The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-02-25

chinaware. The furniture was scat
tered and overturned. Farbish was
weakly leaning to one side in the seat
to which he had made his way. The
men who had gone down under the
heavy blows of the chair lay quietly
where they had fallen.
Wilfred Horton stood waiting The
whole affair had transpired with such
celebrity and speed that he had hardly
understood 1t, and had taken no part.
But. as he met the gaze OF the dis
ordered figure across the wreckage Of
a dinner-table, he realized that now,
with the preliminaries settled. he who
had struck Samson liz the face must
give satisfaction for the blow. Horton
vas sober, as cold sober as though he
had jumped into ice-water, and though
he was not in the least afraid, he was
mortified, and, had apology at such a
time been possible, would have made
it. He knew that he had mis5udged
his man; he saw the outlines of the
plot as plainly as Samson had seen
them, though more tardily
Ssmson's toe touched the pistol
which had dropped from Farbish's
hand and he contemptuously kicked it
to one side. He came back to his
place.
Now. Mr.. Horton" he said to the
man who stood looking about with
dazed expression. :'if you're still of the
same mind, l can accommodate you
You lied when you said l was saw
age-though just now it sort Of looks
like / was, and"-he paused, then
added-"and I'm ready either to fight
or shake hands. Either way suits
me-"
For the moment. Horton did not
speak, and Samson slowly went on:
But, whether we fight or not, you've
got to shake hands with me when we're
finished. You and me amt going 70
start no feud. This is the first time
I've ever refused to let a man be my
enemy if he wanted to. I've got my
reasons. I'm going to make you shake
hands with me whether you Ike 1t or
not. but If you want to fight first It's
satisfactory. You said awhile ago you
would be glad to be more explicit with
me+when we were alone" He paused
and looked about the room. Shall
throw these damned murderers out OF
here, or will you go into another room
and TALK"
Leave them where they are said
Horton. quietly. well go into the
reading-room. Have you killed any OF
them?"
81 don't know" said the other, curt
ly, "and l don't care"
When they were alone, Samson
went on:
81 know what you want to ask me
about, and don't mean to answer you.
You want to question me about Miss
Lescott. Whatever she ana l have
done doesn't concern you. / will say
this much-if I've been ignorant OF
New York ways and my ignorance has
her, I'm sorry.
81 supposed you know that she's too
damned good for you-just like she's
too good for me- But she thinks more
of you than she does of me-and she's
yours AS for me, / have nothing to
apologize to you for. Maybe, | have
something to ask her pardon about,
but she hasn't asked it.
George Lescott brought me up here
and befriended me. Until a year ago
| had never known any life except
that of the Cumberland mountains.
Until l met Miss Lescott, i had never
known a woman of your world, She
was good to me. She saw that in
spite of my roughness and ignorance l ]
wanted to learn, and she taught rae. i.
You chose to misunderstood, and dis
liked me. These men saw that, and
believed that, if they could make you
insult me, they could make me kill
you. AS to your part, they succeeded.
| didn't see fit to oblige them, but,
now that I've settled with them, I'm
willing to give you satisfaction. Do
we fight now and shake hands after
ward, or do we shake hands without
fighting?"
Horton stood silently studying the
Good Godl" he exclaimed at last.
And you are the man l undertook to
criticized"
you amt answered my question"
Samson South.
South, If you are willing to shake
hands with me shall be grateful. |
nay as well admit that, If you had
hrashed me before that crowd, you
could hardly have succeeded in max
ng me feel smaller. l have played |
INTO their hands. have been damned |
DOL l have riddled my own self |
If you can afford to &C
,ept my apologies and my hand am
offering you both"
I'm right glad to hear that" said
he mountain boy, gravely. Il told |
you I'd just as lief shake hands as
fight. But just now I've got to
20 to the telephone"
The booth was in the same room.
and as Horton waited, he recognized
The number for which Samson wes
calling. wilfred's face once more
flushed with the old prejudice. Could