Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25

Against the lurid social background of Dakot;
City suicide makes faint color, and vain sui
cidal attempt makes none. 1t merely stamps thu
performer lunatic in a community where, al
though life is cheap. run for ones money is ex
pected by the sane.
Chaifee, friendless and melancholy driftet
about the saloons and billiard-rooms on a use
less hunt for the sharpers who had feeced him
He was tcketed Gloomy Gus, the Gasman." by
an epgrammatist who tended bar at the Senate
and after a week the town lstlessly regarded
him innocuous and disordered freak De-
casionally he would lnger in his chair in the
deserted dinning of the Palace and talk to
Lily while she cleared the long table,
I'm through" he announced one evening.
Credit busted. 1 want to be let off that prom
ise"
"No, Stree" said the girl, whislling a duster
resolutey.
Chaffee knotted the crimson fringe of the
cloth. cts this way, Lily" he explained. I've
been crook-a thief, understand. You can say
a million never agains, but there it is BY
Moses! there's times l wish the firm would hur-
ry along their tracer and wind up the whole
business. I'm a coward not to do it myself-a
lOw-lived coward" Lily rested her fingers On
his twitchng shoulders. 'Oh, if it wasn't for
you' he ADDED, and the fingers retreated.
1--WE all has our troubles, | reckon" SAID
Lily.
and here I am sort of putting mine on to
ycu," went on Chaffee-"you, the only pal got.
Lii, my life is worth about as much to Inc as
that shriveed prune. | could chuck it easy.
But the worst is, want to pay my debt to You
somehow-if l could only show you how much
l."
Lily's fingers again avoided the clasp of his
"You mustn't" she said under her breath, I'm
married"
Like mesmerized crystalgazer, Chaffee stared
silently at the dull sheen If the pewter sugar
bowl.
"Yes, it's bad" she pursued, "and 1 don't
Lrow for why should tell you. But maybe it's
better to. We're so friendly-and you ought TO
have it right She perched on the table-edge
and sprinkled the sugar about idly. "Well, sir,
he claims he amt my husband, and that's the
W hole of it."
Fake marriage" muttered Chaffee.
Lii nodded. "Over to Spearfsh. I believed
him, so help me-honest, did! The parson was
tramp piano-tuner, and
But who is-your husband?"
"Stitch O'Sullivan' she answered with an
oddly pathetic pride. you've heard of him. of
course. Walking death. Stitch is, the playfulest
bow with gun in the Bad Lands He killed up
four of EN- in Minnesota before he took to car
cracking And he threw me down." Her exul-
tation subsidized; she capped the lid on the sugar
bowl
"It was blackeg's doings-he could square
you so quick commented Chaffee, thinking
hard.
II told him that" half-soliloquized the girl.
81 told him that only this noon. Stitch he
laughed
Her companion raised his eyes for the first
time. "Ths noon? Hold on a minute. Where'd
you see him."
"He's laying low for something down in Gene
Majors poolparlor," vouchsafed the girl, com
PEELED against her will by the curousy deter
mined twist on Chafee's jaw. "My. there amt
a license for me to give him away like this! But
you won't"
81 won't do anything, Lily" he assured her,
Except ask you to let me off from the promise