Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-07-28

my ouOl Spcu hume. LllkS race
went white, and the same tender look
came into his eyes that l had noticed
before.
81 amt after breaking her heart"
he said, softly. "But do you think a
man like that could make her happy?
He'll be good to her for a while, and
then-Why, it. amt in a man of that
kind to do the square thing by a dog,
much less a woman"
"But she doesn't know that" I broke
in, warily. "She trusts him now, and
it isn't what a man is that makes a
woman happy; it's what he is to her"
Il was thinking of that" Zilk said,
slowly, and for the first time realized
just how much the man cared.
/ turned my back for a moment and
tried to collect my thoughts, then
Lets go back to camp, Zilk," I
said.
Zilk looked me over and laughed,
with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone.
do you think l came out on this
trip with my mind only half made up,
and that 1 was waiting for you to
come and tell me what to do?" he
asked. l kicked a stone ref1ectively,
and Zilk went on. you haven't lived
overmuch and you don't, understand
some things, that's all. I've never
had much hankering for bordering
out fine points myself, and I don't look
for reasons for things. There are some
engagements that a fellow has to keep,
and this is one of them"
His tone was bantering. I began to
feel treasured.
"You might take me along" I sug-
gested.
He acquiesced, and was silent until
we reached the pass. I noticed then
that he was growing nervous. He
turned to me suddenly.
"Did you ever do a thing without
knowing exactly why, and because
something-you didn't know what
just made you do it," he asked.
| nodded my head, although l did
" lCllClllDCl ldNllS q ouIu oil "a
perience. l wanted the man to trust
me, and l knew that | had to appear
sympathetic.
well, that's the reason I'm going
toto shoot Jim Dowly," he said.
"You are going to do what?" ]
asked, blankly.
ooh, you needn't be narrowing your
soul about aiding in a murder" he
went on; OTIS going to be a fair and
square fight. I've warned him, and
he can choose his own gun. The
worlds too small for us two, Chef,
that's all there is to it. Maybe he
won't come, but l rather think he will.
He knows I won't warn him but once"
Dowly came. He was there with
five escorts when we arrived, and ZilE
had a second only by accident. Dowly
stood in the center of the group as if
he expected Zilk to get the drop on
him, and did not face about until the
latter was close at his elbow.
"Gentlemen-" began one of the
five, but Zilk waved him aside.
1--WE don't want any of that palaver,"
he said, and turned to Dowyy.
"Why did you bring all this rabble?"
he asked. Weren't you man enough
to come alone?"
Dowly did not answer; one of his
companions spoke up instead: "He
wanted witnesses for one thing, and
for another. we came to reason with
you. You have no cause to fight this
man; he says you are the better shot
of the two-that you have never peen
known to miss your mark. Do you
think a man wants to walk out to be
murdered"
SIT all depends on his taste" Zilk
answered.
His reply seemed to puzzle the men.
They gathered together anew for a con-
sultation, and in the interval that fol-
lowed Zilk took his place.
care you ready, JIM" he said in
as wen a tone as he might have used
to a friend. will some one COUNT"
he went on, turning to the group.
The counting was uneven, for the
men were sill comforting. Dowly was
game, however, and stepped into place.
The two did not fire at the same
time. I could have sworn that Zilk
fired first; they seemed too close to-
gether for either to miss, and yet Zilk
vas the one to fall. The witnesses
were still arguing to call off the affair
when | caught him and took his re-
volver. One look at the loads told the
story.
/ handed it to Dowly.
BLANK cartridges" | said, simply.
"You have shot an unarmed man."
Dowly accepted the weapon with re-
luctance and dropped out one of the
shells.
Nov, what in thunder" he be-
gan, and then, Good Lord, I wonder
if he knew it,"
I put my hand on zilk's heart before
| answered.
Il think he knew it all right" I said.
San Francisco Argonaut.
PRESIDENT WAS A TAILOR.