The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1908-05-08


II II get up if yo1 don't Closer still
q wd:lt sosI tJ-kiss M, before Paul
gels back.' ~~ I:
LOUISE 81, W w..t=. Sh. 81 ans ed hes.
ftatingly at the doctor, tinnidly at the
new lover in the old man. Then she
bent over him where he lay stretched
on the floor and kissed him on the
lips. A great light came into his eyes
before he closed them contentedly and
slipped into Inconsistencies again.
Langford rounded up Jim Munson
and sent him across with a stretcher,
and then ran upstairs for an extra
blanket off his own bed. It was bitter
~ cold, and Dick must be we'll
wrapped. On the upper landing he en-
countered Mary alone. Something in
her desolate attitude stopped him.
'What's the matter, Mary?" he de-
manded, Selling her hands.
Nothing" she answered, duly
How is he?"
|All right, trust and pray, but hurt
terribly, wickedly."
He did not quite understand. Did
she love Gordon? Was that why she
looked so heart-broken? Taking her
face in his two hands, he compelled
her to look at him straight.
Nov tell me-" he said.
"Did kill him?" she asked.
kill whom?"
why, him-Jesse Black"
Then he understood.
MARY, my girl, was it you? Were
those last shots yours?" All the RI
otous love in him trembled on his
tongue.
did II" she persisted.
God grant you did," he said, SOL
EMMY. There is blood outside the
window, but he is gone"
II don't like to kill people," she said,
brokenly. why do 1 always have to
do it,"
He drew her to him strongly and
held her close against his breast.
you are the bravest and best girl
on earth," he said. my girl-you are
my girl, you know-hereafter I will
do all necessary killing for-my wife,"
He kissed the sweet, quivering lips
as he said it.
why, JIM" cried Langford in sur
prise. II thought you had gone with
the stretcher."
Il did co." said Jim, swallowing
hard. He shifted nervously from one
spurred foot to the other. But
came back"
He looked at Langford beseechingly.
BOSS, / want to see you a minute,
ef-Mary don't mind"
I will come with you, Jim, now"
said Langford with quick apprehen-
sion.
"Mary'-Jim turned away and
stared unseeingly down the staircase
-"go back to your room for little
while. I will call for you soon. Keep
up your courage"
WAIT" said Mary, quietly. There
were unsounded depths of despair in
her voice, thought it was so clear and
low. There was another shot. I re-
member now. Jim, tell mel"
Jim turned. The rough cowboys
eyes were wet-for the first time in
many year.
"They-hope he won't die, Mary,
girl. Your fathers shot bad, but he
amt dead. We think Black did it
after he run from Gordon's office. We
found him on the corner
Langford squared his broad Shout
04rS-thNn mt ctrOno
around Mary. Now was he her all.
Come, my darling, we will go to
him together
She pushed him from her violently.
i will go alone. Why should you
come? He is mine. He is all I have
there is no one else. Why don't YOU
go? You are big and strong-can't
you make that man suffer for nv
fathers murder? Jim, take me to him. /"
She seized the cowboys arm, and
they went out together and on down
the stairs.
Langford stood still a moment. fol-
lowing them with his eyes. His face
was white. He bent his head. Jim,
looking back, saw him thus, the dull
light from the hall-lamp falling upon
the bent head and the yellow hair.
When Langford raised his head. his
face, though yet white, bore an ex.
preston of concentrated determine
ton.
He, too, strobe quickly down the
stairs.