The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1914-07-01
Gordon Craig
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the height of folly to seek him out yon.
der in the dark. There was nothing
left but to await daylight, to remain on
watch. endeavoring alone to formulate
some plan Of future action.
God only knows how glad l was to
discover the open door to my own room
again. There were matches there on
the table. but my hand trembled so |
struck three before the wick of the
lamp caught FIRE.
CHAPTER VI.
Get Into the Game.
r SAW the affair now from a new
viewpoint l was not SO sure, 80
certain, that l understood the en-
tire truth.
Coombs was no plantation overseer,
but a mere Texas bully. The very ap-
those neglected, weed grown fields
were another proof. What was be
here for, then? And Sallie. Lord.
could despise that Texas rough. but
the snaky eyes Of the woman made
me shiver and look about apprehen-
sively. Then there was'the dead man.
There was wrong somewhere surely
cowardly crime. murder!
With the first return Of daylight
would seek out Coombs. tell him what
/ had seen and compel him to confess
the truth Then l should know how
to act. how to approach her and ex-
plain. Ny nerves steadied as l sat
there In the silence. and my mind
drtfted to the woman sleeping across
the hall Then ! also fell asleep in
the chair.
The gray Of dawn was on the win
dows when I aw0ke, my body aching
from Its unnatural position. With
loaded pistol In my pocket ! slipped
into the hall The faint light revealed
tn shabbiness. the grimy rag carpet
and discolored walls. Some spirit OF
adventure led me the full length until
my hand was upon the latch OF that
last door could not resist an i'm
pulse to look upon the dead man again
By daylight and thus assure myself Of
the reality Of what seemed only q
dream Ali was exactly as l recalled
It to memOry-the stained walls. the
dirty door. the table Uttered with
cards, the overturned chair and the
mottonless body Of the dead man.
From the wound In the head q dark
Cow of blood stained the door, and az
bent closer I noticed the eyelids were
lowered over the dead eyes. Shot ~
be had been. killed instantly. the hand
Of the assassin must have performed
this act Then surely this killing had
been no common quarrel. but q plan
nsd Assassination, the elimination Of
some prearranged plot
This knowledge, while It set my
heart throbbing In realization Of new
danger. yet served also to sttnen my
nerves. Ny thought was not % much
concerned with myself and my own
danger as with that Of the young wo-
man whom l was bound to protect
closed the door on the silence and
stole quietly downstairs There was
no movement, no sound In the great
house. The front room. hideOus In Its
grtmy disorder. was vacant and l
opened the front door noiselessly and
stepped forth into the spectral gray
light OF the dawn. The drst glimpse
about was depressing enough. The
house itself. big and giaring as 1t was,
was nevertheless little better than q
ruin Several Of the windows were
broken, and the steps sagged and trem-
bled under my weight The front yard.
q full half acre In extent. was a tan
gled mass Of bushes and weeds,
high. untrimmed hedge shutting Oh all
view Of the road. From the foot OF
the steps a narrow passage trampled
into the dirt circled the corner Of the
house. disappearing within a few feet
Convinced that this must lead to the
rear and possibly the negro cabins
where COOmbs slept, I followed its
tortuous windings, although half afraid
to desert my guardianship Of the house
even for this purpose. Still there was
little to be feared 80 long as Mrs Ber-
nard remained securely locked In her
room. Perhaps by the time she arous-
ed and appeared below stairs ! could
ind a reasonable explanation Of all
this mystery-something to smile over,
rather than fear.
emerged Into a somewhat clearer
space of ground at the rear. The
Kitchen was an ell, constructed OF
rough boards, but with single roof
The door stood ajar. and ! glanced In.
only to find the room empty. the pots
and pans used the night before still