Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-11-01
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
THE SECOND
DANDY CHATTER
CHAPTER Ii.-(contlnued.)
BY Tom Gallon.

Il r. y
He picked up a stained newspaper
and tried to read; but before his eyes
y again and again, came the image o.
the dead fcce which had stared into
his that night. So much had happened
so much that was wild and strange
within the past few hours, that It
all Eeemed like some horrible nnruly
nightmare. Yet he knew that it was
something more than that; for his
fingers touched the papers in his peck
ct and the watch that had belonged
4 to the dead man. For moment, as
his hands closed upon them, a sweat
i OF fear broke out upon his forehead,
and he glanced about him uneasily.
It's a desperate game" he NUT.
tered. IF the body should be found
and recognized, or If The likeness be
not so complete as | have thought,
what shall I say. what shall | do?
j Why, I don't even know what manner
Of man this Dandy Chatter was, or
what were his habits, his companions,
the places to which he resorted; l
know absolutely nothing. Every step
Of the way | must grope in the dark.
And / may betray myself at any mo-
nent!"
He dropped the paper from before
his eyes and found found, to his as
tonishnlent, and somewhat to his dis
conjecture, that he was being steadily
regarded by a man who sat at the 9th
er side of the table. More than that,
the man, having his back toward the
little inner room where the meal was
being prepared, nodded his head
quickly, in familiar fashion, and
bent forward and whispered the fol
lowing astounding remark:
"Wot-give the count the slip, ave
yer?"
Philip CroWdy's position at that mo-
ment was not an enviable one. He
was utterly alone in the sense that,
whatever battles lay before him, he
had to fight them as best he could,
and dared not trust living soul;
worse than all, he must fight them in
the dark, not knowing, when he took
one step, where the next might lead.
Moreover, the man before him was
one Of the most repulsive looking ruff
dans it is possible to imagine: man
who, from his appearance, might have
been one Of those unfortunates de
scribed by the proprietor Of the place
as never sleeping in a bed.
His clothes, which had once been
black, were Of a greenish. hue from
long exposure to the weather, and
we're fastened together, in the more
necessary places, by pins and scraps
OF string. His face, long, and thin,
and cadaverous, had upon 1t, besides
It's native dirt, weeks growth OF
beard and mustache; his hair, thin
almost to badness on top, hung long
about his ears, and was rolled inwards
ut the ends, in the fashion Of some
thirty years ago.
Crowdy. after cycling this manss for
la few moments in silence, grunted
something inaudible, and took up the
paper again. |
No offense, Dandy said the man,
somewhat more humbly, and the same
hoarse whisper as before. "Seed ye-
outside, an came in arter yer. Az,
the rules, an we'll I knows IT, biz.
there amt no one ere to twig us, is
there? ii
well, what Of that!'' asked the
other. taking his cue from the. fellows
humility. Can't yeu let a man alone,
even at this hour? what do you want
now?'. ~
Don't be SO 'asty, Dandy" replied
the man, in an injured tone. tIt amt
for me to say anyank agin the! count,
'cose 'e's your pal. But you're young
at this game, Dandy, and the count is
9 bit too fly, II you wants a fren', as
III be q fren', don't forgit the Shady
I'm, will yer?" This last very insinu-3
atingly.
"Oh.s you're the Shady TN, are
your thought Crowdy Aloud, he
said, Thanks, can take care Of my
self. = sl
aAh, you wos always Ugh an
mighty, you wos," replied the other
with propitiatory smile 1T amt fer:
me ter say anyfink agin the count
On'y 'e's q deep 'un, that's all. An ''e's
got some new move on; 9 was q
stickin' like wax to you tonight yer
know g was
Philip Crowdy caught his breath.
Here, surely was some faint clue at
last; for 1t was possible that the man
who had been sticking like was' to
the unfortunate Dandy Chatter that
night might have stuck to him to the
very last, down by the rivers muddy
brink. Crowdy was breathlessly silent,
waiting for more; he left his meal UNI
touched. I, where It had been placed.
and kept his eyes narrowly on his.
neighpor.
But that neighbor had III evidently
sds his n,ind to Esay nothing
more after q pause he shuffied to his
feet and started to leave the place
As he neared the deer, however. be
came back again, and bent his face
down to- Gsrowdy,s ear.
So YER won't tergit Toosday,
Il III yer y