The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-07-14
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
~ lLMOST one year elapsed be-
~ fore Colonel Moreau, bark
HSSS ening at length to the call Of
Sy the river, returned to his old
haunts In New Orleans When he did
50 1t was to learn that his supposed
victim had entirely recovered from the
effects Of the honorable combat and,
in conjunction with his partner. had
reoccupied his old niche Of fame
premier professional gambler Of the
Mississippi Quite aside from all inan-
cial reasons-the fact that a more
skflful and successful rival was gar
nering the major spoils OF the river
the news OF his victims recovery was
seriously disquieting to the honorable
colonel, and had he been forewarned
he might have indefinitely prolonged
his acquaintance with the more health
full climate of Mexico. He knew that
Kirby vas not the type Of man to for
get or condone a bullet in the back
or the smirchfng Of whatever little re-
NAMED of his once fair reputation,
and had he ever remotely suspected
that he would recover he MoreaU
would not have prevaricated so cheer
fully and with such abandon to young
Randall. How. much did the boy now
know? That was the all important
question. Kirby, Of course, had learn
ed that he stood accused Of the late
John Randall's suicide. but had he
taken the trouble to refute it? Mo-
reau did not think so. and Moreau
was right.
Kirby had but vaguely heard OF the
unjust accusation and, having been
long since casehardened to calumny
in all its phases, paid little If any at
tention. Had any member Of the Ran
dali family sought him out he would,
as a matter Of duty, have proved his
innocence. But they, believing him
dead, had not done so, and he refused
to take the initiative, partly because he
could not give absolute credence to
the rumor, but in a greater Measure
because of the demands upon his
time. After all, it did not matter. 1t
meant only another tally to the o
Of Jack Moreau, and all would be
wiped out by that gentleman's death,
an undertaking upon which he had
definitely decided. What stood be-
tween them could be eradicated only
by the bullet.
Meanwhile the passing year had
brought with it many changes for the
surviving members Of the Randall fam
lily. Life is tenacious. and they had
-or131kO5 IN cV1ruirinn NC hast %hou
could the shock incident upon their
fathers suicide. The one small meas
ure Of satisfaction in the whole ter
rible affair was the knowledge that the
despoiler Of their home had promptly
met his death and that in consequence
they were at least saved from pauper-
ization. for they were entirely igno-
rant Of Kfrby's recovery or the meas
ures he had voluntarily taken for their
protection.
To the only girl, Adele, had fallen
the brunt of suffering. The General.
a child Of eight, vas too young to fully
comprehend his loss, while Tom, a
hot headed youth in his early twenties,
occupied all his time with the planta-
ton and devoted all spare moments to
nursing his hatred against Kirby's-
memory. While glorying In the lat
ter's supposed death he deplored that
his hand had not effected it Where
grief had paralyzed Adele it had but
further aroused the boys militant and
aggressive nature, adding. moreover, a
veneer Of youthful and bitter cynicism.
He abhorred Kirby's memory with an
Intensity passing the hatred OF man
and, even had he been a stranger to
the then prevailing and primitive no
lions Of justice, would, had-he known
the other lived. have Immediately
sought him out and killed him. If his
fathers memory demanded that no re-
sistance should be made to the gam
bIer's claim it likewise demanded that
the latter should not live overlong to
enjoy his newly acquired property.
More than once, as if uneasy intui-
ton sought to prompt a truth, the
boy had suggested to his sister the pos
sibility of Kirby having survived Mo-
reau's sincere attentions. Then he
would break out in an ungoVernable
fit of fury and hatred.
"Supposing that scoundrel has lived
and intends reaping the reward Of his
crimet" he would cry. HE gained
that deed by the vilest scoundrelism
ever practiced. Well, let him make
good his claim If he can"