The Red Cloud chief., 1905-02-10

the CfOSSrOIuS TAR DChiild ana haU
come i'm sight of Plattville Mr.. Bris.
GOES visitor turned to Fisbee with II
repetition of the shiver that the laugh.
ter of Mr.. Skillet had caused her and
said half under her breath. 81 wish-I
half wish-that we had not driven
through there" She clasped Mr.. Els
bees hand gently. His eyes shone. He
touched her fingers with a strange. shy
reverence.
"You will meet him tomorrow he
said softly.
She laughed and pressed his hand.
"l'm afraid not. | was almost at his
side last night when Minnie asked him
to call on me. He wasn't even inter
ested enough to look at me-"
Something over two hours later, as
Mr.. Tom Martin was putting things tn
rights In his domain, the Dry Goods
Emporium, previous TO his departure
for the evenings gossip and checkers
at the drug store, he stumbled over
something soft lying IN the floor be.
hind n counter. The thing rose and
would have cvaded him, but he put out
his hands and pinioned it and dragged
1t to the show window, where the light
of the fading day defined his capture.
The capture shrieked and squirmcd
and fought earnestly. Grasped by the
shoulder. he held q lean, fierce eyed.
understood girl of fourteen clad In one
ragged cotton garment, unless the coat
NJ 1tIst Shn x,.nt.n nx,n, oil MIGHT hn ,S
teemcd another. Her cheeks were sal
low, and her brow was already shrcwd-
ly lined, and her eyes were as hypo-
critical as they were savage. She was
very thin and little, but old Toms
brown face grew a shade nearer white
when the light fell upon her.
you're no Plattville girl" he said
sharply.
"You lie!" cried the child. "You lie!
am! You leave me go, will you? I'm
lookin' fer pap, and you're n liar!'
"You crawled I'm here to sleep after
your sever mile walk, didn't you?"
Martin went on.
"YOu're q liar!' she screamed.
look here" said Martin slowly,
'you go back to Six Crossroads and
tell your folks that If anything happens
to a hair of Mr.. Harkless' head every
shanty i'm your town will burn. and
your grandfather, and your father. and
your uncles, and your brothers. and
your cousins. and you second cousins.
and your third cousins will never have
the good luck to see the penitentiary.
Reckon YOU Il remember that mes
sage? But before | let you 60 to carry
1t l guess you might as well hand out
the paper they sent you over here
with
His prisoner fell into a paroxysm of
rage.
"I1l cit pap to kill yer she shrieked.
striking ut him. Il don't know nothin'
bout Yer Six Crossroads, ner 10 pa
pers, ner yer Mr.. Harkels neither, ner
you, yc raZOrbacked ole devil. Pap
II kill We! Leave me go! Leave me
go! Pap II Kill We! I'll git him to
kill ye" Suddenly her struggles ceas.
ed. her eyes closed, her tense little mus
cles relaxed. and she dropped toward
the floor. The old man shifted his grip
to support her, and i'm an instant she
twisted out of his hands and sprang
out of reach, her eyes shining with tri-
umph and venom.
"Yahay. Mr.. Razorback" she shrill-
ed, "How's that fer high? Pap II
kill ye Sunday! Yell be screcchin' in
hell In a week, an we 'ull set up an
drink our applejack an laff!'
Martin pursued her lumberingly, but
She was agile as q monkey and ran
lodging up and down the counters and
Knocked him, singing, "Gran'mammy
Tipsy Toe" At last she tired of the
game and darted out Of the door, fling
ing back a hoarsc laugh ut him rs she
went. He followed, but when he reach
ell the street she was a mere shadow
fitting under the courthouse trees. H'
looked after her ~forebodingly, thci
turned his eyes toward the Palace no
tel on the corner. The editor OF thu
Herald was seated under the wOOdel
awning. with his chair tilted bacl
against n post, gazing dreamily at tn
murky red afterglow In the west.
!, whats the use of tryin' to bottle
!, him with it?' old Tom asked himself
He'd only laugh" He noted tina
, young William Todd, the drug, boo
and wall paper clerk, sat near the &c
itor. whiting absently. Martin chu'
killed.. Williams turn tonight" h
: murmured. well, the boys III tax
care of him" He locked the doors G
: the Emporium, tried them and droppe
: the keys in his pocket.
N AS he crossed the square to the dru