Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-29
6gIHITE
FEATHER
BY IRENE ROWLAND
Copyright, 1902, by the
s. S. Mcclure Company

q >. 3. Mcclure Company 3
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Four men were seated round moth
| eaten green baize table when the Kid
| flung his long legs over the window
sill and sat there nonchalantly kicking
his heels against the rough walls of
the cabin. 1t was the most serious
moment of the Kids life, not except
ing the one In which his father had
sent him west In disgrace. To go west
that had been something to look for
ward to; but to be sent back east again
in worse state of disgrace than ever!
That was what they were planning
/ to do-those four men around that lit
tie table, in the midst of which burned
smelly kerosene lamp. They were
passing sentence upon Jack Farley the
Kid Of the party, and he knew that
the verdict would be "Guiltyw
Collin Cutler was the first to speak.
Like the others, he was college bred
man, who had gone west for pleasure
and stayed there for excitement. He
was a physical giant. There were
vague rumors that once, when he had
caught a little Mexican cheating at
cards and the latter had drawn a shin
ing machete, Cutler had held him in
his powerful arms and bent him back
ward until he had broken his spinal
column. But these were only rumors.
At any rate, Cutler had never shown
the white feather, and he was merci-
less to those who did.
The others of the group were Addie
Easton, who had been center rush and
''strong man" of his class at Harvard;
Keen Taylor, the marksman from
South Carolina, where shooting is
Ans art, and Hal Farley, the elder
brother OF the Kid, as brave, as cool
fellow as ever sought his fortune in
the west.
"I move" said Collin without glanc-
ing at the Kid, "that we send him back
east tomorrow. He's shown the white
feather. A man who will break his
guard isn't worth the bacon he eats.
he goes tomorrow
Haps eyes ran tenderly over the fig
VFe sitting in the window.
"Wait a minute" he said slowly.
''You haven't found out the facts of the
case yet"
"The great fact is this: He wasn't
here when came back last night, and
every internal rustler in Ram county
might have carried off our goods If I
hadn't stayed here"
you're sore" said the Kid, taking
his pipe out of his mouth for the first
time, because you couldn't get back
to the dance. You're all sore because
Essie Wayland didn't go to the dance.
You want to know where she was?
She was with me-that's wherep'
Four faces at the table went red.
Essie Wayland not at the dance and
with the Kid! Four men who loved
her, or thought they did, because she
was the only eligible girl in Ram coun-
ty, looked at one another sheepishly.
At length the Kids brother laughed
weakly.
"The Kid always was winner with
the women" he remarked in an at
tempt to be facetious.
"Thank you, Hail." said the Kid sar-
castically, removing his pipe once more.
'Tll tell you the whole blooming story
if you want to hear it. 1t was a con-
temptible trick, and you know it, to
put me on guard the night of the
dance. You fixed the guard nights SO
that you could all get off to the good
time and left me here with novel
I've read eight times and half pipeful
Of bad tobacco to enjoy the pleasant
solitude.
"I guess if you'd been in my place
last night alone In this hole, with that
moon overhead and dead certain that
Nssie Wayland would be at the dance
and longing to dance with you, you'd
have done just as did. wrote her a
note to meet me on the south road. I
told her it was my night on guard and
that couldn't get to the dance, but I
suggested that we take our dances out
in moonlight ride.
'I was dead certain I'd get back be-
fore you did, but Cutler had to come
sneaking back here to steal one of my
collars and a new tie I got In Delta
oh, yes, you did-and he found me
gene. You can believe it or not, as you
like, but it was Essie Wayland, not
fear Of trustlers,' that took me out"
''That doesn't do you any good, Kid
die" said Hal quietly.
Because you're all making blooming
idiots of yourselves over Essie. It's
jealousy" And the Kid pouted like
spoiled girl.
"Well, you've got to take yourself
and your charms back east. That's
the 'alp of itp cried Addie Easton,
bringing his heavy fist down on the
table. The kerosene lamp sputtered
ominously, but nobody noticed it.
"Say, boys" broke in Hal Farley
pleadingly, "give the Kiddie chance.
Try the cut of the cards." And he
threw pack down in the midst Of
them.
"He doesn't deserve it." grumbled
Easton.
But Hal had shuffled the cards.
"Over seven he stays; under seven he
goesr'
The Kid leaned eagerly forward from
his seat In the window. Collin lifted
the upper half Of the pack slowly and
looked up at the Kid before turning it.
Suddenly and without warning the
kerosene lamp sputtered, and for Sec
ond the room was as black as night.
Collin dropped the cards with cry.
The lamp fiickered up again, and four
white faces gazed at each other, hor
rifed, across the table. Who had for
gotten to fill the lamp?
There was another ominous sizzle,
and the flame went blue. The men sat
rooted to their chairs. They knew, as
they looked at each other, that they
had just one moment to live before
that lamp would explode and pour its
burning oil over them and their tiny
cabin.
Then with one wild yell those four
sprang up and made, struggling madly,
for the door. Hal was the quickest.