The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-06-05
CONQUERED
AT LAST
By R. PEMBERToN SLADE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911,

| room Ior TWO years term IN the All
iona penitentiary for horse stealing
the vigilance committee had missed
him or he would have been hanged
he turned to Billy Stokes, who was
responsible for his arrest, and said:
when we meet again, Billy, 1t win
be from behind couple o guns. Two
years behind the bars won't improve
my already soured disposition toward
you"
'Tll be ready for you, Mike, but
| I'm afraid you'll have to seek me In
the city where was born and brought
up. | advised you long ago to stop
monkeying with other peoples prop
erty and go to work If you had taken
my advice you wouldn't have been
about to do time for horse stealing
The prisoner was led away, and
Billy Stokes prepared to leave for the
east.
Billy from childhood had been one
of those boys who need wider range
than city affords. While there was
nothing bad about him, he was very
unruly, Finally his father, feeling
that his son would not make an orna-
ment to civilized society, concluded TO
send him out among the cowboys and
desperadoes. Billy found himself
quite In his element and remained In
the wild and woolly west five years.
Then his mother couldn't stand her
darling's absence any longer and beg
ged him TO come home. Her pieadings
were REINFORCED by an offer OF his
father to take the boy into business
with him IL he would settle down, and
this brought Billy round
A couple of years passed, during
which the young man had got on fairly
well as a humdrum business man. lie
lived at home with his father and
mother, the idol Of both Though he
was fond of them, they might not have
been able to keep him had ii not been
for girl At any rate, the three held
him chained.
One night Billy, whose room was
over the rear entrance to the house,
heard a singular sound 1t was like
the turning Of an auger in wood. 1t
ceased and was followed by the sound |
of saw. Both sounds were very |
faint, but Billy had fine ears, sharp |
ened by his western experience, and |
he was satisfied that burglar was at !
work at rear door. His AZ caiiber |
revolver that he had used in the west |
was in his bureau drawer, and, taking |
1t in one hand and an electric lamp In /
the other, after slipping on dressing |
gown. he stepped downstairs and into
vestibule at the rear, There he
could hear the saving distinctly. An
arm was put through a hole in the
door, the key In the lock was turned
the door swung silently open, and the
watcher saw the silhouette Of man
entering the room.
A flash of electric light revealed the
intruder's face, and at the snme mo-
ment came the words Hands up!'
Being lighted and covered. the burglar
obeyed the order.
well, upon my wordf' exclaimed
Billy.
Eyes. I'm Mike Dugan, and know
that voice Of yours. You're Billy
Stokes
AT your service. Now, remember
when we parted couple Of years ago
you said that when next we met
pair of guns would be between us.
You hit IL right, but it's | who have
the drop on you instead of you having
It on me. ] suppose your coming here
is intentional"
yes. AS soon as I got out I came
here to find you. ! concluded that the
best way to cover my tracks with re-
spect to the move would be to bur
glarize the house you We're In"
II see. You could murder me, and If
you could make successful exit with
out being known you'd get your re-
venge and go scot free
That's about it. Billy"
"But instead of revenge you'll get
ten years this time"
Il don't care much. What can a
man do who has once been convicted!
Only my wife and kids are having a
hard time Of 1t with no one to take
care of 'em."
Yes. there's the rub. That's going
10 bother me in turning you over |
wouldn't mind sending you up again.
but you know very well that | sympa
.hize with your family"
Couldn't you give me chance to
i've honest?"
What. Help man who has come
here to murder me?'
There was no reply to this. -
Mike, you're fool. | knew you
before you took to the bad, and you
we're good man, too passionate and
'evengeful, but know how you loved
our wife and kids, especially the boy
-ou named for me. Now, I'll tell you I
what I'll do. III give you place in
ny fathers business and enough wages
o support your family. | know I'm a
mo; I'm not q fool. I'll bet my bot
ON dollar that within another year
'ou will be living comfortably with
our wife and children, the kids grow
ng up to make useful citizens. What
10 you sayT
"Oh. Billy, what Ounce you arel
'oud only get yourself into trouble"
"I'll take the risk You're a better
nan than you think you are" Billy