Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-13

A form lay in the bunk-a still form
whose vide, unmOving eyes seemed
fixed upon the intruder. Darrell heaved
a deep breath. The form was not that
of Murgatroyd but of the easterner.
How came Murgatroyd's revolver
there? There were a dozen things
Darrell wanted to do, all at once, but
he set his hand to the thing nearest
him.
Picking up the revolver he examined
it. That it was the same weapon he had
held in his hands few hours before
five cartridges, their lead tips marked
with an M" convinced him beyond all
peradventure.
The weapon was a AS and the empty
shell of the sixth cartridge lay under
the hammer. barrels breath came
hard and quick as he laid the revolver
back on the table.
He knew it. Murgatroyd had COM
mitted the murder for the purpose of
inSolving him and fate, working cir
cautiously, had developed MurgatrOyd's
guilt through the agency of Junius Nc
Cloud, otherwise the man in eOrduroys.
Life is a game of chance, Darrell
reasoned, and every man plays it
through with Fate for an opponent
1t is perforce an honorable game" for
Fate will tolerate none of your short
card gentry.
The backs Of the cards may not be
read and various tricks and makeshifts
are tabooed. Fate loves a daring and
TNla xyh n
will discard aces in the hope of help
ing" inferior cards
But the play of Fate is peculiar, as
the establishing of Murgatroyd's guilt
through the instrumentality of Nc
| Cloud will witness. One thing alone
remained to make barrels assurance
doubly sure.
The bullet that killed Sturgis was
in the possession of the doctor at
Sandy Bar. Would that bullet show
the mark which Darrell had put upon
every load in the weapon belonging to
Murgatroyd?
Darrell picked up the candle and
stepped to the bunk. Other matters,
till now, had kept him from thinking
much of the strange silence of Junius
| McCloud.
A deathly pailor lurked in McCloud's
| eyes. Darrell laid hand on the heart
but detected not the slightest pulsation
| The fugitive looked pensively down
On the silent form. Death had sealed
the lips which could have explained
| the presence of that revolver.
In turning away, Darrell saw paper
bag on a shelf near the head of the
| bunk The bag contained food. Fam
ished as he was he began eating al
once, carrying the bag to the table and
clearing a place in front of him.
McCloud, Darrell reflected, had beer
a fastidious person. The fugitive re,
called his furtive wiping of the dishes
at the Half Way house and wondered
to note that even then, as he lay in the
bunk, his face was clearly shaven anC
his hair neatly brushed.
There were no marks of violence or
McCloud's person and it must be thai
he had taken something to hurry him
self out of the world. His burden o.
| guilt had been greater than he coulC
bear and he had made his preparations
and left life like gentleman.
In the midst of his meal, Dare
heard the impatient whinnying of thu
horse. The animal was probably il
need of water and Darrell went out a
once, pulled up the picket-pin and lei
the horse to the creek. Then, aftel
seeking out a fresh range, he drov,
the pin into the ground once NOR
and returned to the house.
A bold expedient had suggested itsel
to Darrell. Sweeping the uneaten foo
aside he picked up the diary ant
opened it.
A third of the leaves were gone, hav
ing been torn raggedly from the booI
and undoubtedly destroyed. On tn
remaining leaves there was not scral
OF writing.
A sigh of disappointment escaped tn
ran and he laid down the boo
and drew the little heap Of letters 4
front of him. Suddenly he paused.
What right had he to read that col
respondence? He boosted of bein!
honest and honorable; was there any
thing honest or honorable in readin:
another's letters, even though tina
other were dead?
1t was a fine point and il is to Oar
rel's credit that it occurred to him
There is a time, however, when neces