Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-08-11
The Flttest Survives
BY ]. H.
CHAPTER XVI

At the very time OF The Derpetrat-
Of that unprecedented but none the
less unquestionable murder, and hard
ly more than a couple of blocks away
from where it was being done, a vigil
OF eager expectancy was keeping for
the coming of him who that night
ceased to be >as man.
In a meanly furnished front room
on the third floor of a big cheap fat
barrack-like building, at opposite
sides of a bare table, sat two men,
old, the other middle age. The elder
seemed to have full 20 years to his
discredit, and his age became him not
well. His scanty hair was gray and
unkempt. a pair of thin leathery, red
ears, with great lunches of bristles
in them, stood out like loosely hinged
flaps from the sides of his long, mar
row head. Embedded among the wrin-
kles. under overhanging, grizzled
brows, CLEANED small eyes that de.
spite their age were still keen and al
most fierce with an expression of sci.
fish cunning and suspicion. His nose
was fiattened at the bridge, but its
sharp point stood up so abruptly as
to fully expose his large nostrils,
which marked the outline of a TRAN
gle from its tip to the ends of his
wide, thin Tipped mouth.
The younger man Was n stolid look
ing brute, still in the prime of animal
life and worthy of no special regard.
A listener would readily have gath
cred that the latetr was the old mans
s~on-in-law, and hat his wife, Mary,
had died during her fathers long alb
sence in the far west. A rather good
looking, buXom girl, Is or 16 years old,
came into the room and went out
again in the discharge of her house
hold duties, apparently paying no
heed to the talk of the men, but look
ing curiously new and then at the lit
tie clock on the mantel AZ il wonder
ing at the unusual prolongation OF
their sitting.
80, Dinnis," pursued the old man
argumentatively, "the best for youse
will be to take Kitty there an 60
back with me as soon as this business
is settled"
II dunno. / don't say l won't if
get out of a job, but I'd be n fule to
go away now an the new alderman
behowlden to me as he is. Sure, I'm
w." SSo' as - oiiiioNu W NC dh illSpNS
tor in the public works.
ITO the devil with your alderman,
an your inspector, an your public
works! Dye want to be all yer life a
bob on the tail of somebody's else's
kite? It's a grand start, mind We,
that I'll be able to give We an a fine
country yen find it foor a mar to
roise up in. Sure there's nothin' to
stand in the way of your going to
congress from out there before you
die, an a girl like Kitty-well there's
no KNOWN the wealth Of the man she
might marry out there"
And are you right sure you'll get
the money you're after?' q.
Am / sure it1l be warrum next
Fourth of July?"
"M-maby so. But isn't il time he
was comin?"
"Aith it is. lie knows better MOI
to disappoint me, an he's likely to be
here now any minute. Wen be maxim
ready for him. Stand that tin kettle
here close to my arrum, Kitty, dear
on this side. Ye, Dinnis, go Until the
back room an keep there, without We
hear the kettle fall on the fure. II
push it off If he goes to come round
the table lords me, and IL We hear il
fall come quick for the love of heaven
for it's meanin me no good he'll be
Sure, it's mighty little I'd trust him
Yell let him in, Kitty, an put the
chair for him there, where your father
is sittin now. Oh, he'll be comm ar
bringin the money sure enough, but
he'll be wantin me to give him the
paper | how'd, an | won't do that. II
how'd it while | live, an I'll lave it &c
you, Kitty, dear, after I'm one ar
it'll be as good as n fortune to We. Oh
yes, he'll be wantin IT,. But he won't
get it, an he'll gimme the money al
the same. He saw the ould woman's
advertisement and is scared Of his
life for fear III be goiu over to her
Oh. yes, he'll pay, an he'll be smooth
as butter with me if ne has to. But
the Lord knows ! wouldn't trust my,
self far alone with him.
AS the old man spoke he fumbleG
nervously at his Adams apple, which
stood out like a hairy elbow on his
threat.
60 along, now, Dinnis," he contin,
ued. Sure your walk is the walk oi
n horse, an / don't want him to hear
you goin when he m TO the dure.'
Dennis obediently retreated out OF
sight. Kitty remained and, covertly
yawning behind her hand, sat herself
down TO kill time by curing the gap
ing wounds in a mans sock. The ole
man sank into silent reverie, with his
beady little eyes fixed unwinkingly or
the flame Of the lamp. After a time
he reused himself sufficiently to
growl:
Hes half an hour late"
Another long silence ensued. Their
he again marked a point in the flight
of time by a profane affirmation that
the man he expected was ian hour
late" After this he began to demon
strate surprise, which developed into
resentment, and that into anger
quickly climaNing in furious rage.
'"The fule," he shouted, thinks he
can defy mel An me KNOWN to all the
facts and hawldin the writin in black
an white that they made betwixt
them! Oh, by the mortal COB, as
sure as me names Michael McCaffrey
I'll make Dick Willmarth a sorry mar
for this night"
CHAPTER XVII.
There was trouble that evening in