The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-07-04
TheKeeper of the Keyr
CHAPTER V.

then turned abruptly and hurried
from the room. Rand heard his
feet passing up and down the
length of the room above; mingled
with this was the sound of a wagon
coming up from the road. Those
chaps at Hydrant," Rand concluded.
In few moments Wheelock
came downstairs again, dressed.
Rand heard him go toward the out
er doorway, pause and turn; the
owner met him at the door of the
shanty.
I'm ready" said Wheelock. my
trunks upstairs. I'll send for it in
the morning. II thank you, Mr..
Rand. Good night"
He offered his hand. Rand looked
him in the eyes, shook his head
slightly and smiled-ignoring the
hand.
Good night, Wheelock," he said;
and turned his back on the man.
By this, Jack Rand proved two
things, both clearly and beyond dis
pute; that he was altruistic of ma
ture, and very young in years. An
older man, to begin with, would
have dealt properly with Wheelock;
that is to say, summarily, and ac-
cording to his deserts. For which
Wheelock would have borne him lit
tie i'll will. For it is the nature of
man that he will forgive injustice,
and even strict and impartial JUS
tice, more quickly than he will a
great kindness. He who shows us
mercy in our stress, by that act
shows himself on a higher plane
than that wherein We move; and
through our inherent pettiness of
heart, we envy and fear him &C
cordingly. And envy and fear are
the twin brothers of hate.
But had he, lacking the wisdom
and experience OF his years, shown
Wheelock mercy, as Rand had, an
older man would not have risked
earning the debtors eternal enmity
by refusing to shake hands with
him. Rand's clemency had been
folly; by that alone he had suffi-
GENTLY antagonized his former man
ager. But his subsequent action had
been nothing less than pure, una
dulterated madness. Which will be
demonstrated.
Wheelock got himself out of the
= house in a black rage, and care
less whether Or not he was OBJ
served, turned and shook a threat
ening fist melodramatically at his
benefactor, who was as unconscious
as he was invisible.
E The manager raused irresolutely
! the scum of his hate dubbed to his
lips, and he spat out an oath or two
swearing that vengeance should be
his, that he would repay. And ther
he turned and slouched away to
} | ward the stable. Ere he lost sigh
! of the house, however, he glanced
! back over his shoulder and saw
D Rands figure sharply silhouette(
against the lighted oblong of thu
front door. Fortunately, the man
G ager was not armed at that me
- ment. Otherwise he would hav,
been hanged for murder in the i'm
minent future.
q Wheelock was forced, however, t,
content himself with a cOmprehen
S sive curSing of his eX-employel
n which was interrupted by a noise
less shadow attempting to slip pas
Wheelock in the more black shadoy
of the stable walls.
Wheelock put forth his hant
grasped a flowing sleeve of ligh
silk, and gathered in a prize in tn
shape of scantily clad but COG
y and bland Chinaman.
Nothing could have been more OF
l. perfume. No more than he had de
|, sired a pony to bear him away fror
Ii the scene of his labors, honest an
t otherwise, had Wheelock wished t
exchange a word with this sam
: Chinaman. He was profanely de
lighted, and, selling instantly upO
>, the good chance wherewith forum
Il was favoring him, the discharge
e manager hastily drew the China
man back into the denseSt of tn
shade.
l. A whispered conference-mostl
" one-sided, and that side Wheelock'
J -ensued. There followed also tn
/ clinking of coined metal as it pass
ed from one hand to another; an
Immediately the shadows seps
d rated, the Chinaman to go about hi
6 nocturnal business and Wheelock
= enter the stables, select and saddl
4 a cayuse, and go pounding down tn
avenue to the road as if he desire
nothing better than to shake tn
e dust of Rand's ranch from his fee
at the earliest possible moment.
Rand waited several seconds aft