The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-12-26

came In here for half an hour|I can't
believe he IL . thief! Joey they must
never know. We must not mention
this thing to any one ! don't mind
the money. 1t II nothing"-
Joey wiped the Precipitation from
his forehead.
"Right-o! Not . blooming word.
l see your meaning. BY cripes, he's
sinking pretty low. But" hopefully.
"mebby he didn't do It."
Il hope he didn't but The boy
shuddered. Joey. l passed him as 1
came from the ring awhile ago He
was leaning against q quarter pole.
The look he gave me was 10 queer.
SO ferocious. that I turned away. I
couldn't understand 1t. But do now.
Joey. It's as clear - day to me. He
had discovered that instead Of $500
there were but six ten-dollsr notes
In that pocketbook. Do you under
stand! He was black with rage and
disappointment"-.
"Jacky. we've got to keep our eyes
peeled. you and me-and another pus-
son, too. We got to stand by tonight
to protect 'er. He probably thinks
that pusson can tell I'm where It is"
But Thomas Braddock was not think
ing Of his wife In connection with the
disappointment that had come to him
in that last hour of degradation. He
was thinking Of Colonel Bob Grand
and wondering what magic influence
he had exercised over the boy to COM
pei him to deliver 10 much money into
his hands. Down ip the darkest cor
neI Of his soul he was cursing Bob
Grand for = scheming thief. Before
the wagons were we'll under way for
the next stand he was dead drunk in
the alley back Of the hotel bar, hav-
ing FIRST thrashed . porter who under
took to eject him from the place.
Mrs. Braddock and Christine waited
for him at the lot until the men began
to pull down the dressing tent. Da-
vid was with them. Not far away
was Joey Noakes, the center of q
group of performers held together by
his wonderful tale concerning the SEN
sational bit Of pocketpicking that had
occurred early in the evening. A con-
gressman had been touched" for his
purse and $500 while waiting for a
train at the depot. The town was
wild over the theft.
In the midst of the narrative Artful
Dick sauntered up to the group, COM
ing. II seemed, from nowhere. The
sossiper abruptly stopped his tale.
They say it's going to rain before
morning" said Dick airily. You guys
will get rust on your joints ii you stay
out in 1t. Ta-ta! I'm looking for my
brother. Seen him."
He strolled on as II he owned the
earth.
That feller'll be as rich as the devil
some day II he keeps on" said one of
the group.
That was the mild form of opnro-
brium that followed Artful Dick into
the shadows. As he passed by the
Braddocks and David he doffed his
! derby CALAMITY. To this knowing chap
there was something significant in
the dreary. half-hearted smile that the
mother and daughter gave him. At
any rate, he took second look at
them out OF the corner Of his eye.
"Brad's up to something" he
thought.
The smile he bestowed upon RUBY
Noakes. who stood near by with sew
eral OF the women. was all enveloping.
Ruby's dark eyes looked after him
until his long. jaunty figure disap-
peared In the darkness.
TOO bad he's a thie-what he is.''
ventured the iron-jawed woman pity.
ingly. She addressed the reflection to
Ruby. who started and then positively
glared at the speaker.
David escorted Mrs. Braddock and
Christine to the hotel. where he also
was to put up" under the new dis
pensation. They had but little to
say to each other. A deep sense O,
restraint had fallen upon them. He
understood and appreciated their lacl
of interest in anything but their owr
unexpressed thoughts AS for him
: self he was sick at heart over the
discovery he had made. Not for al
the world would he have added to theil
unhappiness by voicing the thought,
that were uppermost in his mind, riot
ing there with s4I~ insistent clamo,
that almost deafened him.
, Christine's father was a thief,
From time to time as they walke,
down the dark, still street he glance,
at her face, half fearing that hi,
thoughts might have reached her h,
means Of some mysterious telepath,
agency. Even in the shadows her fac,
: was adorable. He could not see he
dark eyes, but he knew they wer
/ troubled and afraid. He would hav,
given worlds to have taken her l,
/ his arms then and there to pour int,
her little sore heart all the comfor
| Of his new-found alteration.
For days it had been growing upo,
him, this delicious realization OF wha
: she had come to stand for in his life
, She had crept into his heart, and h