The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-01-10
The Return Of Christine.

BfddQOck, sun watching DdFlu y LdSE
The change in Braddock was astound
ing. David had always thought OF
him as the bullying giant, purpt@
faced and blear eyed. His face WAS
thin and gray, the pallor of the PRISON
still upon it. His cheeks were sunkeo
and the heavy stubble of beard that
filled the hollows was a dirty white
One would have guessed this apparl
ton Of Tom Braddock to be sixty
years of age at least. His hair, still
rather closely cropped, was no longer
black, but a defiant. Obtrusive gray
The heavy neck was now hin and
corded; the broad shoulders dropped
as if deprived of all their youthful
power. His aggressive mustache 81
the old days was gone, laying bare 9
broad, firmly set lip. The cheap jeans
clothing that fell to him when he Left
the ~penitentiary hung loosely on hia
frame, for he had lost many pounds
The coat was buttoned close about hia
throat, albeit the day was warm. He
wore no collar. His hickory shirt
was soiled. He had slept in these gar
ment for many nights.
That this cadayerous, priceless 10
dividual could once have been the
vaingl0rious Snowman was almost Ia
conceivable.
We'll, | guess you've changed about
as much as / have" said Braddock
reading the others thoughts. He ut
tered a bitter laugh as he turned to
drag a chair up to the table with
something OF the assurance of old
Il hope I've changed as much for
the better as you have, Braddock.
said David. and he meant it.
BraddoCk Whirled to glare at him 10
wonder. He was silent for a moment
Then he flung himself into the chair
his jaws setting themselves firmly, no
trace of the sarcastic smile remain,
ing.
II guess you have, David" he said
shortly. You're not what YOU We're
when you joined us five years ago.' a
sneer came to his lips, What a high
and mighty chap you've come 10 be
No wonder you won't shake hands
with d jail bird
Stop talking, Tom Braddock, SAID
Ruby, a CLEAN Of anxiety in her eyes
Here's what's left of the lamb, ana
here's
Wait a minute. Ruby said ha
With his elbows on the edge OF the
table and his chin in his broad sincWy
hands he leaned forward and spoke
again to David. I've been out three
weeks. | was up there for two years
and a half. I'm just telling you this
SOS youll know why I've changed
The whisky's all out of me. There
never will be any more inside OF ne
do you understand that? Ten years
ago | was a man-Wasn't !, Joey? {
was a dog when you knew me, Jenison
Now, I'm a man again, See these
handso Wen. they We been doing hon
est work. even If it was in a convict
barrel factory. In ten times strong
er thar was before. There isn't .
soft muscle in my body. What yoa
miss is the fat-the whisky fat. IN
gray headed, but who wouldn't pc
But that is not what I'm trying TO ge1
at. ! saw Dick Cronk this morning
don [ KNOW NOW Ht iodld LIZ -
told me you were up here TO take >
hand in my affairs. What ! want %
know, right here, Jenison, is this
Where is your friend Bob Grand, ann
where is she?"
you are very much mistaken. Brad
dock, if you consider me the friend ot
Colonel Grand. | hate him quite ia
bitterly as you do. i
"Oh, no, you don't snapped the 9th
or. mo one in all this world, from
its very beginning, has ever hated as
hate"
He fell to eating ravenously. Tn
others sat back, stiff and uncomfor
table, watching him, His sunken but
powerful laws crunched the food with
some of the ferocity OF a beast. IL
came forcefully to the minds OF the
two men that they were looking upon
a man whose great sineWs were oil
steel. who could have crushed either
of them in the long, hard arms tina.
stretched forth to seize the food Ruby
had placed before him. They were
slowly coming to realize he bent Of
TINS man = Hlllu Jul Ing odNd5c NJ
velopment in prison. He had shaved tc
a purpose. The same thought grew il
the mind Of each observer. Wha
chance would Robert Grand have IL
the naked hands OF his enemy?
! Joey was the first to breach the sue
, ject.
Brad" he said soothingly, "yot
want to think twice before you do any
thing desperate
Braddock gave al ugly laugh as hs
iabbed a fork into a piece OF meat.
Joey he said, 1--WE alreadl
, thought ten thousand times"
: What do YOU intend to do?' aske,
David.
I'm going to get square with Boz
Grand" said he very quietly. I'm no
! going to be rash about it. I'm Roin,
to take my time and be sure. Don
] look so scared, RUDY. Pm not goin,
to hurt her. | guess I've hurt he