The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-10-19

uotSn Z Sounu IKE ne 8 innocent, docs
it, Besides. the officers are plumb
certain he's hanging around this show
SOM place. I'm not going to be pes
tered with constables and detectives
from here to Indiana, let me tell you
that
I'm not willing to see these men
get into trouble" David said steadily.
Give me time to change my clothes
again, and you can call In the off,
GERS
Don't he a fool" exclaimed the
clown. A murmur OF protest arose
from the others.
"Thomas" A woman's voice was
calling from the other side Of the low
canvas partition.
That's my wife, growled Brad
dock.s II suppose she'll be beggin' for
You too. What do you want?' The
question was roared through the can
vas.
Come here, please. 1 must speak
with you"
Change your clothes. boy" he said
after a moment of lndecisIon. "See
that he don't get away, you fellows.
If he gives you the slip I'll have
blood, and don't you forget it,"
The man had been drinking. His
eyes were bloodshot and unsteady.
His face was bloated from the effects
of long and continued use OF alcohol.
Once on a time he had been a dashing.
boldly handsome fellow. There could
be no doubt Of that-the sort Of youth
that any romantic girl might have
fallen In love with. A wonderfully
vital constitution had protected his
body from the a of self indul.
gence-the constitution of Il great.
splendid human animal. In whom not
the faintest sign of a once attractive
personality remained. There was no
refinement there. no marx OF good
breeding. What she had evidently
mistaken for the nobility Of true man
hood In her innocence aud folly was
no more than the arrogance Of SPLEEN
did health. This man had been beau
tiful in his day and frankly pleasing.
That was long before the thing that
was in his blood. and in the blood Of
his father perhaps, had claimed do
m~inion-the mysterious thing which
inevitably registers the curse of the
base born. so that no man may be de-
ceived.
A heavy black mustache, lightly
touched with gray, shaded a coarse,
rather sinister mouth. from the corner
of which %protruded an unlighted but
thoroughly chewed cigar. Thin red
lines formed a network in his cheeks,
telling of the habits that had put them
there. On his forehead was a perpetual
scowl, a line slashed between the eyes
as II laid there by a knife. The fea-
lures were not irregular, but they
! were Of the strength that denotes cul-
tivated weaknesses. His chin was
square and strong, heavily stubbled
with a two days growth of beard.
Eyes that were black and sullen stood
well out in their sockets. A silk hat
tilted rakishly over his brow. His
waistcoat was a loud brocade. his
necktie a single black band, knotted
once. There was a great paste dia-
mond in his soiled shirt front.
AS the flap dropped behind him Girl
naldi turned to the boy.
"Mebbe we can fix it with I'm. She'll
put in a plea for you and so will Little
Starbright-that's what is daughter is
called on the bills-if she gets a chance.
Stay right ere, youngster. I've got to
go in for my girls act now. | wish you
could see my girl. She's the queen of
the air and don't you forget it,"
Outside Braddock vas glowering
upon his wife, who faced him r~esolute-
~. There never had beer a time when
she was afraid of this man. Even
though he had mistreated her shame
fully, he had never found the courage
to exercise his physical supremacy.
Braddock recognized and respected the
qualities that put her so far above him.
Not that he admitted them. even to him.
self. That would have beer fatal to
bis own sense of justice. He merely
felt them. He could not evade the con
ditions for the reaso that he was pow
erless to analyze the force that pro
duced them. He only knew that some.
how he merited the scorn in which she
held him. There were times when be
hated her for the very beauty of her
character. Then he cursed her in bleak,
despairing rage, more against himself
than against her, but never without
afterward cringing in morbid contem-
plation of the shudder it brought to
her sensitive face.
If any one had been so bold as to
accuse him of not loving her he would
have been crushed to earth by the brute
that vas in him. On the other hand, If
he We're timorously charged with low.
ing her. it would have been like him to
call the venturesome one a liar-and
mean it, too, in his heart.
But five hundred is 1--WE hundred
he was repeating doggedly In opposi-
ton to her argument in behalf OF the
boy. You don't know whether he's
~