Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-15

lssllfsas D.
Hssvoeth Young
ts15asaa. n d s6s0'S lsfzN 0oa0as5
Soon nurse Fssesn s6oaaed a. her
hair hi ooeanuws, 1o0kinG very
plsiu. poevlsh boes1so she had not
been ca1lod aeMidn1ght. what's the
matter7" she asksa csus11y. and for
answer pulled down ~ blinds. She
shivered @ she passed the opsn door
to take q chair beldnd e. 6he begged
mo 70 close the, dooe, but the night was
warm. ana bess1Ds I dazed not. Nurse
and Chinsunan. each had . glass Of
port. and 20 li4sL feeling much bot
ter attsevar6
An hour paasod, the Chinaman nod
ding like those ridiculous maadarin
agures with loose heads. the nurse
pallid against the esoeGn. staring until
she rot on my nerves. ! always dis
liked that woman with her precise
routine and laxeo dat 1oet
Far OF heard: the, thud Of gun
shot, them, three shots al together, and
Iafterward q nah. The evil In the
night was eomiag nearer. and said
to myself, IF ! ~eee really frightened
y should close, chat door. I'm half .
coward"
The hero himself had strung his Vic.
itoria Cross upoo q dband which I
wore about my neck Gould wear
tho cross and ct an example Of cow
iardice to these, poor creatures who
crouched In thsseoensss. OF the room?
to show fear = Q privilege Of the un-
;derbred. But did long for Jesse.
Through the mnFmurs Of the nearer
rain, felt throo In the ground. then
heard q sound gov, Of horse gall
looping. The swift soft rhythm, now
loud, now very faint. then very near
echoed against the barns. Numbered
across the bridge, splashsd through
the flooded yard, and ceased abruptly.
Billy had come home from tho Fails.
he was stabltng Ids roam. he was cross-
ing the yard in haste. his spurs clank-
ed at the doorstep and. dreading his
news, Q sudden panic seized me. !
fed behind the bar.
He entered, aSeream With rain, Shad-
ing his eyes against the candlelight;
then ~ moved he called out, as
though I were q . distance. begging
mo for brandy. His face was haggard.
his hand - b drank was covered
with dr3ed blood. hs slammed the
glass on the ooantsr 10 that it broke.
You heard the shots?" he said.
eat Spito Houee7" ] whispered. :"
He nodded.
.'You were there!" I asked.
~IIalf Q milo beyond. When I got
xhere Il was all dark. Looked in
through the end window. but tho rain
rot down my neck. 50 went round
The front door was standing open. I
listened Q while. No need to get shot
myself. Thought the place was
derelict. Then heard groans.
..6truck . bunch Of matches then.
found the hall lamp. and got 1t alight.
Wished I'd got . gun. but there wasn't
nothing handy except the poker. 80 I
took that and the hght-just followed
the groans. He XaA lying on the bar
room hoor.. vi
'Brooke?''
Eyes. Shot through the throat,
blood squirting down the side Of his
neck, making big pool on the oil
cloth. You know the thing you make
with . stick and q scarf to twist up?
"A tournfquet. yes. Well, It choked the
swine. so quit. He whispered some
thing about my thumb hurting the
wound. 80 told him my fathers neck
hurt worse.
up to that I thought he WAS just
acting. lying pathetic to touch ny
4eelings. Once he muttered your
name. and then he was dead" 81
Brooke dead!"
Eyes. he'd been shooting Polly, too.
4 traced her blood tracks all the way
to the front door. Hello. what's that?
I thought I heard"
I listened and there was only the
sound Of the rain.
Il suppose it's all right" said Billy.
rve'd better close that door. though"
But before he could reach the door,
Nurse Panton called him away to her
corner, where sine spoke L : whisper
so that should not hear. sending
him. perhaps, for her cloak. Mean.
while came from behind the counter
ito my former seat before the open
doorway. whore nat staring into the
dsxkneso, unable 20 fesl any more, but
must benumbed. Across my WEAKNESS
mickered tho mourn1ul soliloquy Of q
moor barn-door fowl-"Yesterday an
erx. tomorrow Q feather buster!
whats the good Of anytin'. why,
hothin'."
Then I, too. heard q sound In the
niGht. and because Billy and the nurse
were muttertns. I stood up with the
candle-light behind me. trying to see
M the darkness. Billy said afterwsrd
he had moved quickly. to shut the
door. but I waved him back just % the
phot rang out.
] Tho explosion blinded, deafened,
seemed even TO scoroh me. while the
mirror on the wall came crashing
down. Stunned. dassled. hofrided,
felt Z dull rage at this attempted
murder.
( u second revolvershot stirred my
hat. and I'm afraid then that lost
my temper. am not fish-fag that
should stoop to lighting . creature
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