Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-11

| uDOFe the roar or our faSt driving.
He wanted to hear everything abou
me. he said. But just now he mus
| find Roach. Tonight he'd tell m,
everything-we'd have an old tim,
powpow.
| tried to smile and nodded as W.
| swung sharp about corner and pulled
up at the hotel. 1t was well we stop
| ped. The horses knees were trembling
and their heads pitched forward
| Pearson glanced at the clock and gave
q sigh of relief He paid the fare il
small change fished up from various
| pockets and was somewhat short OF
| the amount. 1t was quite ptiful tt
| see his fingers searching fruitlessly
| He blushed like n schoolgirl when
handed 1t to the driver, but made nc
| comment.
The reeking horses were slowly
| driven off, and turned to Pearson.
How long is it since you have seen
Roach?" asked to relieve the silence.
"Three years-we split. you know"
"But you were making money!
half inquired.
Its all back in hole i'm the earth.
blew it into the place it came from
fast as we made it." Pearson answer
ed. ut was the gambling desire, l
suppose. There Is no other excitement,
except, perhaps-well, fighting"
looked at him in establishment. BE
probably OWNED my thought.
ooh, no; not that" he said quietly.
Roach knew. He trusted to my luck.
l was Just q fool / wanted to get
rich. and quick. But, Tom, old chap,
my lucks gone = and worse, too, |
fear" He stopped and bit his teeth
into his lower lip, which was trem-
bling.
"Look here" he went on nervously.
eve been praying lately. Think of
that! And dye know, I'm going away
soon--back to little place where most
people have forgotten me. There's On
old man living there whose heart I've
broken, and-and he'd die happy If l
knelt down beside him. I'm going tc
do it, lad, God willing, and God help
mev
Could thia be the old courageous
Fearson--tniS man whose eyes were
filled with tears and whose voice broke
weakly? found myself studying his
face attentively. Before 1 knew what
was coming he had slipped the gold
ring he wore from his middle finger,
saying, keep it, Tom; not for luck,
dear boy, but just because want you
to-"
AS took it noticed that Fearson's
palms were calloused and the inside
surface Of the ring was scratched and
denied. balanced it in my hand, and
for the life of me could not think of
one word to say. wished to put my
arm about him and comfort him; but,
of course, could not do SO then, and
we stood there silent in the lobby,
Pearson glancing up and down the
street and back into the long corridor
of the hotel.
"Don't think me inQuisitive, pray
don't" l said at last, "but why are you
so anxious to find Roach?"
He looked at me.
Tommy" he said, "if / don't find
him before somebody else does some
thing Will happen; mark my words"
"Why?" said 1.
cts all on account Of a woman" he
said; "but what under the sun q man
like the Rajah can see in creature like
that put me out of it, and yet at a nod
Of her head-end it isn't even pretty
one-I believe he'd go to hades. It's
strange, strange"
81 don't exactly understand" said.
"Well, the situation is this, son." said
Pearson, speaking slowly and pulling
At his long mustache. do you remem-
Der the pictures of the Dance Of
Death In the library?'
l recalled ut once the drawings of
Rolandson-the skeleton armed with a
Tart about to attack some unsuspecting
person In the midst of happiness or con-
eminent
"Yet l do not exactly understand" 1
aid. Speak palmer
Pearson appeared to look over my
lead, but he answered slowly and dis
inctly:
There's some one looking for Roach,
nd Death is with him." he said.
Something will happen here, I take 1t,
n the next few minutes if Sudden
Y he about faced and walked slowly
nto the hotel lobby. He was breathing
oudly and trying hard to swallow, like
man whose throat is parched with
hirst. Standing close to the elevator
we're a man and woman. The man I
new by sight. He was dressed in
)ng black coat, his hair was gray, and
is seyes, small and narrow, glittered
Willy like hawks. His name was
'erris. / remember having heard it
aid that in the old days the vigilantes
ad overlooked him. The woman never
ook her eyes off his face. The paint
n her lips, drawn tight across her
aeth, was blotched, and her mouth had
blurred appearance. Her frightened
ands rubbed against the side of her
lirt. I saw all this from following
earson's eyes. The elevator slid down
nd stopped softly. The man grasped
ne woman by the arm and went in
de. But before the boy could close
he door Roach stepped quietly around $
lie shaft, coming from some side en-
'ance.
Pearson and were close behind him,
nd we all three entered the narrow
Ok together. +
What happened then came so quickly $