The suburban citizen., 1902-05-17

posrre, knew the Wild oand Of frontl@
spirits that usually journeyed witt
him when he was 'out on business
he had no reason to doubt but tha
the manager would arrive in tow
Monday and would Immediately searcl
for him.
Il may die" he muttered. but shet
coming"
His last act Sunday before he went
to bed was to saw Off the barrel OF 8
shotgun and load the weapon with q
curious mixture of slugs. He was no
an expert with firearms; he never car
| rled a gun and on test shot h
probably would have missed the sid,
Of Il barn as quickly as the next man
but he kept thinking Of the girl ant
the more he thought the more method
ical his preparations.
He awoke the next morning to fine
himself besieged. The store manager
from and Bluff had arrived with hall
dozen cowboys prepared for any kind
or ruthless sport. They shot the upper
half of his shack full of holes without
arousing the editor TO a reply, and theT
they announced that they intended tc
hold him prisoner there until 1890
at which time they would rush the
shack, set il on fire and shoot him
down when he came out. He heard the
declaration. He could see them. could
sweep with his eye the entire street.
He sat behind barricade with the
shotgun across his lap He was most
carefully dressed and extraordinarily
calm for n man who had been under
fire for an hour or more. He drew
at his pipe with great composure, and
studied the time on the face Of the
little alarm clock that stood on table
near him. The cowboys left two OF
their number on guard, ald rode up
the street after liquor. No one inter
fered with them. The fact that they
were from Sand Bluff made their word
law in the lesser communities. Many
a grim jest they passed on the final
fate of the editor. and many an assur
ance did the store manager give that
no "blasted friend of the Indian could
live here"
Still, the editor held the fort through
the morning, and the cowboys toycd
with him as a terrier sometimes fools
with the mouse it means to kill,
.
Al noon n big cloud Of dust rose on
the trail from Sand Bluff. 1t was the
stage coming in. One Of the EDITORS
pecpholes gave him such command Of
the street that he could see the ap.
proach of the stage He noted that
as it was travelling it should reach the
poStotlice in about fifteen minutes. real
ly ahead Of time. He got up, shook
himself, walked to the back room,
looked ut cher" picture once and then
carefully lOOsened the faStenings OF
his front door. He left the door so
that it could be Instantly swung back.
Another glance out Of the peephole
showed him the stage was entering the
town. Il banged and ratified down the
way to the postoffiCe. halted, and the
first passenger out was n tall, 1.-THE
young woman of twenty-throe or four.
Tie editor saw her ask questions OF
bystandcrs. noticed their curious ges-
lures toward his place, saw her start
for IT,
The cowboys headed by the store
manager, were in front Of his Office,
for their final charge. He
swung back his door quickly. stepped
out into the sunshine, swung up his
gun, and before his foes realized what
he was doing, so suddenly had he
acted. gave the store manager and one
of his companions the charges OF his
weapon. Thy fell from their saddles,
the others fed with 4 volloy OF shots
for parting.
The editor staggered a little, then
made for the girl. She held out her
arms to him, lie his hands to her.
That's all yours Kate" be said,
with little gasp in his throat. 81
waited f-f-or you, Kate"
And then he was dead at her feet,
Fl. l. Cleveland, in the Chicago Record.
Herald,