Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-11-20

der toward the bOy"Wil! be atther
closin that si!f feeding automatic die
tionary av his for a moment, shud
be glad to call the attntion aV the
coompny to somethin in the nature av
an iXtin,atin' circumstance in the
ease av Simpson"
Hear. hear" they shouted. The
broad cOuntenance OF COstigan beamed
with Joy at what he was about TO say
"Gin,lemin. the silence av Mr. Simpson
is Jew in all probabilities to a certain
ivint recalled by many here pris'nt.
an more that's absent, an' amlcab'ee
settled out a. coOrt.
Up to this time the unhappy Simpson
had shown an almost superhuman en-
durance Now he bristled. and after
looking up and down the board for
sympathetic face and not finding one
he declared loudly and generally
"'Tain't So
"Ye may have noticed that Frind
Simpson do be t'reatened w'd 'ockjaW
in the societee av min. but IN the prs
ince av ii female ye cart count on MIN.
Now. talk wild a female is an agree
able if not a profitable way av passin
the tonne. but. sure. ye niver know
where it will ind-as witness Simpson.
This lady I'm recalin'-'tis matther
av two years ago-folloWed the ancient
and honorable profession av biscuit
shootin' not far from Caspar. Slz
Simpson to the lady some such passln
civiltee as Good marnin': plisent
weather we're havin,' whereupon the
lady fit Il damage to her Affections an
sued him for breach av promise"
"Twan't that way at ALL" screamed
Simpson Sail a liet'
''Yu ought er said Good evenin to
the lady. Mistu' Simpson; hit make
ditfunce," drawled the man from
Texas pleasantly.
but twas Good marnin' Simpson
made chyce av," resumed Costigan.
"An' the lady replied. You've. broke
my heart Whereupon Simpson, havin'
a matther av tree thousand dollars to
pay for his passin' civilitee, learned
thot slince was golden"
They all remembered the incident in
question and thundered applause at
the temperance of an old favorite.
| Without warning, a shadow fell across
the sunlight flooded room and as one
after another of the men glanced up
from the table they saw standing in
| the doorway man of such malignant
| aspect that his look fell across the
company like u menace. The swing Of
| their banter slowed suddenly; it was
| tl,o ST. t1Jp nI 0y,n
had struck across the June sunshine
checking their roughshod fun. None
of them had the hardihood to joke with
man that stood in the shadow of
death. and hate and murder looked
/ from the eyes Of the man in the door
way and looked toward Simpson. One
by one they perceived the man of the
shadow, all but Simpson. eating steak
drowned in worcestershire.
The man in the doorway was tall
and lean, and the prison blench upon
his face was in unpleasant contrast
to the ruddy tan Of the faces about the
table. His sombrero was tipped back
and the hair hung dank about the
pale. sweating forehead suggestive Of
sickness. hut weak health did not i'm
ply weak purpose. Every feature in
| that haw!slke face was sharp with
hatred. and in the narrowing eye was
vengeance that Is sweet.
| He stood still. There was in his
hatred a something hypnotic that grew
imperceptibly and imperceptibly COM
municated itself to the men at table.
He gloated over the eating fat man
as If he had dwelt much in imagina-
ton OH the sight and was in no hurry
to curtail his joy at the reality. Not
one in all that company. even the cat
telmen whose interests We're opposed
toSRodney's. but felt the justice of his
erraud
"When did they let him out?" whis.
pered the college boy. And then,
"Oughtn't we to do somethinM.i
"Yis, my son. whsperet.k~ N
1--WE ought to sit still and learn a 1n.' H'''g e
or two"
The fat man cleaned his plate with
a crust of bread stuck on the point OF
a fork Then he glanced up and saw
the gaunt man standing in the door
way.
Simpson dropped the knife from his
shaking hand and started up with q
cry that died away in g,lrgle, an in
human. nightmare croak. He looked
about wildly. like a rat in a trap, ther
backed toward the wall. The mer
about the table got up. then cleared
away in a circle, leaving the fat man
1t was all like d dream to the college
boy, who had never seen a thing OF
the kind before and could not realize
now that it was happening. Rodney
advanced, never once relaxing the lool
in which he seemed to hold his enemy
as in wise. Simpson was like maj
bewitched. Once, twice, he made {
) grab for his revolver. but his righ
hand seemed to have lost power It
heed the bidding of his will Rodney
now we'll toward the center of tht
rODIu wnifa6 v;4l, ~ of <.n,.