The Tupelo journal., 1916-09-29

liquor was consumed. The talk grew
confidential. In half an hour, the UNI
fortunate Drake was nearly drunk.
At that uniucky crisis, a row sprang
up in the bar. The bartender inter-
fered, and in the course OF the melee
was thrown violently against Drake,
ing on, assumed that he had been
attacked. In a gust of anger he
snatched a 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
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 home.
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:
Nice mess you got into yesterday,
didn't you," it said.
What do you mean?" inquired
Drake n~ervously.
Huh! l 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 foentain 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 out. And his prison
friend showed him a newspaper with
the scare heads: Bartender Slain in
Saloon Brawl! Murderer Unknowni
Makes Good His ESCAPED"
How does this concern me?" he
asked.
"You!" cackled Bill. "You croaked
that guyl Up to now nobody but me
knows you done it, and l amt goin' to
squeal on you, Joe. You believe that,
don't your"
what are you giving me?" demand.
ed Drake thickly.
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 fellers who saw you in
that saloon, al would pick you out
of a crowd. That guy is dead all
right, and you killed him. 1t don't
make no difference to me, one way
or the other, but you'll have to toe the
line and do as / 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 l might scrape up a
hundred dollars
The other laughed derisively.
Search mel he guffawed. THAT
rich guy you're living with can cut
up better'n that. Now, here's my of
fer. Take it or leave it. The next
time he has a lot of dough in the
house, put me wise and I'll pouch it.
It's dead easy. No one viii 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 a fairly large sum with
which to purchase a small estate III
the country, whittier TO retire for q
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 it's execution.
Being restless and uDstrung, how
ever. lie sought Gertrude. But, on
calling at her home-a cheap apart
ment house in the suburbs, he found
that she was not at home. Walking
back, he saw Rurton's car approach
ing. He recognized it at once OF
course, and was specializing as tt
what business had brought his EN-
ployer to that part of the city, wher
he noticed that Burton was accom-
panied by a lady. The two were seat
ed in the closed limousine.
So Drake depressed his first intent
and did not ciupa1 tho ob,,ffo,, A.