The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-08-28

| gers anu Ut lut
!, was scarcely abreast Of one Of th'
} faro tables when man leaped up Will
an oath and discharged a revolver full
! In his face. The shot missed. Before
his unknown assiffiant could fire again
the astonished Flint had closed with
him and instinctively clutched the
weapon. A brief but violent struggle
ensued. Flint felt his strength failing
him, when suddenly look Of astonish'
ment came into the furious eyes OF his
adversary, and the mans grasp me
chanically relaxed. The half-freed pis
tol thrown upward by this movement,
was accidentally discharged point
blank into his temple and he fell dead.
No one In the crowd had stirred or in
terfered.
you've done for French Pete this
time, Mr.. Fowler" said voice at his
elbow. lie turned gaspingly and recOg-
nized his strange benefactor, Flynn.
II call you all TO witness, gentlemen"
continued the gambler, turning dicta-
torily to the crowd, that this man was
first attacked, and was unarmed." He
| lifted Flints limp and empty hands,
and then pointed TO the dead man, who
still grasped the weapon. Come" He
caught the arm Of Flint and dragged
| him into the street.
But" stammered the bOrrifcd Flint
as he was borne along, what does II
all meanp What made that man at
tack me"
81 reckon II was case Of shooting
on sight, Mr.. Fowler; but he missed ii
| by not waiting 10 see If you were
armed II wasn't the square thing,
ana you're all right with the crowd
now, whatever he may have had agin
you"
But" protested the unhappy Flint,
~ never laid eyes on the man before,
and my name isn't Fowler"
Flynn halted, and dragged him in n
doorway.
"Wbo the devil are your" be asked
roughly.
Briefly, passionatcly almost byster-
ically, Flint told him his scant story.
An odd expression came over the
gamblers face.
Look here" he said abruptly, 81
have passed the word TO the crowd
yondcr that you are n dead broke miner
called Fowler. ! allowed that you
might have had some row with that
Sydney duck, Australian Pete, In the
mines. That satisfied them. II ! go
back now and say it's lie, that your
name amt Fowler, and you never knew
who Pete was. they'll jest pass you
over TO the police to deal with you, and
wash their hands OF it altogether You
| may prove TO the police who you are,
| and how that id clerk mist0Ok you,
| but IL will give you trouble. And who
| Is there here who knows who you really
| areY"
mo one"
"Then take my advice and be Fowler.
| and stick 10 il! BE Fowler until Fowler
turns up and thanks you for it, for
you've saved Fowler's life, as Pete
would pcver have funked and lost his
grit over Fowler as he did with you;
and you've right TO his name"
lie stopped and the same odd super
stitious look came into his dark eyes.
Don't you see what that all mcansf
Wei I'll tell you. You're in the big
gest streak of luck n man ever had.
You've got the cards in your own
hands! They spell Fowler Play
| Fowler first. last and all the time.
Good night and good luck, Mr.. Fowler"
The next mornings journal contained
an account of the justihable killing Of
the notorious desperate and ex.convict
Australian Pete, by a courageous
| young miner named Fowler.
"An act of trmness and daring" said
the Pioneer, (which will 60 far To coun-
teract the terrorism produced by those
| lawless rutiians."
In his new suit of Clothes and with
this paper In his hand Flint sought the
dry goods proprictor-thc latter was
satisfied and convinced. That morning
Harry Flint began his career ms sales
man and as shelby Fowler"
From that day Shelby Fowler's ca
reer WAS onc of uninterrupted prosper
ity. Within the year he became n part.
ncr The same miraculous fortune fol
lowed other ventures later. He was
mill owner mine owner. bank director
"A millionaire! He was popular, the
reputation of his brief achievement
over the desperate kept him secure
from the attacks of envy and rivalry.
He never was confronted by the real
| Fowler There was no danger of eX-
posure by others-the one custodian of
his secret. Tom Flynn. died in Nevada
the year following. He had quite for
gotten his youthful past. and even the
more recent lucky portmanteau; re.
mcmbered nothing, perhaps. but the
pretty face of the daguerreotype that
had fascinated him. There seemed tC
be no reason why he should not live
and die us Shelby Fowler.
His business year later took him
20 Europe. He was entering a train n,
one of the great railway stations OF
London. when the porter. who had just
deposited his portmanteau in com
pnrtmcnt, reappeared at the window
followed by young hdy in mourn
} ing.
Beg, pardon. sir. but 7 handed yor
the wrong pdrtmanteau That belong,
! to this lady This is yours"
Flint glanced at the portmanteau- OF
the seat before him. Ii certainly wa
not his. although IL bore the initials
} &C. T." He was mechanically handin.
IL back TO the porter. when his eye