The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-04-29

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man. Everyone seemed to stop
breathing. Hogan, encircled by eyes
of hatred and scorn; deliberately re-
turned that hate to each and all
with slowly travelling glance, then re-
turned it to the implacably gentle
face OF his victim, who at that instant
said distinctly, slowly; 81 do not rec
ognize this man."
Hogan flung him scathing look,
and said in his heart: Course him
for fool" A kissing sound as OF
pent-up breath escaping came from
each person in the room. Kate Hol-
lister broke into q hoarse and baf-
fled cry. Look agsin dear, look
once more. Can't we have more
lightP Doctor you see he doesn't know
what he is saying, | am sure it is the
man. Oh, my darlingl Look again,
again" He did look again, then he
visited every face in the room with
that look OF majesty reqssuring them
all.
"Hush, Kate. ] do not recognize
the man" He held out his hand to
hogan, dissipating the doubts of
every looker-on except one She tried
to intervene, then fell faiAting against
the doctor.
"Shake hands, man. There's no i'll
will between u.s." The constables
pushed Hogan towards him. Their
hands met. Instantly O something, @
change swept over Hogan's face, mas
tered by the steady warning of peace
full eyes.
''Try to do some good with your
life, lad. When a man lies here, he
wishes he'd made better use of his
time" His grasp relapsed; Hogan
walked from the room with clenched
hands, pursued by q long rattle, q
gasp, q woman's strickland silence.
Down on the river bank, amid ooze
and mists and all the deadly miasms
OF swamp lands. and sluggish water,
stood reeking, shattered tenement
house full to the NAV with shattered
lives. Hogan climbed it's stairs to the
roof, savagely cursing constables,
crowd, associates, all, who had shrunk
from him as he shambled away. He
flung himself upon filthy bed bury
ing his head in his arm, his hand
clinched. Out OF one end of the bed, like
q disturbed rat, scurried q weakened
child who sought the next darkest
corner OF the room,
A s)atternly woman, her face bruised
and swollen, came and stared at
Hogan.
"He won't hurt ye," she called to
the child; then to Hogan; 1.-THE brats
just hiding here % bit from his boss.
But didn't look to see we back here,
jim curst if | did" There was a
rough tenderness in her tone. He
made no reply. She clattered about,
shut the door, then returned to the
bed with rasping whisper Oh
"How'd We get Off" Still no answer.
She drew his arm away; his sleeve was
wet. She CAPPED in recognition OF this
unlocked for fact. 81 never saw Jim
Hogan cryn' drunk afore."
can | amt now" said he gruffiy.
Course we, can't ye let fellow be?"
Relieved, she muttered:
That's more like himself" Then
aloud.
"Tell me how We got off,"
The old-the man didn't recognize
me-"
"He didn't; the bloke. Wasn't he
himself, them" Hogan sat up, brist-
ling, with anger. eyes he was, Look
here, Mol, don't you say q word agin
him, Dye hear?" He shook his
clinched hand in her face. 81 seen he
knowed me, l heard the gallows
creakin' above me, and then-says
he, L don't know the man. says he,
quiet as a lord"
"D'ye think he was feared on YEP"
Cleared? Him? Why, he was q
lookin' straight at death
What was to he feared on? That
cuss shook hands with me,-d-n
him."
A volley Of oaths in a meditative
tone followed here.
"Must been stunned then"
"Stunned? You Mol, look here.
When we shook hands, he give me
this" He opened his clinched hand
and displaying a button attached to
bit of cloth torn from the coat he
had on.
The woman gasped,
"He gin up tn evidence to We? Was
he crank, Jim, or whatW
Gan says he to me: TRY to do
some good with your life, lad He
was goin' fast, Mol, an says he,
holdin' that into my hand, an his
woman burnin' to tear my heart out
Shake hands, man says he, there,
no i'll will atween u.s. Strike medeas
but it made q baby of me, Mol.
When a man comes to lie here, says
he, he wishes he'd made better use
why Mol; what ails we? l amt
seed We cry since it died"
"Never you mind, Jim. Pm id
fool. It's because thought you was
done for sure. 1 thought you'd swing
this time"
Try to do some good with you're
lilh. the man repeated.
"See here, Mol; you can say what
you're @ mind to, but you bet Pm
goin' to do it."
ITO do what, them"
"Try to do some good, like he said,
cuss him. look like it, don't II But
it seems OWN to him, he'll haunt me,
mebby, if | don't. Anyhow Pm in for
a try, but it's ID hard thing to
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