Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1912-04-18

ana NO 1ubtlncauOn IN the eyes OF
those here whe love me. and for the
rest Of the world don't care. But you
have slain this mans confidence in q
woman he once lored, and who he
thought loved him. As you are man,
tell him that 1t was q He and that she
was innocent Of anything else although
she did love you"
What a singular situation, an obssr-
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 csh-"
faltered Armstrong yet greatly moved
by this touching appeal to his better
self.
Let him speak no word" protested
Newbold quickly. II 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 q chance" added Matt
land earnestly.
You would not believe me, eh?"
laughed Armstrong horribly, well
then this Is what ! say, whether 1t II
true or . lie you can be the Judge"
What was he about to say? They!
all recognized instinctiveIy that his!
Forthcoming delversnce would be =
final one. Would good or evil domtn-
ate him now? Enid Maitland bsd
made her plea snd 1t Had bsen pow
erful one; the man did truly love
the won7an who urged him; there wss
nothing Deft tor him bx o chzrce that
she should think better Of him then
he merited; he had come to- the end
ot his resources. And Enid Maitlaud
spoke again as, he hesitstsd.
Co.. think, think before you speak
sifs cried.
n I thought" answered. AVID
strong quickly, IT should 30 mad New-
bold, your" wife wss as pure a. ttte
snow;: that she loved me ; cannot and
will! not deny she married you tD .
At Of jealousy and anger sitter q quar-
rel between us In which I waB to.
blame, and when I came back to th9
camp In your absence, stroye TO-
make 1t up and used every argument:
that I possessed to get her to leave
you and TO- live with me. Although
She hah mo- low for you she was too
good and too true e WOMAN for tftat.
Now you've got the truth, damn you,.
believe it or not as you like. Miss
Maitland" he added swiftly. IL 4 had!
met yom sooner might have Bsen
q better man. Good bye
He turned suddenly and none pre-
venting. indeed It was not possibns,, he'
ran to the outer door,: aa he did So
his hand. snatchsd something that lay
on tha chest OF drawerA There was.
a fash of light AZ he drew IN his arm
but none saw what 1t WAS. In g. few
seconds he was outside the door. The
table was between old K1rkby and the
exit; Maitland and Newbold were
nearest. The aid man came 30 his
senses first.
After him." he cried, "he means"
But before anybody could stir the
dull report of a pistol come through
the open doors
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. 1t 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 O. damned fool an damned
villain in some ways continued the
old frontiersman reflectively in the ST.
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. Ef he had met girl like