Evening journal., 1891-05-28

wings nHtherf' asked Miss Betsy with
evident irritation. "Iiev yer seen anything
o. Grove Hacket this mawnin'W
"Why, hewitt he turned up yitg" ques-
toned Steve in we'll feigned surprise.
Not ez anybody knows, cried Miss Bet
sy petulantly.
"Ef that's ther case, hits likely yer
won't set eyes on i'm terday. Pm jest
minded" )" continued Steve, AS with sudden
thought, 81 seed Bill Warner las night,
an he tole me Hacket war on a powerful
spree agin."
Well, good mercy now amt that beau
tifui?" cried Miss Betsy Indignantly.
"Jes' lissen ter me-" said Steve per-
suasively after a moments reflection
'yeres mare already saddled an bridled,
an she's good 'un too Now watts ther
use ter stay at home when yer kin jump
right on her an 60 straight ter ther show,
which hits pity ter miss fer fellow wat
likes Ticker better'n a promise"
Miss Betsy looked anxiously up the road,
then W istfully down it.
Hit must be licker watts keepin' i'm,
elsen led ha' been yere fore this" she
said in hesitation.
"Ef folks is a-goin' they'd oughter be on
ther way thar" said Pap" Scruggs be
tween the puffs Of his cobpipe. and seem.
ingly addressing his remarks to space
They say ez hits powerful big show"
added Steve with alluring impressiyeness
"Thar's ever single varmint on thar whole
face O. ther yearth yer kin see, an ridin' an
tumbiin' an eddicated dogs, till yer'd die
a-lafiin' at 'en cuttin' up ther shinesn
The picture was a most alluring one.
Pap, Pm a-goin' weth Mr.. Trower
that's jes' wat / am" said Betsy. gather
ing up her riding skirt.
Fully an hour later Grove Hacket rode
up to the Scruggs homestead He was
still under the influence Of liquor, and
showed unmistakable evidences Of a nights
debauch.
When he learned that Miss Betsy had
gone away some time before in the com
pany Of Steve Trower, he turned about
without a word, and giving his horse saw
age cut with a switch, galloped back in the
direction Of his home.
"rhar's goin' to be trouble yit 'twix
Steve an Grove jes' bout this very thing
muttered Pap" Scruggs as he slowly re-
traced his steps TO the house, obviously
shaking his head as he went.
Some two weeks after this incident
Hacket was out one day with his rifle for
the purpose of bagging some game, and
also to freshen up bit after his long
spree. He had learned from Bill Warner,
in moment Of maGdlin confidence, of the
part his rival had played in the matter of
his recent spree, and a desire for revenge
burned fierce within him. He had also
possessed himself Of the idea that Miss
Betsy Scruggs was a willing abettor in the
shabby trick that had been played him,
and his feelings were undergoing that
strange process by which hatred can be
finally evolved from love.
He had seen neither of the parties since,
and it was with surprise that he came sud
denly upon Steve Trower taking a bath in
one of the shady pools of creek whose
source was in the higher hills beyond.
Groves presence was no less unexpected
to the bather. They looked at each other
in silence for moment, Steve standing in
water up to his waist and Grove on the
bank above him
The bank was a little overhanging at
this point, and Steve, with apparent indif-
ference, moved slowly toward it, each step
bringing the water farther up on his body
and placing him more in the shelter of the
bank.
Grove was not oblivious to this, and
slowly raising his rifle to his shoulder said
"Stop right thar"
While the words were ominous, the action
was more so, and Steve's head involunta-
rily disappeared under the water like
loon which had espied foe
Presently he came up within little dis
tance of where he had disappeared, while
Grove with a grotesque leer, deliberately
brought his gun to bear upon him again,
and Steve as promptly ducked his head
under the water.
This odd performance was repeated sew
eral times, until Steve began to show un-
mistakable signs of fatigue. painting and
blowing as he came to the surface.
As yet no word had been spoken.
"Gittin' skeerce o. wind, is ye?" demand
ed Grove with exultant satisfaction. Eyer
thievin' skunk I'm nigh a mind ter make
yer drown yer trifin' carkis, / hev Dipp
Steve promptly obeyed.
Again and again Grove compelled him TO
go down under the water, each time giving
vent to loud outlaws OF delight which
echoed through the valley.
Between these outbursts Of merriment
Grove kept up a running commentary:
"Lordyl Lordyl this Is heap sight fun
nier than ther show, hit air. Hits better'n
them eddioated animiles. Ef yer gifts
little wet 'twon't hurt yer much. I'll git
Bill Warner ter fotch yer down some prime
ole redeye, but don't yer git on no spree,
kase yer mout not be able ter keep yer pint
ment with me. S'pose yer dip down again
that's hit-only yer mustn't keep yer
noggin under ther water so long, fer I'm
feared yer health'll be 50 porely yer can't
go down ter Dry Crick Settlement mex
show day, which would be powerful on
fortunit on Miss Betsy Scruggs, now
wouldn't hiti Mus yer dip down aging
Well, don't stay thar long, fer want ter
see yer purity face soon. Here yer come up.
Now s'posen yer try divin' onct more-hit
sorter minds me of a turkleslippin' often a
log. DANCED eff this hain't a sight better'n
any show ever seed. Hal hal hal how he
kin dive"
Finally, utterly exhausted and breath
less, Steve caught bold Of the barred roots
Of a tree projecting out over the water.
"Ef yer air goin' ter shoot, why, sRootw
he cried sullenly. What's ther use o.
fooliniYn
"rain't none, !" answered Grove laconic-
ally, though hit do look like a pity ter
spile nice love match, liken yer an Miss
Betsy hev got up. Pm arter game, how
wat comes in my way. This air good
time, toe, ter settle up some ole scores wat
hev been runnin' fer long time back"
He slowly lowered his rife, examined the
lock carefully, then the printing and de-
hberately raised it to his shoulder again.
Ready, is yer, yer pizen headed rat
tler?" he called out to Steve, who through
all these prelimiuaries had maintained a
stoical bearing.
"Shoot, yer sneakin' cowardT the bather