Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-06-09
IX-lContinnedl

ilere; Don't you go saying my moth
You're both liars. No! Wait a min
ute. l don't believe Aunt Rena told
your father that. She's as mean as
ulrt TO me, but l don't think she'd do
nat. I'm going to ask Uncle Horace"
bloodshot eyes shifted.
YOU'D better keep your mouth shout"
ne growled Fathers promised he'd
overlook 1t il nothing more was said
about it,"
.l5ncle Horace knows you're a thief"
GIied MS cousin. and l know it, and
all got to protect the blessed Blagden
name. What a joke it isl"
Chetwynd's face was of a greenish
white. He looked over his shoulder as
II IN mortal fear that these words had
been overheard. You keep YOUR laws
closed" he Missed.
WHATS Adam Carr been watching
you began Eric, but the look of alb
solute terror in his Cousins face
stopped him.
sagging. Has he been" He pulled
himself together with a mighty effort.
gulped a couple of times, and then
tried to grin derisively. "Ah. come off!
You can't pull that off with me. Adam
cars on a bank job for father"
What did Judge Bright want to see
you for last night?"
Say, I'm not here to answer oues-
tlons for YOU" roared Chetwynd. you
are nothing but a pauper, living off of
US. anyhow You and Mary, both of
you. You're the scum of the earth. If
you didn't have father back of you.
nobody with any decency in 'em would
look at you. o know what your ia
Their was and what your mother was, |
SO why
Take care, Chet. Don't say any
thirg more" warned Eric, white to the
And you'll both come to the same
end" Went on the other ruthlessly. |
Mary! Ho. no! She's a fine one to
!alk. She got caught with NE, and she
mad to lie out of 1t. She put it all on
me. And I was man enough to stand
for 1t. toe"
You lie."
Chetwynd's EYE cleaned with a sud-
den malicious JOY. He gave vent to
q nervous. uncertain laugh.
= letter just now. didn't you? Well. it
was a note from Mary. She's crazy
about me. 1 can do what l please with
her, and at n time. She's no better
than any OF the rest of her sort. If
you think she's SO blamed rood and
virtuous-"
"l1 you saw another word. Til kill
you cried Eric. quivering all over.
afraid to throw it," sneered
Chetwynd, wholly misunderstanding
VIC SHiotioAS IHdt SHOOK mis- cousins
frame. She was coming here to meet
me today. She
Eric's heart gave a great throb of
Joy and triumph.
You lie! h is out riding with Joan
brlght. Oh, you cowardly dog! You
bcast!"
You can say such things to me be-
pause you've got a rock IN your hand. |
Without hesitation, Eric tossed the
rock into the ditch.
Like a f%erocfous. suddenly freed IT,
ger. Chetwynd sprang forward, a snarl
Of fury on his lips. They came togeth-
er with a crash. Twice Eric
went down from savage body blows.
Once he was kicked in the side while
trying to arise. They fought their way
out upon the r'ckety bridge. the small
er youth carefully guarding his face
trom the WILD. lnurderous blows of the
young giant. At last. the chance came
to send in a telling blow of his own.
He drove his fist against his Cousins
Jaw as he came In with a crouching,
oull-like rush. death lust in his con-
vulsed face.
Citetwynd staggered back against the
railing of the bridge, clutching at it to
FOOLISH surprise came into his eyes, to
be succeeded a second later by one of
fearful dismay.
20 Cod" welled from young Blag-
denis lips.
The frail support creaked and splin-
tered. There was a tearing, cracking |
sound. and then the rail gave way. |
ChetWynd's shrek of horror was even
less stckening than the groan that fell
from Eric's lips as he leaped forward
90 catch the tottering figure on the
edge.
In the twinkling of an eye he stood
alone on the shuddering bridge.
Up from the depths came a horrid /,
scream. cut short by the crash of tim
bers and the thud of a heavy body on
lhe rocks 20 feet below. Then came ut
ter stiffness.
Fol a long time Eric Midthorne stood
:ooted to- the spot. petrified by horror.
he had waited an & 1t seemed, for
the thud Of that whirling, unseen body.
Nov he knew that the thing which
had been so vitality alive q moment ago
was alive no longer.
He waited for a shout from below.
or even a groan-anything that would
bring to him the courage to look down
on the thing that had swayed. and
writhcd and clawed the air but a mo-
fhat-he could hear nothing but thai
wild scream.
His BODY seemed to have turned to
fee. He was freezing. Suddenly his
knees gave way and he dropped heavily
In his tracks. Fascinated by horror,
he dragged himself to the .edEe-to the
very spot where Chetwynd had last
been seen-and peered over the side,
down through that dark. sunless rift
IN the rocks.
Dimly outlined against the black.
moist floor OF the ravine there wa a
huddled. motionless shape that took no
Definite form. but lay like q heap OF
discarded garments waiting for The Wis
Il OF the old iron m rags q For
many minutes the youth on the bridge,