Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-09-07

mG<AOC OOO1Nx
they would have taken 1t without leave.
You'll have to pass the responsibility
on to someone higher up"
The militant one accepted the chal-
lenge promptly.
1T lies ultimately at the door Of
those whose insatiate greed has built
this new Gomorrah in the shadow Of
your dam" He wheeled suddenly and
flung a long arm toward the half-fin-
ished structure filling the gap between
the western shoulders of Chigringo
and Jacks mountain. There stands
the proof of Gods wisdom in hiding
the future from mankind, Mr.. Brouil-
lard. Because little section of hui
manity here behind that great wall
knows the end of its hopes, and the
manner and time of that end, it be-
comes demon-ridden, irreclaimable!"
At another time the engineer might
have felt the force of the tersely elo-
quent summing up Of the accusation
against the Metropolitan attitude. But
now he was looking anxiously for Amy
Massingale or her escort, or both of
them.
Surely Smith wouldn't let her stay
down here a minute longer than cit
took to get her away" he said impa-
tiently as a pair of drunken Cornish
men reeled out of Haley's place and
usurped the sidewalk. Where was 1t
you saw them, Castner?"
"They were in front Of 'Pegleg
Johns in the next block. Miss Mas
singale was waiting for Smith, who
was just coming out of Pegleg's den
shaking his, head. put two and two
together and guessed they were look
ing for Stephen"
IF they went there Miss Amy had
her reasons. Let's try it," said Brouil'
lard, and he was halfway across the
street when Cashier overlook him.
There was a dance hall next door to
Pegleg Johns barrel house and gam
bling rooms, and, though the daylight
was still strong enough to make the
electrics garishly unnecessary, the
orgy was in full swing, the raucous
changing of a piano and the shuttle
and stamp Of many feet drowning the
monotonous cries Of the sidewalk
BARKER" who was inviting all and
sundry to enter and join the dancers
Cashier would have stopped to ques
ton the "barker"-was, in fact, trying
to make himself heard-when the
sharp crash of pistol shot dominated
the clamor of the piano and the stamp
ing feet. Brouillard made quick dash
for the open door of the neighborine
barrel house, and Cashier was so good
second that they burst in as one
man.
The dingy interior of Pegleg Johns
which was merely barrel-lined vesti
bule leading to the gambling rooms
beyond, staged tragedy. A handsome
young giant, out Of whose face sudden
agony had driven the brooding pas
sion Of intoxication, lay, loose-flung
on the sawdust-covered floor, with
Amy Massingale kneeling in stricken
fearless misery beside him. Almost
within arms reach Van Bruce Cort
wright, the slayer, was wrestling stub
bornly with Tig Smith and the fat
armed barkeeper, who were trying tt
disarm him, his heavy face mask O
irresponsible rage and his lips bub
bling imprecations.
Turn me loose" he gritted. "I'll fl
him 30 he won't give the governors
snap away! He'll pipe the story o.
the Coronida grant of to the papers
not if l kill him till he's too dead tt
bury, guess"
Cashier ignored the wrestling three
and dropped quickly on his knees be
side Stephen Massingale, bracing the
misery-stricken girl with the needed
word of hope and directing her in low
tones how to help him search for the
wound.
But Brouillard hurled himself with
an oath upon young Cartwright, and il
was he, and neither the cattleman mol
the fat-armed barkeeper, who wrenchet
the weapon out of Cortwright's grasI
and with it menaced the babbling muir
derer into silence.