Tombstone epitaph., 1916-10-15

' lie met eyes that dllated, seemed | | fascinated at his gaze, but were not 1 averted. It was the old women who ] | were voluble, loud in expression of l their feelings Thar comes Jeff Aiken now" called | a man, loudly. The crowd shifted and trlmpled in | eagerness. | Duane saw two men coming fast. one of whom. in the lead. was of stall wart build. He had a gun in his hand, and his manner was that of fierce en- ergy.
 The cowboy Sibert thrust open the | jostllng circle of men.
 Hold on, Jeff." he called. and he blocked the man with the gun. He | spoke so low Duane could not hear what he said. and his form hid Aken's face. At that juncture the crowd | spread out, closed in, and Aiken and Slber. were caught in the circle. There was a pushing forward. q pressing of many bodies, hoarse cries and flinging hands-again the insane tumult was about to break out-the demand for m outlaws blood, the call for - wild justice executed thousand times be fore on Texas' bloody soil.
 SIbert beloved at the dark en- croaChing mass. The cowboys with him beat and cuffed in vain.
 "Jer. will you lIsten?" broke in ST. bert, hurriedly, his hands on the other mans arm.
 Aiken nodded coolly. Duane. who had seen many men in perfect control of themselves under circumstances like these. recognized the spirit that doni- mated Aiken. He was white, cold. passionless. There were lines of bitter grief deep round his lips. If Duane ever felt the meaning of death he felt 1t then.
 Sure this s your game, Aiken" said Sibert. But hea. me a minute. reckon you'd better hold on till you hear what he has to say
 Then for the first time the drawn faced, hungry-eyed giant turned his gaze upon Duane. He had intelligence which was not yet subServient to pas sion. Moreover, he seemed the kind of man Duane would care to have judge him in a critical moment Ike this.
 Listen" said Duane, gravely. with his eyes steady on Aiken's. I'm Buck Duane. I never lied to any man in my life. was forced into outIawry. I've never had a chance to leave the country. I've killed men to save my oSn life. rode thirty miles to-day- deliberately to see what this reward was, who made 1t. what for. When I read the placard I went sick to the bottom of my soul. So rode in here to find you-to tell you this: I never saw Shirley before to-day. It was i'm possible for me to have-killed your wife. Last September I was two hundred miles nortL of here on the upper Nueces. can prove that Men who know me VIII tell you I couldn't murder a woman. 1 haven't any idea why such a deed should be laid at my hands. It's just that wild border gossip. And see here. Aiken. You un- derstand I'm miserable man. I'm about broken. l guess. I don't care any more for life, for anything. If you can't look me in the eyes, man to man, and believe what I say-why, by God! you can kill mel"
 Aiken heaved q great breath.
 Pluck Duane whether I'm im- pressed or not by what you say need nt matter. You've had accusers, justly or unjustly. as will soon appear. The thing is We can prove you in- nocent or guilty. My girl Lucy saw my wife's assailant."
 He motioned for the crowd of men to open up.
 "SOmebody-you. Sibert-go for Lucy. That II settle this thing"
 Duane heard as man in an ugly dream. The faces around him, the hum of voices, all seemed far off. His life hung by the merest thread Yet he did not think of that so much as of the brand of a woman-murderer which might be soon sealed upon him by a frightened. imaginative child.
 Tn crowd trooped apart and closed again. Duane caught blurred image of a slight girl clinging to Siberts hand. He could not see distinctly. Aiken lifted the child. whispered sooth- ingiy to iler moi to Se afraid. Then he fetched her closer to Duane.
 Lucy, tell me. Did you ever see this man before?" asked Aiken. huskily and low. "Is he the one-who came in the house that day-struck you down-and dragged mama-T
 Aiken's voice failed.
 A lightning flash seemed to clear Duane's blurred sight. He saw pale. sad face and violent eyes fixed in gloom and horror upon his. No horrible moment in Duane's life ever equaled this one of silence-of sus- pense.
 Tt ain't him :" cried the child.
 Then Sibert was flinging the moose of Duane's neck and unwinding the bonds round his arms. The spellbound crowd awoke to hoarse exciamations.
 "See there, my locoed gents, how easy you'd hang the wrong man." burst out the cowboy, as he made the rope-end hiss. "You-all are a lot of wise rangers. Flaw! haw" | ua fread Tuana and fhruSf fhe hone