Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-03-19

His eyes as he finished met those oil
Gabriel. who nodded assent as he said
1--WE can't miss him. Wait here. III
not be long in finding out where 1t Is
he's hiding"
Thereupon Cactus City dispersed and
caught it's horses, cursing its cinches
and latego straps as it saddled up, but
as it had nearly all been cowboys at
one time or another this was soon ac'
complished. Two men, having from
long experience gained some knowledge
of rough surgery and supplied with the
only two remedies that the pharmaco
p9ia of Cactus City afforded-whisky
and arnica-galloped away to the stage
house, while the rest lolled in theil
saddles impatiently awaiting the com
ing of Daddy Cab.
He was in the saloon. The big
room was in confusion as the cleaners
left it. Newly washed glasses dripped
on the bar, the tables were pushed to
one side, and the chairs were piled on
! top of them. At one Of these tables
her head resting on her folded arms
sat the singer of the night before. AS
she heard Gabriers step she rose and
remained standing. Her headlights
were yelled now, for the smile had dis
appeared.
"S'y," cried she as he came toward
her, "give me me wages, will youi
Pm goin to 'ook it!'
He made no reply, but stood looking
at her from under his lowered brows
She sat down again uneasily. "Give
me me waiges," she repeated. 'Tm
sick O. this ole"
There was another pause. From the
holster on his hip Gabriel slowly drew
a pistol. Bess gave q smothered scream
"The wages Of sin," said Gabriel, bal.
ancing the weapon In his hand, sis
deathw
In an agony Of terror the girl sank to
the floor. Don't" she gasped. Don't
l amt done nuthin! I'll tell-s'elp me-
l will! Down in the box canyon below
'e's hidin-back end Of it! She'll come
out all right. Don't 'urt i'm! l don't
want no waiges! Let me go!'
Gabriel put some coins on the table
and returned the pistol to its sheath
"Don't let me find you here, Bess, when
l come back" said he quietly, then
turned and left.
There was no play in the Triangle
that day, but drinks were free, so the
bar was extensively patronized. To-
ward evening one Of the amateur sur
geons returned from the fiat. The pa.
tient had become conscious, he said
then got locoed and was out Of her
head now and as hot as stove. Bet
ter send up some ice from the saloon
and get woman somewhere. Tooey's
wife from down the river was best.
TOoey's wife had long before been
sent for, but Tooey's place was far
away, and it was an hour later when
the storekeeper pulled up four hot
horses at the Triangle door, with the
rancher's kindly faced wife beside him
on the seat.
Cactus City surrounded her in body
Was there anything Mrs. Tooey
wanted? they asked her. Did she
think Jem's wife would get we'll? Her
pay would be anything she liked. Gao
tus City made itself responsible fol
that.
"Payw repeated Mrs. Tooey scorn'
fully. "You don't s'pose I'd take pay
for such as this, do you? No, there
amt nothing l want. Yes, there is.
want you to keep that man away. I'll
shoot him myself If see him round
and that amt no fit job for lady"
An embarrassed silence fell on the
crowd. She looked from one to anoth.
er for an explanation, which finally
came from Daddy Cab.
81 think he'll not trouble you," re.
marked that person impressively. I'll
is rumored that, overcome by remorse
after the manner Of Judas lscariot, he
has committed suicide" A fresh team
had been put to while the explanation
was in its course, and as they started
off Mrs. Tooey shook her head slowly
and smiled to herself.
The wagon was bowled merrily
along the trail on the side Of the black
cliff and had nearly reached its end be-
fore the pace slackened. The little hill
where the road left the mesa for the
fiat was steep and crooked. With
horses well in hand and brake set hard
the wagon slowly grated down the in
cline. They had come to the end Of the
slope where there was q sharp turn
when suddenly one Of the leaders rear
ed and then SHE'D, ably seconded by
his mate. Their alarm was not with
out reason. From the horizontal limb
of a cottonwood standing beside the
road there swung the body Of a man
AS they came upon 1t the back was to-
ward them. Then 1t turned slowly
around as though to forbid their pas
sage. On it's breast was pinned piece
of wrapping paper, on which were In
scribed the words, "Gaudeamus Igi
tur."
1t was no place to stop, and the driv
er freed the brake. Forced forward by
the whip and the weight Of the heavy
wagon, the horses, snorting with fright
dashed on. Mrs. Tooey was thought
full. 81 wonder what them words
mean?" she said to her companion.
The widow, as every one called hel
now, had established claim on Cactus
City which 1t was not slow to recog
nize. She was n woman, the only re
spectacle one for miles around. and she
was in trouble. There were few of the
men who did not at one time or an
other during the next few weeks ride
up the river to inquire as to her prog
ress or to take some offering Of game
or fruit which they thought might
tempt her appetite.
Gabriel remained away. Though
none so regular as he with inquiries
and gifts. they were always through
deputy, generally the boy who had
discovered her distress.
One morning, many weeks after, Fa
ther Gabriel was listening to the report
of his envoy.
"She's all right now, she tells me,
the boy said. "Kin take care Of her
self. Tooey's wifes goin termorrer
The widder wants to 60 back east tc
where she used to live, but she can't
Broke"
The lad turned to his work, and Fa
ther Gabriel walked away, deep Ii