Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-10-12
Not Even an Earthquake
By Nj. ]. PHILLIPS
copyrisa,, 1910. BY Associated Li,erary Press

gradually pulled himself together.
He crept toward the bull The fifth
shot was in the black.
When half the twenty shots had
been fired. Tergott was heartily sick
of the contest. He was still shooting
well But Disbrow was better. The
gravity of the occasion sent abstrac
tion flying and cleared his troubled
brain
On the twelfth shot Tergott began
to slip. II was not in him to go
through to the end. On the four.
teenth. he lost the lead His TWEEN.
tieth effort left him a margin Of three
points only against the last shot OF
Disbrow. A four would beat him.
and Disbrow had been getting fives
steadily. Unless a miracle interviewed.
he was beaten.
A miracle did intervene Disbrow
choked down his breathing and the
beating of his heart. His aim was
perfect. But just as his finger
squeezed the trigger. the sun-browned
hills began to blur. The ground crept
and trembled sickeningly. hAby
earthquake was upon them.
Disbrow tried instinctiyely to re-
lease his pressure on the trigger: but
his brain could not get the message to
his fingers quickly enough. Just pre-
viously it had signaled the muscles TO
contract. AS the quake joggled the
muzzle of his rife off the target. they
did contract The shot went wild.
The trembling was over In a few
seconds. The frightened markers re-
turned to the pit from which they had
fed. In due time they signaled to
the pair lying pale and thoughtful on
the firing line. Dlsbrow had lost by
three points.
He knew. and Tergott knew, that
he had not lost fairly. The firing
regulations do not intend that the
riflemen shall buck earthquakes. But
Tergott, the adroit. said quickly:
Too bad about that miss. The
wind veered just before you fired
But you beat the earthquake"
Disbrow looked at him curiously.
with a lonesome ache at his heart. A
man is likely to feel bereft when he
has lost faith In friend.
Tergott took IL for granted that
everything was settled. He began TO
talk regretfully of Disbrow's early
departure from New Vista. Next day
he wrote TO Spokane and got his rival
place with better pay. BY subtle
suggestion he set Disbrow's departure
scant two weeks ahead.
Disbrow had lost friend and a
sweetheart, and the one hurt almost
as much as the other. He tried TO
ease the latter wound by telling him
self philosophically that Belle McNee
! had never really been his sweetheart
they had been friends, and he had
taken her to the beach and the the.
alter. But she was friendly with
Tergott, and went to places with
him, too. Disbrow had intended tell
| ing her. when he had $500 saved up,
that he loved her
! But that was all of now. He had
made bargain with Tergott, and
was going through with 1t. That Ter
gott was not playing fairly did not
release him from responsibility.
| The night before his going-away
day he went up to the little Mission
street house where Belle McNee lived
with her invalid mother. The girl
was wholesomely, daintily sweet. and
she managed to make the tiny. spot.
less home reflect her own character.
istics, despite the fact that she worked
all day as bookkeeper in a depart.
ment store.
They sat on the porch and watch ed
the stars. Belle did not talk much,
and when she did II was with a cuey
iippancy that made Disbrow un
comfortable It wasn't an occasion
for fippancy.
It was II o'clock before he got up
to go They shook hands. the girl
with few testing words that grieved
Disbrow. There was n hard little
smile on her face, as he could see
by the rays of the electric light on
the corner His throat choked up; he
could hardly get out the word Good
by" But he did. somehow.
At the gate he jumped as II some.
one had stuck pin in him For
voice was speaking 10 him. strange
broken. yearnlng little voice. half
tears-a voice that sent a million
mad prickles along his skin.
Tommy, It said. Il know. IL
made him tell me. Tommy. you silly
boy, you aren't going TO let little
old earthquake beat your"
Tommy went back in three bounds
and gathered her TO him hungriIy.
while her arms went round his neck
He kissed her hair and her wet
cheeks and her lips as he said. over
and over: Sweetheart. sweetheart
sweetheart, Not even an earthquake
not even an earthquake"
Franklin Philosophy.
Since thou art not sure OF min.
1sgav hour