Middletown transcript., 1912-06-15

thought loved him. AS you are a man,
tell him that it was lie and that she
was innocent of anything else although
she did love you"
What a singular situation, an obser-
yer who knew all might have reflect
ed! Here was Enid Maitland pleading
for the good name Of the woman who
had married the man she now loved,
and whom by rights she should have
jealously hated.
You ask me more than can-''
faltered Armstrong yet greatly moved
by this touching appeal to his better
self.
Let him speak no word" protested
Newbold quickly. 81 wouldn't believe
him on his oath"
STEADY now, steady" interposed
Kirkby with his frontier instinct for
fair play, ''the mans down, Newbold,
don't hit him now"
"GiVe him a chance" added Matt
land earnestly.
you would not believe me, eh?"
laughed Armstrong horribly, well
then this is what l say, whether it is
true or a lie you can be the Judge"
What was he about To saw They
all recognized instinctively that his
forthcoming deliverance would be a
final one Would good or evil domin-
ate him now? Enid Maitland had
made her plea and it had been a pow
erful one; the man did truly love
the woman who urged him; there was
nothing left for him but chance that
she should think better Of him than
he merited; he had come to the end
Of his resources. And Enid Maitland
spoke again as he hesitated.
20, think, think before you speak"
she cried.
"If 1 thought" answered Arm
strong quickly, 81 should go mad New
bold, your wife was as pure as the
snow; that she loved me cannot and
will not deny, she married you in a
fit Of jealousy and anger after a quar-
rel between US in which l was to
blame, and when I came back to the
camp in your absence, l strove to
make it up and used every argument
that l possessed to get her to leave
you and to live with ne. Although
she had no love for you she was too
good and too true a woman for thas,
Now you've got the truth, damn you,
believe 1t or not as you like. Miss
Maitland" he added swiftly. IF had
met you sooner, might have been
a better man. Good bye"
He turned suddenly and none pre-
venting, indeed 1t was not possible, he
ran to the outer door; as he did so
his hand snatched something that lay
on the chest Of drawers. There was
flash of light as he drew in his arm
but none saw what 1t was. In a few
seconds he was outside the door. The
table was between old Kirkby and the
exit; Maitland and Newbold were
nearest. The old man came to his
senses first.
After him." he cried, ''he means"
But before anybody could stir the
dull report Of pistol come through
the open door!
They found Armstrong lying on his
back in the snowy path, his face as
white as the drift that pillowed his
head. Newbold's heavy revolver still
clutched in his right hand and a
bloody yelling smudge on his left
breast over his heart. It was the wo-
man who broke the silence.
oh" she sobbed, ut can't be-"
Dead" said Maitland solemnly.
"And 1t might have been by my
hand" muttered Newbold to himself
in horror.
He'll never cause no more trouble
to nobody in this world, Miss Enid an
gents" said old Kirkby gravely. well,
he was a damned fool an a damned
villain in some ways" continued the
old frontiersman refectively in the 81
lence broken otherwise only by the
woman's sobbing breaths, ''but he had
some of the qualities that go to make
a man, an amt doubtin' but what
them last words of hisn was mighty
near true. Eff he had met girl like
you earlier in his life, he mought have
been a different man."
CTO BE CONTINUED