Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05

ever According to the Judge Reverse as a man
of honor should permit Fuller to take shot at him
before making hostile sign. In support of this
position the Judge adduced several precedents in
each suppressing the names, all of which he
assured his hearers famous, because in every
one, as IN the present case, woman had been IN
volved.
1t was this bewilderng uncertainty as to how the
men would act that had drawn the whole county
into town to witness the meeting Ever since it had
been known that Reverse Dawson had brought
Sally Fisher the belle of Mariposa, to Grub Guch
his bride and that they were stopping at the
Palace hotel we'll informed people knew that some
thing bound to happen when Dawson met his
partner. Therefore, mining for the day. was sus-
pended and everyone fastened to town to be present
at the catastrophe.
1t was this phase of the affair that was predomi-
nant: though even it could not entirely drown the
wonder at Miss Fishers action. Of all the women
south of Stockton and north of the divide she was
the most eagerly sought Every unattached man
in the region had CALAMITY offered her his hand and
fortune, and she chose Dawson Why, no one
could say. Reverse the had earned that sobriquet
By habit of wearing his waistcoat inside out
dress occasions under the pleasing fancy that
it. gave him fashionable air. twenty-five years
her senior poor, inclined to be lazy and entirely
interesting To explain her action indeed diff
cult and only Bender had the tenerlty to attempt
1t could not have been for money, he declared,
leaning across the bar and facing group of en-
thralled listeners because there ism enough money
in the world to tempt any woman to marry Re-
verse, and besides. he hasn't got any, anyhow. So
youv just got put it down to natural cussedness
they amt busy at anything else.
And this dictun universally accepted
rect 1t might perhaps have found contradiction
il the other side of the affair had not been of such
absorbing interest But in the contemplation of what
the Sunset partners would do when they met all
else put aside. For five years they had worked
the old Sunset claim Alnaden Noun ain together,
and their devotion proverbial. Five years is
long time for men to stay together, when every day
their luck grows worse. and that is what had hap
pened to the Sunset partners Their reverseS seemed
only to bring them closer together. Dawson, who
much the elder and more demonstrative, showed
his deep affection in thousand ways. When Fuller
had one of his wild spells and was drinking heavily
he would follow him for hours to that he to
no HARM and when at last he was utterly overcome
By liquor he would care for him tenderly as for
baby. His gentle nature could never be aroused
except by some slight to Fuller, and then he would
fight like a demon. And this same Dawson
lad gone over to Marposa and married the woman
whom Jack Fuller loved, whom he had sworn to
make his wife 1t was absolutely inexpicabe, and
Grub Gulch could only gasp and wait.
In Miss Fishers wilful, romantic career, Fuller
had supplied the most romantic episode For three
months he had been her constant attendant her
chosen sutton. They had ridden together walked
together, danced together, forgetting, it seemed,
all the world but themselves
Then came the Milligan dance at Duncans Mills
Miss Fisher had wilfully insisted on dancing twice
with Dan Thomas who owned the Lucky Strike
mine This was in direct defiance of Fuller's wishes
When her next dance with him came he stood by the
door and made toward her She waited
for moment, and then. tossing her head, walked
across the floor to where Thomas was and asked him
to dance with her again
In an instant, Fuller, his face white and set be-
meath his dark, curling hair and his eyes cleaning
strobe across the floor to where they stood You
can't dance with him any more!" he said.
Everyone in the room heard him. For a second
she looked at him, and then, turning lazlv to
Tomas she asked. in her slow southern drawl:
Well, Dan, amt yo ever goin' to be ready?''
For answer Thomas took her hand and put his
about her waist.
Fuller's face grew even paler and he took step