The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-11-26

mo, It DON'T" was the reply. For
when we got there, as said, he warn't
dead, and we managed to revive him
with good drink Of liquor, which
Pete Breeden-that was his name
always would respond to- he inter-
polated. And he managed to say
few words"
What were theyr
'sHe said that his Wits shot him and
run of with Fordyce"
Anything more2~
''Then he died"
II see," said the editor. "Gormly
took the blame upon himself to shield
the woman"
1T will be Colonel Hamilton's I'm.
supported statement against this writ
ten confession. though" interposed the
night editor.
We'll. as It happens" was the re-
ply, ''the statement amt unsupport
ed"
what more1" asked the editor.
"This."
Colonel Bill from the same tin box
fshed out another object wrapped in
piece of paper. He unrolled the
paper and exhibited f1attened leaden
bullet
This como from thirty-two call
Der revolver. Doc johnson. who was
the only medical shark we had in
them days, he performed an autopsy,
or somethin' like that. on the body OF
Breeden, and he got this from It. No
man In the territory ever carried
thirty-two. Forty-aves the usual
weapon for a gent out there, and this
come from the woman's gun. I'd often
seen her use it, and she could shoot
most rs straight as = man could. that
woman"
"Good!" exclaimed the editor
THAT amt ALL" said Colonel Bill
triumphantly. II got here q signed
paper witnessed before Justice of the
Peace Jennings, the only one we had,
and signed by me and several other
men, which swears they heerd Bree-
den say his wife killed him and that
they seen this thirty-two bullet took
out of his breast, the autopsy bein'
public like the fun'ral. And It's made
out In due FORM
cts quite satisfactory" said the
editor, gIancing at 1t and passing It
over to Shaw.
$50 you see we fellers kind o.
thought Fordyco done a mans part in
takin' the blame on hisself. and l al
ways kept these things thought
they might turn up handy sometime"
You did we'll"
"And that amt all either" said Col.
Bill Hamilton.
What more have your
well, I've seen the woman. She's
alive yet"
Naturally she must have been or
they couldn't have got this story from
her." was the answer.
Course Well, the end Of tho
story's this: Them people plunged
south in that blizzard. We looked for
'em in the spring; but never expected
to And their remains, cause 1t was
more'n human flesh could stand, such
storm as that, and we naturally
s'posed they'd both died and got ct up
by the wolves when they was partly
thawed out. But the other night
was takin' a trip through tho tender.
loin-for observation purposes said
Colonel Bill as the ghost of smile
fiickercd on the face of the night ed
itor--"nnd seen this woman and had
IN interview with her. She's plumb
scared to death. The chief of police
who got this stuff from her g fright.
ened her out of her boots. But I, bein'
an old friend OF hers, managed to
calm her down, and got her to give
me her story. She's always been sor-
ry that she served Fordyce the way
she done.
IL don't know how 1t Is, but some
how I got at the good side of her.
You see these women are going
straight to hell perhaps-although I
amt got no inside information as to
that-but however low they git and
however bad they are, there's always
soft spot in EN- somewhere. They're
women still. And I guess I must've
touched the soft spot in her somehow
or other; for she told me the truth.
At any rate she confessed the whole
thing to me, and she said furthermore
than when them two was goin' south
in the storm. her horse fell down and
died, and that Fordyce got OF his
horse and she mounted it, and he
walked hisself hangin' to the saddle
strap, and she said that SEEM that
the remainin' bronco was givin' out
too, she showed Fordyce down and gal
Hoped away and left him. And I got
her signature to paper oonfessin' It."
Again Colonel Bill had recourse to
the tin box.
Here It is. Now II them don't
mako . complete case for my olD
{Te b. continwed.>