The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-10
FOR ETAEL's Love
Lover Dreams He Killed Rival and
Surrenders to Marshal.
BY LOUISE PARKS BELL.

Nv LOUISE PARKS BELL.
Ra,Iey banged the door behind him
r,ciously. and slung his hat into the
lfarthest corner of the room. Up anu
down the narrow floor he paced nerv-
ouslv. his mind going over and over
lthe irritating events of the evening
II was q 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 nao
heen a long day, and the whole heat
~ 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
- BAILEY: a never ending stream OF
/ fretful women, worn out by the Doat-
ing rays Of the sun.
Supper had not been an enJoyaDie
meal Mrs. Wilson's baby had crleo
all the time, the flies had buzzed more
1nersistently than ever, and never nau
fond looked more uninviting. A dense
nall of suffocating heat hung over tns'
town as Bailey drifted to the Dar.
/ He was not a drinking man ordlnar
Inv hut Ethel was out OF town, ana
no felt a restless craving for compan-
ionship. Of course he drank TOO
much. at the time it seemed to De
the only way of cooling off. 1t falied
OF its effect, however, and before ne
knew it he and Calvert were engaged
IN bitter quarrel. The original cause
was trifing, but it was soon lost slght
IT and the long-smoldering enmity be-
tween the two suitors for the same
cir, broke forth unrestrained. Cal
yert's final taunt was fresh IN MS
ears as he paced the floor, that subtle
assurance of success and peer at MS
pretensions.
Bailey clenched his fists again.
1mpotent hatred ragged within him, and
his thoughts were black.
Presently he Gained down little,
and the close atmosphere began to op-
nress him. He undressed languidly,
singing his clothes here and there,
and breathing heavily. He. went out
In the hall when he had donned his
paiamas and brought in pitcher OF
water, which he put down on the table
beside his bed. He poured some out
in a glass and took sip, grimacing
at it's tend taste Setting 1t down, ne
Law 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 interminahle time ne
fell asleep, an uneasy, broken SUM
her 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 9
few seconds, breathing the same sur
locating air. Not leaf stirred any.
where, the very moon doomed red and
mot low in the sky.
| Footsteps sounded down the de-
serted street. Bailey leaned out to
see who the nocturnal wanderer could
he. with start he recognized Cal.
vert. Calvert swinging along 1auntlly
and whistling the wedding march con-
fdently.
That was the final straw. ALI 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 fastened 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
II he went fast he could overtake him
there. and it would look like an acct
dent.
Bailey quickened his pace until he
4 was almost running. His victim never
turned his head, but went on whistline
to his doom.
At the bridge Bailey was but steI
i or two behind. In the middle Of thk
bridge he made up that distance, and
dealt Calvert a crashing blow behind
the ear. He dropped like log.
The moon had gone behind 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 still
but the fear that the moon might
come out made him hurry. He gather
ed It up gingerly, and with mighty
effort flung it over the railing.
With q splash the body disappear
ed and al it sank the. moon came out
t three times, brighter than before
bailey leaned on the rail and watched
the nipples, sick at heart.
He Knew Calvert could mot swim
/ and even If he recovered from hi
| sWoon at once he could not make hil
| way to the shore. Yet somehow tha
| knowledge did not cheer Bailey. HI,
i shuddered as he stared at the ripples
/ slowly dying away.
His thoughts drifted into q ney
| channel. How would Ethel take til.
news, he wondered. A sudden pan,
1855 h{c n 80 ~ IT1 -