The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-12-19
100000
= NUMBER q. >


80
The Tong dim. dislnfectant-seenied
ward, lighted by gas jets that are only
Just awake. shows signs this evening
Of a kind OF muiIled excitement ~,
N,.s..,..r. u,ho "a ,.--ss.tip' IN the-Hcurlet
counierpaned beds DO slt up. and whom
the young nurses reproye them sharply
they 20 back for a moment only and at
once resume the attitude Of interest
All this Is because here. behind the
screen at twenty-thrce, a concerned.
consideratc-looking. oyerccaled man Is
seated. Beside him n specialized youth,
writing. a doctor, and three white
capped, whlte-aproned nurses. one OF
whom. with rudy hair. is close TO tho
head OF Twenty-tkree with a medicine
glass. Al the foot Of the bed q long.
dazed. earringed. foreign-looking man.
who. with his wrists together and a
police Inspector az his side. IL staring
hxedly AZ the card over Twenty-three's
head. Twenty-three himself Is not
looking his best Never perhaps a
handsome man. Twcnty-three. with a
bandage around his forehead and an
other over the top Of his head. and a
bruise or two on his damp. yellow face,
IL not pleasant 10 look upon. Twen-
ty-three Ia aurly. too. taking this pres
ence Of visitors. whom he personally
has not invited. as an lnfraction Of the
rules Of etiquette and n toe broad and
definite hint that he. Twenty,.hree, 10
not long for this world.
"And then. you say. the light be-
ganT Very quietly and encouraging
lyl. "very well. then; the next point
is"
'want-want ask quosting." Twenty
three interrupts IN his hoarse whisper
slowly. which Of you two-which Of
you two Is beak2"
4 am the magistrate This gentle.
man who Is taking down your an1wer'
IL my clerk"
Mind he takes down-takes down
right" whispers Twenty-three. thick
| ~. Don't want no-don't wans nc
blankoy perjury business"
quite col Quite col Now lei Us G.
on. Where were we. Mr.. Parry7"
The clerk answers. glanclng AZ The
sheet Of foolscap. that I'VE had had ;
glass or 20 together. and when We can't
out We had a word or two outside the
pub. and. ono thing leading 10 an
other, We took on our coats and thl
others formed q biz Of a ring round rs
and We went AZ each other with on
fiats."
"And the fight lasted how iong7 4
couple OF minutcs?" a slight affirmative
Jerk Of the head. "very Well An,
when did you first see the knife7"
Interval here. Interval for Twenty
three to whisper hoarscly under hi
breath all tho curses he knows AZ IN
foreign gentleman at the foot Of III
bed and AZ the foreign gentleman
knife The ruddy-halred nurse holdlnI
the glass crlmsons and keeps her eye
down. The doctor steps forward. an
Twenty-throc stops The question
carefully repeated.
"seo somo'ing glitter. And In a me
ment--"
Stop again. a nod from the docto
directs a sip from the glass. Twenty
three's head being for this purpose yer
gently lifted by the ruddy-halred nurs'
whom Twcntyathree promptly calls. b,
cause the effort hurts him. a elums
noun.
And then yon felt the stab" An
. swer IN the Affirmative, And you fe
. down at onceg" Answered again in n
! Affirmative. with remark. added u
horiously. Like log wood"
did he say anything as he ana itl
Answer; Something foreign. Migl
have been anything. Twenty-thr,
gives brief answers to all further qusl