The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-08-11
The FIt1est Survives
By ]. II. coNNELLY.
CHAPTER WI.

By j. II Connolly.
CHAPTER XVI.
At the very time of the nerpetrat-
OF that unprecedented but none the.
less unquestionable murder, and hard
" . 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 "chcap fat"
barrnck-1ike building, ut opposite
sides of n bare table, sat two men, one
old, the other middle age. The elder
seemed toshaye 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 punches of bristles
IN them, stood out like loosely hinged
faps from the sides of his long, mar
row head. Embedded among the wrin-
kles. under oyerhsnging, grizzled
brotvs, CLEANED small. eyes that de.
spite their age were still keen and al
most fierce with an expression Of sell
fish cunning and suspicion. His nose
was fattened at the bridge, but its
sharp point stood up 20 abruptly as
to fully expose his large nostrils,
which marked the outline of a trinn-
wide, thin Tipped mouth.
The younger man vas q 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
so%n-in-law, and that his wife, Mary,
had died dnring her fathers long alb.
sencegih 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 houses
hold duties, apparently paying no
heed to the talk of the men, but look
ing c%uriously low and thsli at the lit
tie clock on the mantei as if wonder
ing at the unusual prolongation Of
their sitting.
$50, Dinnis,' pursued the old mai
argumentatively, sthe best for touse
will be to take Kitty there an go
back with me as soon as this business
is settled.''
II dunno. I don't say / won't if I
get out of a job, but I'd be a fulc to
go away now an the new alderman
behowlden to me us he Is: Sure, I'm
as good as promised to be an inspec-
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 oh the tail Of somebody's else's
kite? It's Il grand staff, mind We,
that I'll be able to give we an a fine
country yen find it faor q man 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 q girl like Kitty-well there's
no KNOWN the wealth of the mar she
might marry out there"
And are you right sure you'll get
the money you're after2"
An l sure it'll be warrum next
Fourth of July?"
"M-mab.S so. But isn't it time he
was colnin?"
"'Aith it is. He knows better nor
to disappoint me, an he's likely to be
here now any minute. Well be maxim
ready for him. Stand that tin kettle
here close to my arrum, Kitty, dear;
on this side. We, Dinnis, go Until the
back room an keep there, without We
hear the kettle fall OH the flnre. I'll
push 1t off if he goes to come round
the table lords me, and il We hear it
fall come quick for the love Of heaven,
for its meanin me 10 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 an
bringin the money sure enough, but
he'll be wantin me to give him the
paper ! how'd, III I won't do that. I'll
how'd it while l live, an I'll lave it to
you. Kitty, dear, after I'm gone, an
it'll be as good as a fortune to We. Oh,
yes, he'll be wantin it. But he won't
get it, an he'll gimme the money all
the same. lie saw the ould woman's
advertisement and is scared of his
life for fear I'll be goin over to her.
Oh, yes, he'll pay, an hell be smooth
as butter with me II ne has to. But
the Lord knows ! wouldn't trust my
self far alone with him.
AS the old man spoke he fumbled
~nervonsly at his Adnm's apple, which
Stood out like n hairy elbow on his
threat.
go along, now, Dinnis," he contin-
ued. "Sure your walk is the walk of
Z horse, an | don't want him to hear
you goin when he comes to the dure.'
Dennis o%bediently retreated out of
sight. Kitty remained and, ~covertly
yawning behind her hand. sat herself
down to kill time by curing the gap
ing Wounds i'll a mans sock. The old
maj sank into silent reverie, with his
beady little eyes fixed unwinkingly on
the flame of the lamp. After a time
he reused himself sufficiently to
/ growl:
Hes half an hour late"
Another long silence cnsued. Then
he again marked n 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.
"T1e fule," he shouted, thinks he
can defy me! 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 McCafrrev,
I'll make Dick Willmarth u sorry man
for this night"
CHAPTER XVII.
There was trouble that evening in
the Hall household also. Early In the
afternoon, while Addie was out, a tel
orr,r, rr,.;ya3 fo+. 1,,~ ,,l NJ. ry.1