The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-12-09

that the reso eostaissA. -Hsv's that
What's . lash nors - leas Dsv!.
] heard 10 ansvss. oaly the saaD Of
the cards a. thsy vsrs Sung oats the
tab's: tAsa tAs elstter of . key - fl
turss1 in sone distaat lock.
fhs bottlao vosU brought forward
and hey at 6svs one - sseh side
Of tie dusty mahogany tabis. The
nas facing me vas SDeseer. the ,ther
at with his back ~ vay
We'll play till tho hanAs point to
three" announced Spsaces. taking out
his watch and layins II down where
both could sec IT. DO you agree to
that?-unless l win and your funds
90 Alleging before that hour
Il agree" The tone vas harsh: 1t
was almost smothereA. The man was
staring At the watch: there vas a
strange set look to hif figure: q paus-
Ing n OF thought-of sinister thought.
l should nov say: thes ! never
stopped to characterize It: II vas fol,
lowed too quickly BY loud laugh and
q sudden grab At the cards
You'll win! feel II in my bones" :"
came In encouraging tones from the
rich man. III you do'-here the storm
lulled and his voice sank to IN en-
couraging whisper-'.you can buy the
old tavern up the road. It's going for
song; and then we'll be neikhbors
and can play-play-"
The bills had all gone one way
They fell within Spencer's grasp. Sud
denly hard upon . rattling peal which
seemed to unite heaven and earth. 4
heard shouted out:
"Half-past two! The game stops at
three"
Damn your greedy eyes!" came
back in a growl. Then al, was still,
fearfully still. both in the atmosphere
outside and in that within, during
which ! caught sight of the strangers
hend moving slowly around to his
back and returning as slowly forward,
all under cover of the tabletop and a
stack Of haif-empty bottles.
Il can buy the Claymore tavern,
can I? Well. I'm going to-" rang out
into the air as the speaker leaped to
his feet. Take that. you cheat! And
that! And that" And the shots rang
out-one. two, three!
Spencer was dead In bis Folly. |
had seen him rise. throw up his hands
and then fall in . heap among the
cards and glasses.
Then the man who stood there
alone turned slightly and I saw his
face. I have seen 1t many times
since: have seen 1t at Claymore tay-
ern. He put the weapon back in his
pocket and began gathering up the
money. When every bill was in his
pockets he reached out his hand for
the watch. Then I saw him smile. He
smiled AZ he shut the case. he smiled
as he plunged 1t in after the bills.
Next moment woke to q realiza.
tion Of myself and all the danger of
my own position. I had the instinct
to make . leap for the window over
my head and clutch at its narrow sill
In Wild attempt at escape.
But the effort ended precipitately.
He was coming toward me-a strain.
ing. painting fgure-half carrying, half
dragging. the dead man who flopped
aside from his arms. My senses
blurred and knew nothing till on a
sudden they cleared again. and woke
to the blessed realization that the
door had been pushed against my slen.
der figure, hiding 1t completely from
his sight. and that this door was now
closed again and this time tightly,
and was safe-safe!
The relief sent the perspiration in
a reek from every pore; but the icy
revulsion came quickly. As drew up
knees to get better purchase on the
sill, heavens torch was suddenly lit
up. the closet became pit of dazzling
whiteness amid which l saw the blot
Ut that dead body. with head propped
against the wall and eyes
Remember, was but fifteen. The
legs we're hunched up and almost
touched nina. The door-the door
tkere was my way--the only way
which would rid me instantly of any
proximity to this hideous object !
flung myself at it-found the knob
turned 10 and yelled aloud-my foot
had brushed against him. l knew the
difference and 1t sent me palpitating
over the threshold: but no farther
Love OF life had returned with my es-
cape from that awful prison house.
and | halted in the semidarkness into
which had plunged. thanking heaven
for the thsnder peal which had
drowned my losd cry
For l. was not yet safe. He was
still there. He had turned out all
lights but one lie had not seen me
and was going. could hear the
sound OF bis feet as he went stun
bling in his zigzag course towards the
door. Then every sound both on his
part and On mine was lost In \ svoop
of down-fallins rain and remember
nothing more till out of the blackness
before me. he started again into view.