Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-06-15
CONQUERED
AT LAST
By r. PEMBERTON SLADE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

When Mike Dugan left the court
room for a two years term in the Ari-
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. it will
be from behind couple O. guns. Two
years behind the bars won't improve
my already soured disposition toward
you"
"I'll be ready for you. Mike. but
I'm afraid you'll have to seek me in
the city where l 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 a 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 wooly west five years.
Then his mother couldn't stand her
darlings absence any longer and beg
ged him to come home. Her pleadings
were REINFORCED by an offer of his
father to take the boy into business
with him if he would settle down. and
this brought Billy round
A couple of years passed, during
which the young man had got on fairly
we'll as a humdrum business man. He
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 it not been
for a 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 a 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 a rear door. His ~ caliber
revolver that he had used in the west
was in his bureau drawer, and, taking
it in one hand and an electric lamp in
the other, after slipping on a dressing
gown. he stepped downstairs and into
a vestibule at the rear. There he
could hear the saving distinctly. An
arm was put through Il hole in the
door. the key in the lock was turned,
the door swung silently open, and the
watcher saw the silhouette of a man
entering the room.
A fash of electric light revealed the
intruders face. and at the same mo-
ment came the words Hands up"
Being lighted and covered. the burglar
Obeyed the order.
well. upon my wordw exclaimed
Billy.
Eyes, I'm Mike Dugan, and know
that voice Of yours. You're Billy
Stokes
cat your service. Now, l remember
when we parted a couple Of years ago
you said that when next we met
pair of guns would be between us.
You hit it 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 | got out l 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 were 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"
81 don't care much. What can q
man do who has once been convicted?
Only my wife and kids are having a
hard time of it with no one to take
care OF EN-
Yes. there's the rub. That's going
to bother me in turning you over. I
wouldn't mind sending you up again.
but you know very we'll that I sympa-
thize with your family
couldn't you give me a chance to
live honest?''
What. Help a man who has come
here to murder me"'
There was no reply to this.
mike. you're a fool. knew you
before you took to the bad. and you
were a good man. too passionate and
revengeful. but know how you loved
your wife and kids. especially the boy
you named for me. Now. I'll tell you
what I'll do I'll give you place in
my fathers business and enough wages
to support your family. know I'm a
no: I'm not fool. I'll bet my bot
top, doIlor that within another voar