Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1916-10-26


fortunate Drake was nearly drunk.
At that unlucky crisis, a row sprang
up in the bar. The bartender inter-
fered. and in the course of the melee
was thrown violently against Drake.
who, hardly conscious of what was 60
Ing on, assumed that he had been
attacked. In gust of anger he
snatched bottle from the counter
and struck the bareheaded man a vio-
lent blow. The other fell at once,
with blood streaming from his scalp.
The original row was now in full
swing, and no one paid any particular
heed to the bartender's misfortune
Drake was still waving the bottle in
drunken fury when his associate led
him to a back door and into an alley.
There the jailbird took the bottle
from Joe's hand, and threw it away,
forcing the other to accompany him.
Drake never knew how he got homo,
He managed to creep to his room, and
pleaded illness for the rest OF the
day. Next morning, when he met Bur.
ton at breakfast, the latter was kind
ly solicitous as to his health. Drake
nearly yielded then. He was bitterly
conscious of his fall from grace, but
resolved to make amends. and had re-
covered his poise when he was called
to the telephone.
The croaking voice Of Wall-Eyed
Bill came over the wire:
Mice mess you got into yesterday
didn't you," it said.
"What do you mean?' inquired
Drake nervously.
Huh! | like that! Forgotten ev-
erything, have you? Sorry, old sport.
but it's my painful duty to stir your
gray matter. Hike out into the park,
and meet me near the fountain in half
an hour. And watch your step! It's
the chair for you this time if you
amt mighty CAREFUL"
Making some excuse to his employ
er. Drake went ont. And his prison
friend showed him a newspaper with
the scare heads: Bartender Slain in
Saloon Brawl! Murderer Unknown!
Makes Good His ESCAPED"
How does this concern me?" he
asked.
"You!" cackled Bill. "You croakcd
that guy! Up to now nobody but me
knows you done it, and l amt goin' TO
sQueal on you, Joe. You believe that,
don't you?"
What are you giving me?" demand
ed Drake thiclSly.
Bills manner changed instantly.
"The straight SPIEL he growled.
Putin up the unconscious act, are
you? Don't you do it. If | split,
there's twenty fcllers who saw you in
that saloon, an would pick you out
of crowd. That guy is dead all
right, and you killed him. 1t don't
make no difference to me, one way
line and do as l tell you. or I'll put
myself right with the cops, and you
go to the chair for sure"
Drake, had to accept the lamentable
truth.
Il haven't much money" he fall
tered I've been at work only a cou-
pie of weeks, but might scrape up a
hundred dollars"
The other laughed derisively.
| u
rich guy you're living with can cut
up better'n that. Now. here's my Of
fer. Take 1t or leave it. The next
time he has lot of dough in the
house. put me wise and I'll pouch it.
It's dead easy. No one will ever sus-
pect you, and I'll get away West.
Now, don't cut up rough about it. You
can't help yourself. It's the only
thing to do"
The unhappy secretary saw no 9th
er way out of the difficulty. Sick with
despair he gave in.
He knew that within the next few
days his employer would withdraw
from the bank fairly large sum with
which to purchase a small estate in
the country. whittier to retire for a
weekend when weary of the noise
and heat of the city. So, having
made the wretched compact, he
crushed it out of sight until the time
was ripe for its execution.
Being restless and unstrung. how
ever, he sought Gertrude. But, on
calling at her home-a cheap apart
that she was not at home. Walking
back, he saw Burton's car approach
ing. He recognized it at once, Of
course, and was specializing as to
what business had brought his en-
ployer to that part of the city, when
he noticed that Burton was accom-
panied by lady. The two were seat
| ed in the closed limousine
So Drake repressed his first intent,
and did not signal the chauffeur AS
the car passed. he was astounded by
the discovery that Burton's companion
was none other than Gertrude. In
stantly. the demon of jealousy whis-
pered another reason why he should
fulfill Wall-Eyed Bills behests.
A strange episode in John Burtons