"
"YOur lnnuendoes then"
''Strong, yon are a fool For months
you have been secretly despised by every
man that comes to this den. You know il
and yet you act toward me as if neither oi
US knew it. | suppose you will pretend to
know nothing about the hole in the cash
drawer when you were cashier in The
Times counting room"
II never knew there was a hole in the
cash drawer" cried the bounded man
with renewed fury and wonder blended.
$50 supposed" ironically.
Strong once more took up the weapon,
glaring at his prosecutor and painting like
deer at bay.
''Oh, lay that toy down. You only want
to frighten me with it. You wouldn't
dare use it,"
Wouldn't dare?" He cooked Ii.
"No."
''Not after the hints as to my birth" He
pointed it at Blands breast.
Bland was silent
"And your vile suspicious thrown upon
one whose name if you had spoken it l
would have pounded the life out of your"
He put his forefnger on the trigger.
Still Bland said nothing.
"And after your lying implication that 1
am thief"
Bland was sitting all the while opposite
the muZzle of the pistol pointed at his
breast. He had shown himself master of
facial expression, and now gathered his
forces for crowning effert. Every feature
was brought into play to form picture of
taunting malice. He remembered once re-
porting a case where a young man had
dared friend who was pointing knife at
him to stab him and got stuck for his
pains. He resolved to hold Strong to his
purpose by similar procedure.
"You dare not"
81 dare not?"
"No."
Strong sat glaring into the face of the
man who had goaded him till self control
was obliterated. Bland's eyes were Turing
him to evil as a snake charms bird to
its destruction.
81 knew you dared not. I knew you
hadn't the nerve. l knew you were a
coward, thief, al
There was report and Bland fell back
in his chair.
The first words that broke the stiffness
which followed went from some one out
side:
my Godl the thing was loaded after
alp
The door opened and dozen men rushed
into the room. Strong was sitting with
the smoking weapon in his hand, leaning
forward, his eyes starting out of his head
and riveted on Bland Scarcely had the
crowd entered when Bland sat up, while
the pleasantest of all the smiles that had
ever charmed his companions broke over
his face. His shirt front was trihe black
ened with powder, but he was otherwise
uninjured. In his right hand, between his
first and second fingers, was a cigarette.
AS the men crowded in, Bland put the
weed between his lips and, drawing long
breath, threw his head back and blew a
ring Of smoke in the air directly above him.
Behold the wreath of victoryI" he said
gayly. Then rising from his seat he went
around to Strong and seized him in his
arms. Percy, dear boy" he said, cit was
all guy; it was about bet I've won,
and you shall drink all my share of the
wine"
''Then, for Gods sake, bring it on quick.
think Pm going to keel over"
A bottle was produced, and Bland, pour
ing out a glass, put his arm around
Strong's neck and with the other held the
foaming wine to his lips. Glass after glass
found its way down his throat before his
equanimity was restored and the color
came back to his cheek. But once himself
again he became as interested as the
others in the result of the experiment and
quite proud of having performed so i'm
portant part in it. Such is youth.
Mac" said Bland, when quiet was re-
stored, what did you want to risk putting
my eyes out tor2 ! told you to draw not
only the ball. but the charge"
81 thought it would have more dra-
matte effect to leave little powder in the
IRON There wasn't enough to kill a supe.
Here, swallow this and you'll forget all
about it."
Bland held glass of wine between his
thumb and finger and looked at its bubbles
Fellows" he said, 'T tell you what; if |
ever | turn parson I'm going to preach |
sermons to people who, though they don't |
commit overt sins. often provoke others to |
10 so. l hold that murder may be COM
nitted with words as well as with blud- |
yeon. At any rate, believe the stimuIa-
or will be held accessory before the fact at |
he last great tribunal.-F. A Mitchell in |
Pittsburg Bulletin.