Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-05-12

ANA La AAkANA LuU
narrow.
"Ncw fcr c runchf' BIO cried.
"TLoro il no bot water, " Richard
ventUrcd 20 sly.
"W atorl " no asked fer wator? Bring
me a ler.on, some sugar aud q kettle"
The ke,.io Was Placed on the aya.
The stranger allCi itsi.h brandy. add
ing lemon andrsc2ar TO salt his taste.
As the liqGor bci!Cd over it caught Gre,
setting the WHOLE in q Llaze.
Richard juured Up to take It OF.
The stranger caught his arm and flung
him back ns il nc had been q child in.
stead CT a substantial citizen Of 200
pounds.
"What are you about?" he exclaimed.
1.-THE ruuch is doing we'll enough"
81 was only AFRAID the house might
be burned"
Bother The houser' replied the lit
tie man. "Thorc's no dangor."
"Yorr health, Dick, " at length ho
said, and raising the kettle all blazing
to his lips be drank like a d%romedary.
"And BOW, Dick, it's your turn" be
said, after n long breath. "Xou must
drink my health now"
Richard drew baok.
"Drinkl" ahouted the stranger, hold.
ing ont tie vessel.
Poor pmk took a single gulp. He left
the skin of his mouth on the brim of
tho kettle, lis throat was scorched as
with liquid fire and his hair was singed
by the blaze,
"And now to business" said the
stranger, resumiug his seat and leaving
Dick to sit or stand as he chose.
"You knew John Walter, / believer
"Yo-yos, " stamnered Richard. IL
once knew q person Of that name"
"Ycu snd re went to California to-
gether?"
Richard Acknowledged the fact.
"You made money, and no didn't?"
81 believe l was the more fortunate
Of the two"
"You and ho started to return togeth-
er, and ho died At San Francisco"
Richard bowed.
His wife and children gre now dosti
tute, tie stranger persisted.
81 can't help that"
"Of course net. It was his boy ycu
gave tho good advice to today. 1 hofe
the young scamp will profit Ly it.
The scene with tho little Lepgar
Richard was quite sure, had teen wit
messed hy no one. How the stranger had
found out WAS past comprehension
You're quite sure Holm Walter died
poor?" tho stranger went en-
"Oh, Q%Uitel' said Richard. II pail
his funeral expenses myself"
That's a lier' rctorted tho little
man. THEY were paid ty the pablo
It's another lie that he died poor. lie
had $50, eco with him which you ~stolel"
II deny it, Richard fairly screamed,
"and defy yen to prove iti'
prove iti What %eGrontoryl Why. l
saw you do i'll"
"It's falsel There was nobody pres.
entr'
BE careful. Dick, or you'll commi,
yourself. | Eaw you DO Tnothor thing.
Richard SINK shiverirg into O chair
but said nothing,
"John Walter would havo survived
his illness, bet you PET poison in his
medicinei"
a sudden fury took possession OF
Richard Whinstore wh3n he saw tie
secret Of his life in another's keeping
The carving knife lay within his reach
He seized 1t and. spriuging on Tie
stranger, with a Desperate plunge
sought to bury the blade in his hear.
but 1t glanced as from plate amor and
in an instant the little man was Oh has
feet.
"Oh. hoi That's your game, is it?'
Aud with a trip that sent his hee..
spinning in the air Richard was thrown
headloDg with a force that shock the
house to its foundation. Tho club foe.
was planted on his stomach, and VIA
a horribly ugly foot it wGsl 1t WAS olef
like the hoof of an OK and seemed Il
weigh a ton.
|. "Then you are'-
! pray keep a civil tongue in you
head and conie along" said the littl
man.
Richard tainted.
: When he came to himself, day wa
= breaking. The old housekeeper, wh
had found him groaning and spTawlin
on the floor. had with much difficult
: shaken him into consciousness, She Of
: sisted him to bed. but Richard neve
! was himself again. The surfeit of pi
had brought on a fever, Of which h
died in eigh' days His last rational az
81 was the execution Of "A will, by who
ne left the bulk Of his fortune to job
Walters widow and child, which, af
er all. was a simple act Of justice, Il
the demon of nightmare had told q
truth. Cincinnati Post.
When spurEeOn First Preached.