Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-03-25

But the thunder growled again and
my head rose, this time in real alarm.
A man-two men were entering by
the great front door. ! heard a loud
laugh, and the tipsy exclamation of a
voice ! knew:
There! shut the door, can't you,
before it's blown from its hinges?
You'll find everything jolly tere. Wine.
lights, solitude in which to finish our
game and a roaring good opportunity
to sleep afterwards"
The answer | failed to catch. was
simply paralyzed by terror. AS the
door Of the room opened to admit
them, l succeeded in shutting that OF
the closet into which | had flung my
self-or almost so. l did not dare to
latch it, for they were already in the
room and might hear me.
This is the spot for US" came
in Spencer's most jovial tones. Big
table, whisky handy, cards right here
in my pocket. Wait. till l strike a
light"
A gas jet shot up, then two, then all
that the room contained. "How's that?
What's a flash more or less now!"
l heard no answer, only the slap of
the cards as they we're flung onto the
table; then the clatter of a key as it
turned in some distant lock.
The bottles were brought forward
and they sat down n on each side
of the dusty mahogany table. The
man facing me was Spencer, the other
sat with his back my way.
We'll play till the hands point to
three" announced Spencer, taking out
his watch and laying it down where
both could see it. DO you agree to
that?-unless l win and your funds
go a-begging before that. hour"
81 agree" The tone was harsh; it
was almost smothered. The man was
staring at the watch; there was a
strange set look to his figure; a paus-
ing as of ~thought-of sinister thought,
l should now say; then ! never
stopped to characterize it; it was fol
lOW6u LOO qulChly NY q iOuu Aou6h ga"
a sudden grab at the cards,
You'll win! feel it in my bones
came in encouraging tones from the
rich man. IF you do'-here the storm
lulled and his voice sank to an en-
couraging whisper-'you can buy the
old tavern up the road. It's going fol
a song; and then We'll be neighbors
and can play-play-"
The bills had all gone one way
They fell within Spencer's grasp. Sud
denly hard upon a rafting peal which
\ seemed to unite heaven and earth,
\ heard shouted out:
"Half-past two! The game stops a
three"
Damn your greedy eyes!" CAM
back in a growl. Then ali was still
fearfully still, both in the atmospher
outside and lin that within, durin
which l caught sight of the stranger
hand moving slowly around to hi
back and returning as slowly forward
all under cover of the tabletop and
= stack of half-empty bottles.
II can buy the Claymore tavern
can I? Well, I'm going to-" rang on
into the air as the speaker leaped
his feet. Take that, you cheat! An
that! And that" And the shots ran
out-one, two, three!
Spencer was dead in his Folly.
had seen him rise, throw up his hand
and then fall in a heap among tn
} cards and glasses.
- Then the man who stood theI
alone turned slightly and | saw h
face. l have seen it many time
IS since; l have seen it at Claymore ia
of ern. He put the weapon back in h
Id pocket and began gathering up tt
Ia money. When every bill was in h
lie pockets he reached out his hand fl
ne the watch. Then / saw him smile. F
IN smiled as he shut the case, he smile
ly as he plunged it in after the bills.
W. Next moment / woke to a realiz
Sc ton of myself and all the danger
at my own position. had the instin
er to make a leap for the window ov
to my head and clutch at its narrow S
in a wild attempt at escape.
le- But the effort ended p~recipitateI
He was coming toward me-a strai
he ing, painting ~fgure-half carrying, h;
set dragging, the dead man who lopp
ge aside from his arms. My sens
be- blurred and | knew nothing till on
cal sudden they cleared again, and | wo
to the blessed realization that t
ad door had been pushed against my sl'
ne, der figure, hiding it completely FRI
oh his sight, and that this door was n,
ich closed again and this time tight
err. and | was safe-safe!
to The relief sent the perspiration
ing a reek from every pore; but the
reyulsion came quickly. AS l drew
the knees to get a better purchase on
lad sill, heavens torch was suddenly
ac- up, the closet became a pit of dazzli
mes whiteness amid which saw the b
,er- Of that dead body, with head propI
be. against the wall and eyes
the Remember, | was but fifteen. ]
ned legs we're hunched up and aim
bod touched mine. The door-the doc
lelt there was my way-the only v
ing, MUCH JOY IN ANTICIPATE