The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-10-06
Not Even an Earthquake
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Literary Press
By Nj. j. PHILLIPS

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 WAC
perfect. But just as his finger
squeezed the trigger, the ~sun-browned
hills began to blur. The ground crept
and trembled sickeningly. A baby
earthquake was upon them.
Disbrow tried instinctively 10 re.
lease his pressure on the trigger; but
his brain could not get the message to
his fingers quickly enough. Just pre-
viously il 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 &c
the pair lying pale and thoughtful on
the firing line. Disbrow had lost by
three points.
He knew, n Tergott knew. that
he had not lost fairly. The firing
regulations do not intend that the
rifemen 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 a 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
a place with better pay. By subtle
suggestion he set Disbrow's departure
a scant two weeks ahead.
Disbrow had lost a friend and a
sweetheart, and the n hurt almost
as much as the other. He tried to
ease the latter wound by telling him
self philosophically that Belle McNcs
had w 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 la $500 saved up
that he loved her.
But hat was all off now. He had
made a bargain With Tergott, and
was going through with Ii. 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, ano
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 watched
the stars. Belle did not talk much
and when she did it was with a queer
fippancy that made Disbrow un
comfortable. 1t wasn't an occasion
for f%iippancy.
1t was II o'clock before he got UT
to go. They shook hands. the girl
with a few testing words that grieved
Disbrow. There was a 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 il some.
n a stuck a pin in him. For a
voice was speaking to him, a strange
broken, y%earning little voice, half
tears-a voice that sent a million
mad prickles along his skin.
Tommy. 1t said, Il know. II
made him tell ME. Tommy. you silly
boy, you aren't going to let a little
old earthquake beat you?"
Tommy went back in three bounds
and gathered her to him hungrily
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
mot even an earthquake"