Tombstone epitaph., 1916-11-05

uial iC'ioNtu tne huiinS opifttOn of Giison was given and ratified.
 Later that night Tights came down to dLe general store for can of beans. He entered in his generally furuye analIer and man. who had not heard his entrance and chanced to turn quickly. bumped into him.
 The previous day this man would have walked on without even not'c- ing the shrinking figure but today he drew quickly aside and with a smirk said. Excuse me. Mister Tights"
 The title of Mister" seemed to touch spring and release the reply that came instantly from the lips of Tights. My names Henderson," as he walked on 10 the counter.
 GIison heard the remark and com ing forward said, What kin l do fer you, Mir. Henderson,"
 The shrunken figure stopped-the head Jerked up and the eyes opened MT Henderson"-how many thou sands of years had passed since he had heard that name and heard it with the accent of respect Il now carried? Back-way back-through the ages, his mind slipped. lie saw thousands of people under the tightly stretched canopy of the Big Top"-he could smell agaIn the odor of sawdust and hear the band crash out long chord as he posed al the foot of the rope ladder leading 10 his trapeze. The ::s:s ia ;ae dress SUI; was Sa:iing m.tSS all the power Of his clarIon like voice Mister Carlyle Henderson, the worlds greatest aerial artist." and 10 hls ears came the appIa Ise of all those thousands oi hands.
 Uncorsciousiy the figure of the man strengthened and he looked straight into G.lson's eyes. Thanks" he said. aEG tEen reyerting to the w.!ne they so wei knew, Gimme a .an o'beaHs."
 When he left there was morieIts silence and then Gi.scn remarked" That talk of mine tocay stands cop pered That mans got an eye that don't know what fear iCoks like" And Gllson was right-fcr the eye that flashed al him for the one instant was the eye Cf Carlyle Henderson, the man who laughed at fear and enjoyed the dansers Of the dizzy heights from which he looks Gown OF tke circus crowds.
 On the way back to his hovei. Tights walkoG as in q dream. Mister Hen derscn." Ills shoulders tried to throw off tla luTden oi shame the years had piled upon thell and strengthened slightly. Mister Henderson" The sIutiiing feet were un consciously lift ed and put down with a snap Mister Henderson" He was al the 6oor of his s-ab!e-"Gawt, Wot place fer a man 10 live in." he mutterec. Then he stepped and stood hAli-trightened. "A man"-he had not used these words for years. He had called hiraseif or thought of himself IS "a guy" a"poor stiff. "a geek, this lo" h.w cic he come to say "a man?' Then through bis brain the two phrases seemed 10 run-"Mister Henderson-a man. Mister Henderson--a man" and then then lights came 10 the surface in a burst Of realization. and tears-tears of self-pity, self condemnation and weak anger, ran down his face and cursing ID futile, whining manner he threw himself onto the heap of rags he called his couch and wept.
 Yet through all the hours that fol- lowed the words, Mister Henderson" kept running through his head. He spoke them himself. He lay in semi stupor thinking of every accent Gilson bad used-"Mister Hendersen"-and to him came the craving 10 hear and enjoy the sweetness of the experience agaIn-
 He would go down to the store and purchase pug of tobacco,a box of matches, anything-anything to hear Giison say again Mister Henderson"
 As he entered the store he realized thele was some unusual excitement. Two voices were snapping like the crack Of whips. Gilson's was the first he heard, You got the stuff and you'll pay fer it"-and then the voice he did not know, You're a damn liar." and then-then a crash of two pistols so close.y together as to almost sound as one-and a fall. Then a voice rather awed "Gilson's dead"
 The fuil horror of it came slowly to Tights. Robbed. Robbed of that for winch he would now almost give h.s life. Robbed Of again hearing Gilson's voice saying Mister Henderson" and robbed by some one that even now, was there.
 Tights slipped through the mob un- til he came to the open space in winch stood a brawny mIner al whose feet lay Gilson. The miners gun was still in his hand-a rather sneerIng look on his face.
 Tights crowded into the open space his hand in his shirt front. lie moved towards the big miner-slowly-un- evenly-like a snake draws towards it's victim.
 The miner saw him and started-his pistol rose as a flash until it covered the head of Tights. You keep away from me-" he thundered.
 Tights never wayered. This man had robbed him of more than life. Had taken from him the sweetness of hearing himself again named as a man. he wou.d kill this man. lie knew it. What mattered it fl he him. self were kIlIed now? lie laughed al the fooisshness of this man who threat ened to shoot him. What was that threat compared xo what he had al ready done?
 His hand cane slowly from his shirt-the rusty. squat weapon cud- died in its palm. Oncei Twicei The roar of the maner's fCrty-five crashed through the room and then the sharp CT bark Of the smal.er weapon.
 The miner swayed, then crumpied to the floor, whi.e Tights stood un- scathed, why, no one could say. arcely ten feet away he had been missed twice by a man who could hit tomato can al fifty paces.
 Tights glanced around the group that stood gasping. I told you guys you had better let me alone." he husk- iiv said .This gnv sfole from me |"