Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-05-06
my father, = she whispered.
"And the Yictimpn

1 ~-~tA N~S%- AhE N4AA U.s. " AtSA
a dispute arose and my father charged
Stern with cheating. Stern gave hin
the lie and my father knocked him
down. For some time previous Il
this there had been bad blood be
tween them about mine, and it was
only because Stern had expressed a
desire for a reconciliation that they
consented to the game of cards. She
paused.
well, did it kill hima''
mo; that is the worst part. of it,
for then it would have been partly
excusable. Mr.. Sage was furiously
angry. He threatened to kill us il
we rendered the man any assistance.
The fall had produced unconscious
ness. As soon as he opened his eyes.
William Sage shot him twice and then
flung the heavy gun at his head"
She drew her hand across her eyes
with a shudder. 1T was an awful
sight. / don't think | have ever
been quite the same since. His skull
was fractured. but whether by the
fall or the gun we did not know. MIR.
Sage said it was the result Of the fall,
and threatened to prove it if we told
what we knew about the affair. They
dug grave in the thick brush, and
the body has never been found. 1t
was long time before would con-
sent not to tell. and during that time
they never left me alone. No inquiry
was ever made, for the man was sup
posed to have left the country. No
one suffered by his death, and at last
| made up my mind to keep the Sc
cret for fathers sake. After his
death was glad had. But Mr.. Sage
has never trusted me. He came here
tonight in 3 frenzy and charged me
with having told you. He imagined
that he saw reference to the crime
in the attack upon him in to-day's
Enterprise, and he wanted to buy me
of-to buy my silence!n
Her eyes flashed. HE seems to
feel, somehow, that if he can once
get me to accept money ne will be
more sure of me. His rage, because
| refused, brought on the spell you
saw. Now have told you every
thing. Promise me that you will
never breathe word of this to a
human benign
He did not reply at once. ut IS
horrible thing. he said at length,
but it is nothing in which you are
specially concerned. "
Nothing in which am especially
concerned? n she repeated, in amaze
ment. When / witnessed it, and
my own father was probably the
murderer"
Nonsense! Now could he be9 If
the mans skull had been fractured
by the fail, he wouldn't have regained
consciousness.
''You haven't promised me. yet,
she exclaimed. in sudden alarm.
.'Oh, Alvin. don't put it in the paperi
Don't. 1t would kill metz
He had never seen her SO excited.
She was usually so calm,
You are nervous and over
wrought. he replied, evasively. You
must lie down now and get some
rest. !"
She read the truth in his face.
rs nothing sacred2u she asked /
bitterly. Must this monster YOU
work for be fed with my hearts
blsod?r
You are growing hysterical and 4
giving yourself a great deal Of un- /
alarm. For your own good, |
| must ask you to go to bed at once.
] must return to the office imme-
diately; | came home to get some
notes had forgotten. and I've barely
time to get through before the paper
goes to press"
Once in the street. he fairly runs
along them, in his haste to get his
work done before the paper went to
press.
II was tremendous ..scoop." Sage
vas candidate for "e-election to the
United States senate, and was the
)wner OF a rival paper. The election
you'd take place in two weeks. and
he Enterprise had been making
fery bitter fight against him. This
black page in his history would be a
powerful weapon in their hands: but
here was no time to be lost. A
light compunction for what he was
bout to do, Barstow promptly
rushed by ready sophistry of justi-
ication. This coup d etat just at
his time would be of incalculable
,eneht to him. He would be ad-
'anced, perhaps to the dazzling posi-
ion of special writer. Surely this
prosperity would console his wife for
he grief she would feel at the pub
ication. Besides, wasit not the duty
4 a newspaper to expose crime?
He glanced at his watch as he
ashed into the building. Afull hour
emained in which to get his copy
eady. In the local-room a group OF
elated reporters looked mp in sur
rise as he hastily entered the night
ditor's room.
''Barstow must have good one,"
ne remarked, with look of envy.
The fortunate man did not reap
ear. He sent for the artist and
ave him a rough outline Of the trag- !