Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-15

I
There was a big crowd ia the front
part. 50 I vent into the back part
and sat down az a table opposite this
! man. He was eating oysters I think
probably we had some words He
cursed me. but ought to have paid
no attention to that. he was so drunk
be could hardly stand Then he tried
60 get up, with fork in his hand:
didn't mean 70 hurt him. but I
snatched a bottle and hit him in the
head; broke his skull. The blood
gushed out. all over everything: he
fell. and don't think he ever moved q"
who saw it," This was the law
yer's instructive question.
Nobody; IL made no noise. I got
out by the side door and ran. Be
fore I had gone bali block I remem-
bered my hat aud bad TO go back for
f. He was lying there. dead. with
one arm doubled under him A lot OF
fellows from the cOck-hght we're sing
ing in the front room: but they
couldn't hear word"
Joe sat down. stunned and Devil
dered. as Duke went on:
Il ran out again. Joe. you don't
know how awful it Is 90 DE on a
silent street with nothing but your
own footsteps. ana 10 know that you
can't run away from yourself. When
! got up the Hill as far as Cherry
street I felt an insane desire 20 sec
that man again. 7 thought how COW
srdly 70 Was or me 20 leave him "
Ing there with nobody 60 help him.
l tried my best not 10 90 back. but
Il was no use. had 20 10. I
sneaked down the hill. through the al
1 leys. got 20 the door. and stopped.
, Il knew exactly h2w the man would
look. lying ~ "a his face with
that rSut Of -, II der him. and
Pud as it is - head l hung
myself ty head was just
as clean how: understood
| IL fully. nborod reading a
long time ago that hundreds Of muir
derers are captured at the morgue in
Paris every year. just because they
could not resist the desire 20 20 back
and look al the people they had killed.
/ That was awful. but / opened the
door. and went ia. The body had
been carried away. and negro was
[ scrubbing the floor
II searched for him all over town.
/ at all Of the undertaken shops. but
/ could not find where they had taken
/ him. There's a dead woman over
yonder a. Drulys parlors. ] went in
and looked az her a long time. II
Is very solemn 10 look at the dead
they are so stiu and white Then
came here"
He had spoken on and on In a low
/ voice more 10 himself than TO his
I friend. when he stopped. everything
grew deadly stin. The clock licked:
the fire cracked Il was nearly Eve
o'clock.
There came a sharp football on the
! fiagstones outside: il sounded very
/ loud. almost as II il were in tie
house. Stricken with terror. Duke
gras2ed the arms OF his chair and
listened until the early traveller had
Z passed
Joe dressed himself in silence.
When he was done. he touched his
friend on the shoulder.
| you stay here. old man." he said.
gently; I'm going down 10 see about
this thing"
Duke did not turn his head or speak
as Joe put on his overcoat and went
out
II should have been daylight. but
looking 20 the horizon one could not
guess from which direction to expect
"a iereard srn.
CHAPTER VII.
| T.c FLIGHT.
In the hr4 faint gray OF dawn Joe
! Balfo-. hurried home from Catalina's
S.. on.
"Lucky tng." he muttered, that
nobody saw IT,"
he was lawyer; such affairs as
this We're part OF life's routine, and
Joe had come 70 look upon them with
a collly professional eye. As ne drew
nearer TO the old brick house where
Duke awaited him. his mouth closed
T. My. But l. S a pretty tough les
son"
| Re opened door softly and went
10 his room. Duke was sitting In the
same chair. in the same position as
when Joe eft him.
The Duke OF Devil-May-Care was
no coward-physical or mOTal-and
he had been looking sQuare.y into the
face Of the thing that he had done
We'll. Joe?" he glanced up inquir-
ingly.
For a few moments the lawyer did
not speak. When he had taken OF his
gloves and laid his overcoat across
the bed he turned as deliberately as
II his friend were merely a casual
client seeking advice.
Noel. You niust lie low for a day
or two and see what happens; at least
until you so1er up"
Sober up?~ I'm soccer. What do
you think it taxes TO straighten a
| fellow"
J you are devil.sh lucky; not 4. hui
man being saw YOU. or knows that
you were there. l don't believe they
could ever prove thct you went into
that saloon. The man was a stran-