Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-05-24
The World Against Him
BY WlLL.N. HARDEN,
Copyright. 1900, by
A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Company.
CHAPTER IIl.-CoNr1NUEp.

CnAf 1ElL lll.-IONTlNCED.
He had put all the things back into
the basket, when he noticed for the
first time the awful white look on Ron
AIDS face.
"Why, what's the matter?" he asked.
did it hurt you?"
Ronald was slowly rubbing a bleed
ing bruise on the back of his hand, but
he seemed not to be thinking of it.
He drove against me on purpose" he
said, the words seeming to come from
far down in his throat-"deliberately
on purpose, I tell you."
do you reckon SO, ROM"
II know it"
David gazed at him steadily for
moment, then he remarked:
ITO tell you the truth, Ron, I thought
20 myself. You see, 1 was behind; he
kept the bosses squar in the road till
he passed me, an then 1 seed i'm pull
like all possessed on the left rein. But
why don't you come on? You know it's
late an the old man fuses when we are
late.'
Still our hero stood rubbing his hand
and staring in front of him. When he
finally spoke, his voice quivered and
sounded unnatural.
II shall never rest till I have resent
ed it," he said, as if communing with
himself. II could not live and take that
off any man alive"
''Oh, come off, said his companion,
"you don't really mean you will take
i'm to taw about it,
II certainly mean nothing else"
David laughed. Hen you is differ
ent in sech things, Ron. Now eff fe.-
Ter O. my own sort gets on the back
o my neck an pulls hair to blow lis
nose on, politely invite i'm down to
see which has the most grit, me or
him, an eff man who amt my equal
"a buck niger for instance-dares to
give me any O. his lip, jest knock m
down an wash my hans, but law me!
/ hain't no han to pick difficulties
with the big rich. never knowed no.
body to do it that didn't come out at
the little end O. the horn with their
clothes drug off. A Teller like that
souint-eyed dude will jest set up in
court an look tired when he swears
out q case agin you fur assault an
battery, an all the good lawyers in
town will huddle round him like a
passle O. ants round a dead doodle
bug. The court will have obliged to
appoint some new beginner to defend
you an thar you are-the laughin'
stock O. the whole layout. No, I'll
take lot off'n one O. that sort fore
I'll git up scrap with m
They were moving on now, and Ron
aid made no comment on what his
brother was saying. The fire of his
angry heart still burned in his eyes and
his chin was quivering helplessly. That
night he sat only for a moment at the
supper table, and then, unnoticed by
the others, he went up to his little room
under the sloping roof and lighted his
lamp. Four or five new magazines lay
unopened on his table, but he did not
look at them.
About ten o'clock, when the house
was. still. Dave crept up the rickety
stairs softly, so as not to disturb his
father, who was light sleeper, and
was about to turn into his own, room
when he bethought himself of Ronald,
whose door was slightly ajar.
"Well, I'll be DANCED" he cried, look
ing into the lighted room, and finding
his brother up, "shorely, you hain't
still frettin' over that business. l
wouldn't let little thing like that
bother me minute
II was just going to bed,' said Ron
aid, looking up. Il am going now.
Don't worry about me-
Dave laughed significantly, and
pointed to a revolver which, like pa
per-weight, rested on pile of loose
papers.
''I'll bet that pup has got its stom-
ach full for the first time sence you
bought it five yeer ago. Whew!' The
speaker whistled in low surprise as ne
noticed another revolver protruding
from a newspaper on the table. saint
that my thirty-eight caliber?'
Ronald avoided his glance.
II got it in your room just now
Dave stood perfectly still for mo-
ment, a great look of wonder on his
face. and then he sat down on the side
of his brothers bed. He had washed
his feet at the tub in the yard and they
were wet, still only half cleaned and
red-looking. -.
$50 YOU are really goin' to call i'm
out 2" he said, under his breath.
Ronald looked him directly in the
eyes.
"God knows there is nothing else
for me to do, Dave. have tried to see
some other way, but I can't"
"Well, you'll need somebody with
you, an I'm yore man."
"Fd rather not have anyone, thank
YOU. Dave. He and I can fight just as
well alone. I'D rather die than take ad-
vantage of him. only want to salts
fy myself-to get rid of the memory
that he has"
81 know how you feel, an I don't
blame you. When will you see i'm:
'sIn the morning"
'Well, go to bed an get some Sleeps
YOU may need steady aim; ne may De
a good shot; them army chaps general
~ isl
CHAPTER ".
The next morning the two brothers
met as they were leaving their rooms.