The Dickinson press., 1896-01-18
AN ARRAa1 COWARD.

George Dexter was a promising
young lawyer of Columbus. Ohio. but
as that city was already overstocked
with bright lawyers, old and young,
his advancement was too slow for his
| ambition.
He decided to go West and hunt for
a thriving little town, where the pros
poets were far more inviting than in
the city where he had lived from boy
hood.
After q brief examination Of the in
ducements of five or six progressive
towns he settled in Bannock City,
Mont, threw his shingle to the breeze,
and in less than two years had estab-
lished q paying practice and was con-
sidered promising man of the place,
to whom political llonors would very
likely he soon awarded.
He had kept up a regular corre-
spondence with his old sweetheart in
Columbus, and Amy Davenport was OF
course rejoiced Mt his success. In May
a little more than two years from the
time when he left his Eastern home,
he returned to Columbus, made Amy
his bride, and, after brief matrimo-
NAL tour, the happy couple We're estaD
lished in an attractive little home In
Bannock City.
Mrs. Dexter was a very attractive
parsonage, physically and htellectu-
ally. as the few acqnaintances she
made in Bannock speedily discovered.
The society of the place was not that
to which she had been accustomed In
her old home, and she was therefore
somewhat reserved and exclusive In
her intercourse with her neighbors.
As time passed the home Of the Dex-
ters became gathering place for sew
eral men, but very few women. Dex-
ter himself did not seem to notice the
distinction. All he noticed was That
his wife kept mp her spirits we'll after
the first inevitable homesickness, and
that she never complained OF feeling
lonely. He was not very oDservant
man.
One of the male acquaintances soon
came to be a very welcome visitor and
| to absorb very much of the time and
attention of the fair hostess. If Mrs.
Dexter had been wise she would have
taken care to divide her attentions.
There is safety in numbers, and she
really meant no harm. But she was
young and inexperienced and Harold
| Danny was neither. This happened
about six months after the arrival Of
the little woman, and at time when,
MS luck would have 1t, Dexter was
more than usually busy.
Dandy had contrived to clear the
field of rivals. He was not a particu-
larly nice man. though he was on such
good terms with Mrs. Dexter. AS re-
CARDS reputation, Ire was one of the
best hated men in the vicinity-by
husbands. And the strange thing was
that he was not good looking man.
On the contrary, he was rather ugly.
Perhaps it was his swagger and self
assertion that proved irresistible.
1t became matter Of course for him
to be in constant attendance on Mrs.
Dexter. Frequently they were out to-
gether, walking, riding or driving. The
people in the neighb0rhood looked on
with interest. They expected repe-
tition Of the old story. And in the ma
ture of things it happened that the
husband was the only person ignorant
of the threatening tragedy.
One day, however, Dexter was sud-
denly brought to his senses by O
chance remark. 1t was not intended
for his ears, but he heard 1t, and 1t
went home. He followed Its example,
and, having arrived at his own house,
sat on the veranda and considered the
situation for an hour and half. At
the end of that time he inquired for
his wife. She was out, US usual, with
Harold Dandy; and the servant who
answered his question seemed to treat
the event as in the usual order of
things.
Dexter did not try to obtain any
more information. He simply went to
his room and changed his clothes, rum
aging about as If in search Of some
thing. Then he came out, looking
quite cheerful lighted a cigar, and
asked which way Mrs. Dexter had
gone. Having learned this he walked
briskly in the direction indicated.
In the meantime Mrs. Dexter and
the man were sitting together In q
favorite dell, about half mile away.
She was rapidly approaching the stage
where folly ends and guilt begins.
Whether she would ever actually have
transgressed is a delicate point. She
had resisted the voice Of the tempter
successfully SO far, greatly to the
tempter's chagrin.
They had, In fact, reached a positive
difficulty. He was getting rather angry
and she was not exactly happy, SO
that 1t was something of q relief to
both of them to hear some one ap.
preaching. Neither Of them expected
Dexter. He was supposed to be some
twenty miles away, on q visit to q
, client.
But unfortunately, their calculations
We're wrong, for it happened to be
Dexter who disturbed their solitude
He knew his way well, and came
straight into the opening to find them
sitting side by side on a fallen tree
and when he saw them he stopped fol
moment and looked Mt them, grim
/ smile on his face.
, They both saw him at the same In
stant. Dandy jumped up hastily. AZ
for Mrs. Dexter, she uttered a slight
| scream. The husband was the coolest
of the three.
He walked up to them slowly. will
!, the smile gradually effacing itself. The
, man was far from happy. He saw
danger in the pale face and steady
eyes, and under his swagger he was
like most of his class; as arrant COW
/ ard as ever walked.
Mrs. Dexter simply sat still where
she was, her eyes glancing alternately
from the man to her husband and bach
again. After her first exclamation she
. did not utter syllable.
Dexter did not waste many words.
You contemplate scoundrelw HI
said.
J Dandy had expected something more
violent. Then, cur-like, he began tt
! pluck up courage. He even began t.
! swagger a little. as usual ,and stood
! up straighter But Mrs. Dexter, whit
: was watching him closely, noticed
I that his hand trembled as he curlet
i. his mustache.
2 II have been thinking tile matte
3 over" Dexter continued, land 1t seem,
q to me that one of us is superfluous.
a can only see one way to settle the difa
a Guilty. Here we have fine open spot
i. well lighted, and in every way dc
0 sirable. We have also couple Q
Q weapons, and, in addition, lady t
? give the signal"
8 AS he spoke he produced brace O
8 revolvers.
|