The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-06-10
TIL HH I'D
CHAPTER N-Ccontinued).

Yes. / went to her about IL, against
fathers wish. She told father all about
you-what a miserable liar and sneak
you are, and
she iiedI" cried Eric, fiercely.
Here! Don't you 60 saying my moth
Or Is a liar. Ill-Pll2"
You're both liars. No Wait a min
ute. ; i don't believe Aunt Rena told
your father that. She's as mean as
dirt to me. but I don't think she'd do
that. I'm going to ask Uncle Horace"
; Chetwyndts bloodshot eyes shifted.
You'd better keep your mouth shout"
ne growled Fathers promised he'd
about It,"
Uncle Horace knows you're a thief"
cried his cousin, and I know IL, and
I've got to help shield you, toe. We've
ali got to protect the blessed Blagden
name. What a joke It Isl"
I Chetwynd's face was Of a greenish
white. He looked over his shoulder as
z In mortal fear that these words had
been overheard. You keep your jaws
closed" he Kissed.
you began Eric, but the look OF abb
solute terror in his cousins face
topped him.
Adam Carr" he gasped, his jaw
tagging. Has he been" He pulled
himself together with a mighty effort,
Eulped 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 a to see
you for last night7"
: Say, Pm not here to answer ques-
dons for you," roared Chetwynd. You
are nothing but a pauper, living Off Of
as, anyhow. You and Mary, both Of
you. You're the cur OF the earth. II
you didn't have father back OF you,
nobody with any decency In 'em would
look at you. You know what your ia
ther was and what your mother was,
30 why"
= Take care. Chet' Don't say any
thing more" warned Eric. white to the
"And youth both come to the same
end" went on the other ruthlessly.
Mary! Ho, no! She's q fine one to
talk. She got caught with me, and she
had to lie out of 1t. She put 1t all on
me. And I was man enough to stand
Tor IT. too"
You Ie."
Chetwynd's eyes cleaned with a sud
hen malicious Joy. He gave vent to
= nervous, Uncertain laugh.
II do, do I? Say, you saw me burn
letter just now. didn't you? Well. 1t
was a note from Mary. She's crazy
! about me. I can do what I please with
her, and al any time. She's no better
Than any Of the rest OF her sort. II
you think she's 80 blamed good and
| yirtuous-"
IF you saw another word. TIL kill
Tcu," cried Eric. quivering all over.
You're afraid to throw It," sneered
the emotions that shook his cousins
frame. She was coming here to meet
me today. She"
Eric's heart CAV a great throb of
! 10y and triumph.
You lie! she is out riding with Joan
Bright. oh, you cowardly dog! You
Soast!"
You car say such things to me be-
sause you've got q rock in your hand.
Without hesitation, Eric tossed the
rock into the ditch.
Like a ferocious, suddenly freed IT,
ger. Chetwynd sprang forward, a snarl
or with a crash, . Twice Eric
vent down from savage body blows.
Once he was kicked in the side while
trying to arise. They fought their way
put upon the rIckety bridge, the small
VI youth carefully guarding his face
from the Wild. murderous blows Of the
roung giant. At last, the chance came
10 send In a telling blow of his own.
He drove his fist against his cousins
law as he came In with q crouching,
pull-like rush, death lust in his con-
Tulsed face.
Chetwynd staggered back against the
falling OF the bridge, clutching at II to
ave himself from falling. A look OF
toolish surprise came into his eyes, to
be succeeded a second later by one OF
Iearful dismay.
20 Cod" welIed from young Blag-
lens lips.
The frail support creaked and splin-
lered. There was a tearing. cracking
sound, and then the rail gave Way.
Chetwynd's Shrek OF horror was aver
less sickening thar the groan that fell
rom Eric's lips as he leaped forward
to catch the lettering figure on the
'dge.
In the twinkling of an eye he stood
llone on the ~shuddering bridge.
Up from the depths came a horrid
scream, cut short by the crash of tim
bers n the thud of a heavy body on
the rocks 70 feet below. Then came ut
ter stiffness.
For a long time Eric Midthorne stood
rooted to the spot, petrified by horror.
he had waited an age, it seemed, for
the thud OF that whirling, unseen body.
Now he knew that the thing which
had been so vitality alive a 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
IN the thing that had swayed, and
writhed and clawed the air but a mo-
ment before. He could see nothing but
that-he could hear nothing but that
wild scream.
His body seemed to have turned TO
ice. He was freezing. Suddenly his
knees gave way and he dropped heavily
In his tracks. Fascinated by horror,
he dragged himself to the edge-to the
very spot where Chetwynd had last
been seen-and peered over the side,
down through that dark. sunless rift
In the rocks.
Dtmly outlined against the black,
moist floor Of the ravine there was a
huddled, motionless shape that took no
definite form. but lay like a heap of
discarded garments waiting for the Wis
II OF the old iron and rags man. For
many minutes the youth on the bridge,
transfixed by horror, glared at this
vague shape, hoping against hope that
II would arise and resolve itself into
human form-into the human form he
had hated so bitterly.
But there was no movement OF the
heap, there "a no sound. there was no
sign. The thing down there was Chef
wynd Blagden-big, brutal, virile Chef
wynd-and It was dead, horribly dead!
With a low moan OF realization, Eric
drew back from the edge, covering his
eyes with his hands to shut out the
dreadful sight.
He had killed his coIsinI