Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-02-05
FOR ETHfLs LOVE
Lover Dreams He Killed Rival and
Surrenders to Marshal.
BY LOUISE PARKS BELL.

Bailey banged the door behind him
vicionsly, and slung bis hat into the
farthest corner OF the room. Up and
down the narrow floor he paced nerv-
ously. his mind going over and over
the irritating events Of the evening
II was sultry night in mid-August.
and when he had lounged down TO the
saloon on the corner he had been in
no pleasant frame Of mind II had
been a long day. and the whole heat
| OF the town had seemed concentrated
In the tiny dry goods store All The
most tiresome and exacting customers
in the county had come in. 1t seemed
TO Bailey: never ending stream OF
fretful women. worn out by the beat.
ing rays OF the sun
Supper had not been an enjoyable
meal Mrs Wilson's baby had cried
all the time, the flies had buzzed more
persistently than ever and never had
food looked more uninyiting. dense
pail OF suffocating heat hung over the
town as Bailey drifted 10 the bar
He was not drinking man ordinar
fly. but Ethel was out of town, and
he felt a restless craving for compan-
ionship. or course he drank too
much; at the time 1t seemed TO be
the only way OF cooling off. II failed
of It's effect. however, and before ne
knew It he and Calvert were engaged
IN bitter quarrel. The original cause
was trifing. but II was soon lost sight
of. and the long-smoldering enmity be-
tween the two suitors for the same
girl broke forth unrestrained- Cai-
vert's final taunt was fresh In his
ears as he paced the floor, that sutble
assurance OF success and peer at MS
pretensions.
Bailey clenched his fists again
Impotent hatred ragged within him, and
his thoughts were black
Presently he calmed down little.
and the close atmosphere began to op-
press him. He undressed languidly
flinging his clothes here and there,
and breathing heavily. He went out
in the hall when he had donned his
pajamas and brought in a pitcher OF
water. which he put down on the table
beside his bed He poured some out
in a glass and took a sip, grimacing
at its tepid taste Setting it down, he
lay down on the bed and tried TO
sleep.
The heat-laden air pressed down on
him. he turned restlessly from one
side to the other. vainly seeking COM
fort. After an interminable time he
fell asleep, an uneasy, broken slum-
Der that was worse than wakefulness.
AT last he gave up the attempt to
rest and got up to see If 1t was cooler
by the window He stood there for
few seconds. breathing the same suf-
locating air. Not leaf stirred any
where. the very moon loomed red and
mot low in the sky.
Footsteps sounded down the de-
serted street Bailey leaned out to
see who the nocturnal wanderer could
be With start he recognized Cal
vert, Calvert swinging along jauntily,
and whistling the wedding march con
fidently.
That was the final straw. All the
pent-up passions of the evening rush
ed to the surface, and almost invol-
unfairly Bailey opened his door and
stealthily crept down the stairs. The
front door stood ajar, only the screen
was hooked. Hurriedly he unfastened
that. and hastened up the street after
the unconscious Calvert.
AS he went his mind was busy.
Calvert lived on the other side of the
river. and would have to cross the
rickety old bridge that spanned it.
If he went fast he could overtake him
there. and II would look like an acci-
dent.
Bailey quickened his pace until he
was almost running His victim never
turned his head. but went on whistling
to his doom.
At the bridge Bailey was but step
or two behind In the middle of the
bridge he made up that distance. and
dealt Calvert a crashing blow behind
the ear. He dropped like log
Bailey looked all around cautiously
The moon had gone behind a cloud
and the placid little village lay on the
river bank undisturbed. Not a sound
broke the silence, not murmur at
tested that his crime had been Wit
messed
He had to force himself to touch
that limp figure lying there so still.
but the fear that the moon might
come out made him hurry He gather
ed II no gingerly. and with a mighty
effort fung It over the railing
With splash the body disappear
ed. and as It sank the moon came out
three times brighter than before
Bailey leaned on the rail and watched
the rlpples. sick at heart.
He knew Calvert could not swim.
and even If he recovered from his
swoon at once he could not make his
way TO the shore Yet somehow that
knowledge did not cheer Bailey He
shuddered as he stared at the rippies,
slowly dying away.
His thoughts drifted into a new
channel. How would Ethel take the
news. he wondered. A sudden pang
smote his heart He had pretended
10 love her-and yet, If she had cared
| for Calvert he had destroyed her fu-
ture happiness. And If Calvert S
words had not been true he had ruin
ed his own chances He could not &c
TO her with his hands stained crimson
with human blood
| Realization of what be had done
| swept over him like food. Suppose