The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-19
Not Even An Earthquake
By III. ]. PHIILIps


Disbrow said nothing for time He was consid-
ering his friends proposition They were both In love
Win Belle McNee Though they had worked side by
sac Tor year that fact had referred ia
before
Tergott was fair-haired and blue-eyed One locked
=. MN and supposed Tergott be straight
d .wara whereas he was crafty and unreliable. Thin.
a Dlsprow was also belied by his look. At first
glance STRANGERS thought him sly, whereas he was
Un,y sns He had genius Of nventiveness or hri-
he began. 1880
n,a In Mas young men were mechanical craftsmen in
were great Tergott gave OFF bright ideas as are
smes yes, on sparks but he could them with
pegged away unt the thing was done to the glory
OF the superintendent among his superiors They
were mandy pair to have around
They were enthusiastic national guardsmen and
every saturday haf-holiday found them on the rife
range "a at practice just now they lying on
me thousand-yard point Three-hfths OF mile away
.ne .nirty-six inch oulls-eye wavered in the heat
mirage minute black speck that often seemed to
wink out for moment
The rivals were both clever rfemen but Dsbrow
was on FORM to-day AS he strained his eyes and
froze his muscles at the firing disquiet-
ing vision would float into his mind-a vision OF last
night when fergott and pretty Belle McNee stroiled
down the street together he came TO call A
bulls-eye- of eeantenance and tendriIs oy .ofs
brown hair twist themselves about the trigger finger.
to bullets. - aseS
Tersott the quick. had noted his friends aostrac.
uon ana poor Workmanship guessed the reason, and
so made his epochal proposition. He wanted Dts-
brow out OF the way. He knew better than Dis
made Belle McNee
He rolled his back and looked nonchalantly
fierce anxiety was surging In the brain behind his
oomely facs He was afraid Dlsbrow would not ac-
cePt mis- Challenge; and he did not relish future
hohtns OF rivalry True to his nature, he wanted 10
hurry through the
Disbrow p9aaered silently. He did not attribute
ufwortihnessy to Tergott He believed has frena and
rival had challenged mpulsiveiy. dreaming that
Iergott was taking unfair advantage his tenn
porary lapse from form He thought deeply. FInalIs
as Tersott was almost ready to yell from sheer
no SatA nLa,
So the momentous match began. They fred alter
nate Tersott started brilliantly his first four shots
We're bnlGs-eYes DishrpW, unsteady, gradually pulled
himself together He crept toward the bull" The
fifth shot was in the black.
When half of the twenty shots had been fred
Tergott was heartily sick OF the contest, He was
gravity OF the occasion sent abstraction flying and
cleared his troubled brain
On the twelfth shot Tergott began to slip 1t was
not in him to through to the end On the four
eenth he lost the lead. His effort left him
a margin of three points only against the last shot
Of Dsbrow. four would beat him and Disbrow
had been getting fves steadily. Unless miracle
A miracle did intervene. Dishrow choked down his
breathing and the beating OF his heart His aim
ger the hills began to blur The ground
crept and trsmbled siekenngiy. baby earthquake
Disbrow tried instinctvey TO release his pressure
on the trigger but his brain could get the
sage to his fingers quickly enough. Just previously
II had signaled the muscles contract AS the
quake 1ossed the muzze OF his rife OF the target.
The trembling a few seconds The
fr.sh.ened markers returned to the pit from which
they had fed In due time they signaled to thu pair
lying pale and thoughtful the firing limo. Dis
brow had lost by three points
lie knew, and Tergott knew, that he had not loss
fairly The firing regulations do not intend that tina
rhemen shall buck earthquakes. But Tergott the
Too bad about that miss The wind veered just
before fore you fred Blu. You beat the earthquake"
ache at his heart is liseiy feel berefs
when he has lost faith in friend
Tergott took 1t for granted that everything was
settled He began to talk regretfuily OF Dishrow's
10 Spokane and got his rival place with better pay
BY subtle suggestion he set Disorow's departure
scant two weeks ahead
Disbrow had lost a friend and a sweetheart and the
one hurt almost much the other. He tried
caiiy tina, Belle MeNee had never really been his
sweetheart They had been friends and he had taken
" with Tergott and went to places with him. too.
Disbrow had Intended telling her, when he had s4oo
saved up. that he loved her
But that all OF He had made a bargain
with Tergott. and was going through with IT. That
from responsibility.
The night before his going away day he went up
lived with her invalid mother. The girl whoie-
somely, daintily sweet and she managed to make
keeper in department store.
did not talk much and when she did 1t with
queer fsppaaey that made Bisbrow uncomfortable.
1t wasn't an occasion for nippancy.
1t II O'Clock before he got up to GO They
shook hands the girl with few jesting words that
grieved Disbrow. There was hard little smile
her face he could by rays of the electric
light on the corner His throat choked up; he could
hardly get out the word "Goodby But he did
somehow
At the gate he Jumped as If someone had stuck 4
pin in him. For a voice speaking to him. a
strange, broken, yearning little voice, haf-tears-a
voice that sent million mad prcles along his skin
Tommy. It said II know. IL made him tell
me- Tommy. silly boy. aren't going to let
little old earthquake beat you 2"
Tommy went back in three bounds and gathered
her to him hungrily while <her went round his
neck He kissed her hair and her wet cheeks and
her lips he said. and Sweetheart
heart, sweetheart Not even earthquake-not
earthQuake."
Smiths Mind Relieved.
Mr.. w. r. Smith, of No. township who went
to the Pasteur Institute Raleigh, Monday night.
returned home Tuesday night Mr. Smith was
treating q hog that showed signs OF Illness when
in manner the hog threw saliva in his