The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-26

do, he said slowly.
"What Will you do?' she asked
hoarseiy.
"Im a-goin ter kill him, Maria. I'm
a-goin ter shoot him down like the cur
he is, here in this home where he dis
honored me- "
"And me?' she asked, hardly above
whisper.
"You," he said YEARLY. Pm
d. goin''- Then he stopped. His eyes.
which had been staring daily, grew
bright, and his gaze became fixed ON
something behind the woman's head
"Hush, he said as she repeated her
last question.
Maria believed him mad and sat
watching his expression for some clew
to his purpose, some warning of i'm
pending danger. Surely his worn brain
was graphing with some wild fancy
Slowly he arose, and, passing behind
Maria, who kept her eyes upon him con-
stantly. turning her head that she might
watch his slightest move, he took some
thing from the shelf that held the lamp
AS he returned to the table Maria
watched him with the fascination OF
fear. Stopping, he drew the wine Jug
from beneath the table and poured out
two glasses of the drink. Then he drew
from his pocket that which he had taken
from the shelf. 1t was a small, square
vial with POISON printed in large,
, black letters on the label. Maria knew
it too well. 1t was strychnine, used to
exterminate coyotes Into one OF the.
= glasses of wine he poured portion OF
/, the deadly mixture.
! "Aiaria," he said, "l've changed my
mind. / amt a-goin ter waste 10 lead
i ON that coyote I'm a-goin ter plzen
him, or, rather, you be. y
Z He went close to the covering woman
u and whispered in her ear. At his words
% her eyes grew big with horror, her face
blanched and the sweat gathered ON her
u forehead. She slipped TO the floor in an
!. agony of terror and groveled there, her
=, arms about his knees.
"No. nov she shriclled. mot that;
u not that. Jcsl! 1 cannot do 1T. Oh
Sc spare me, spare me. esposo mic, and do
not force that crime upon my soul.
H. He shook her off roughly. "Listen'
a he said. between set teeth. cit shall be
Sc done You have killed my loyc, an
no now. bv God, you shall kill Jose. You
We are good mt lyia; lie ter him. Make
Gu friends with him. Make him drink. NO
I'M tricks! I'll hold the drop on you floal the
III bedroom, az Of you try ter warn hlI:l, or
he eff you fail, I'll shoot. I've given you "a
he chance to git out Ct this alive. Take 1t
'iu or leave it. "
III, When jose came home he found Maria
Tor telling her beads beside the Kitchen
stove. As he entered she rose with
at feverish haste and repeated, like les
OF son, the words she had to say.
as CLOSE" she said ''let us be friends
You are right; there is no safety Tor US
I'm if my husband comes. Better for as that
III he die in the hills than set foot within
'se' this house. Let us drive him from our
Us thoughts, Jose, and-and drink. " Her
voice died away in "A shudderlng wins
leu per, and she sank into chair.
be- "What ails thee, Marian asked Jose.
ohe who, though drunk, could not tall &C
the notice the horror on her face.
III. The bedroom door creaked warningly-
cit is nothing, - said Maria, with an
al effort. 81 was thinking CT him. After
all. he is my husband But it is ovel
you now. and am better. Let us drink t.
the a peaceful future. Jose, here-and here
an AFTER She pushed the glass toward
for -, ,,,d r,;sod nor own. smiling a lit
/, tie ON the table and on her dress.
Jose seized his with a laugh. LONG
kod life TO wise men; death TO foolsl'' HI
cried and tossed it of at a draft
RED, .'Carramba! Thy wine is something
ssed 49, ,,,,,s+ Iool- IN the barrel Come
'ln- let Us be happy / will sing to thee
the NJ. ;, ard tol;nc, his onitar from tn
uch corner he sat down upon the table am
L.. l. tow orlf hp HrfrnOu
OF door, and over his shoulder Maria ooul'
rept COO - nole face neeripo from the Gloom
ne The tension was frightful, the contras
oie' between the mans impending fate an
OUT the lightness of his mood appalling.
inter- Jose sang well and with spirit. jack
anu son, glowering upon him from tho bed
ho' room, fingered his rifle nervously an
men prepared to shoot. Jose put forth a
son arm to draw Maria to him. The guita
rue fell with crash, and his whole tram
leu' became convulsed. He swung partl
own around and clutched the table with
grip of iron. Jackson could sec his fes
saio lures now. God, what lookl Ever
Ioou muscle of his face seemed drawn to th
-, point of breaking, his eyes protrude
nv and their fixed and CLASSY glare SCENE
DulO bent on him. It was too much. n WAY
raw of pity swept over the heart Of I'll
un avenging husband, his rifle cracked, an
no' the sufferings of Jose Ruiz were at a
ppo end.
pu' AS the shot rang out in the silence {
noe. the night Maria's overwrought nerve
20 " gave way, and she fell fainting to Il
aon' floor. jackson, coming out of the darl
ncu, ness OF his room, paused moment
'seo look upon the living and the dead, the
strobe out into the night. Fra
ine' cisco Argonsut.
are's ---
LII Ill En- Route to Washington