Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-01-19

high-spIrfted boy. Without a petty
bone In his body; but rash. impulsive.
and always getting into trouble. One
day he quarreled with his sweetheart
and went downtown that night TO
forget about it-started out TO make
himself generally disagreeable so she
would hear OF it and be sorry.
Il thought when he left my room
that he had Old Nick in him bigger
than mule: but 1 couldn't keep him.
he would go.
The next morning. about daylight.
man came tapping on my window.
At first I thought he must be a bur
glar and was considering whether 20
out joel Joe! let me in. quick, it's
Harry"
Duke had paused In the act Of light
ing a cigar. The match burned down
to his fingers. and dropped: he did
not observe it. He scowled at Joe;
what a fool Joe was: he wished he
could climb over the table and choke
him.
Joe smiled maddeningly. and went
on:
Il let Harry in the window: he was
pale and haggard. My God. Joel' he
said. IL has happened; you always said
IL would happen. I got to drinking
and killed a man last night-fght in
a saloon
1T sickened me so that I could not
inquire how the thing occurred. Har-
~ told ali about 1t. what little ne
knew. which was not much. From
what he said i gathered that he had
wandered into the saloon and sat
down at a table in the rear. opposite
stranger. They were alone. both
In an ugly humor. and words passed
between them. about nothing The
stranger was eating oysters and had
fork I'm his hand
HE got mp. with the fork. and
cursed Harry. Harry snatched the
first thing be could lay hands upon
lit happened 60 be bottle-and
struck the man. Il must have been
pretty hard blow FOR the man
fell. stone dead. and Harry ran out
the side door. No one saw it.
After wandering around for hours
the boy came TO my room and told
me. What could I do? was sim
ply paralyzed with horror
II made Harry wait there. dressed
quickly. and went down town 10 see
about il. What do you think I
found2"
Joe glanced mp from the spoon
which he was deliberately turning
over and over again on the cloth.
Duke sat perfectly rigid. with tight
clenched lips-wbere was the fool 90
ing TO stop? How much did he mean
20 tell? Anita leaned forward on the
back Of the chair. her bosom stiller
than a frozen sea.
And what do you think I found?"
No one stirred. and two of his lis
teners did not breathe.
Harry had simply broken a bottle
over the fellows head. The man fell.
bled little and was too drunk 20
move. You needn't laugh. there was
nothing funny about that-it was
frightful tragedy 20 Harry Robb."
Anita's hand slipped on the chair
back; she came slowly forward 10 the
table. Her eyes met Joe's. she under
stood. Yet, TO make very sure. she
asked.
And so your friend did not kin
the man after all?"
mo. hadn't hurt him a bit. The
man had been loanng around that
saloon AN day trying to pick a fight
with somebody; and when he finally
did get FIGHT nc one felt sorry for
him. But DO straightoucd Harry.
let him think ne had killed that fell
low; from Wednesday night until
sunday night he believed himself 10
De murderer. He suffered fearful.
~. but IL made new man OF him
II taught him TO control his temper.
and he has never touched a drop from
that day 10 this"
Joe glanced at Dukes untouched
glasses and smiled. Duke did not
smile. his face was deadly white and
very serious
Did he marry the grip" timid 1T
tie Miss Derosset inquired. blushing
deliciously.
"Of course, there would have been
no story II he hadn't They never
quarrel now"
Anita glanced into Dukes parid
face. She leaned heavily on her chair.
The room reeled: the perfume OF the
carnations st!ned her: she thought
that she would fall.
Then, from somewhere. out in a
vast wilderness OF vacancy. there came
voice; Come. my dears, let US
leave the gentlemen TO their cigars"
and Mrs. Chaudron took her by the
arm.
Anita steadied herself. followed Mrs.
Chaudron into the drawing groom, and
sat beside her on the sofa. Alice
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