The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-11-10

the reason behind tnat pause. IL wax
in itselfsa new thing TO find the long,
low building lighted at that hour, even
though, as he had himself put IL TO
Joe an instant before, it was hours
from being late. That night the al
most absolute silence beyond the closed
door was an even more unusual state
of affairs. The voice Of one man only
was audible, the words he spoke In
distinguishable altogether. But sud
den bursts of laughter, punctuating the
recital which he could not clearly fol-
low, were indication enough to the
man outside of what manner OF tale
was holding the ears Of that roomful
of rivermen. stephen OMara, VINO
had long ceased to wonder at the dis
covery In them of new and impulsive
finenesses which bordered close upon
inherent nobility, knew fully as well
how utterably and mspeakably gross
could be the premeditated coarseness
of those same men.
There was no movement to mark his
entrance when he finally pressed the
latch and swung the door open, not
so much as a single glance to indicate
that his presence was noted. Under
the yellow light of pickering oil lamps
the eyes Of all those scores OF gaudy
shirted figures lounging against the
walls were fixed eagerly upon the face
of him who held the middle of their
stage-hlm who talked from where he
half lay, propped on one elbow, in his
bunk at the end of the room. Harri-
gan, red shirted, red headed, was
lounglng at ease, waiting for the last
gurgle OF appreciation to subside be-
fore he gave them the close OF the
story, the last tltbit, the SAVIOR OF
which already had set him noisily to
licking his lips And In the doorway
Steve, rigid of sudden, sensed what
that climax was to be-
"Her ramsay inside"-the dronlng-
" indistinguishable words were very
plain now-"her ramsay inside, con-
soomed with pride and anticipation,
tellin' all who had come to dance that
she had pr-romised to be his FOREVER
more And her at that same minute
outside with him, and both av thin
Harrigan did not hurry 1t In the tell
ing. And IL his portrayal of Archi-
bald Wlckersham was Enthusiastically
deliberate, neither did he fail for want
of sufficient detail to make the other
picture clear. Wiley he gave them the
complete imagery of his vile brain.
A shout went up, louder, hoarser
cutlery of applause which rocked the
room. And then that rigid figure in
the doorway had started forward. Be
tween those lanes of suddenly silent
men Steve passed in silence, to stand
before him who had achieved his eli
max a breath before And at his com
ing Harrigan slid from the bunk, start
ed to reach within the blanket pack al
the head of what had been his bed and
then thought better of such impulse
Bravado intermingled with blank sur
prise he came haltingly to his feet
The voices of few men have been as
unhurriedly deadly as was that of him
who faced HarrIgan that night.
THAT was wise, IIarrigan," Steve
told him slowiy-far too gently. THAT
was wise t2 let your knife lie safe
within your 0ack, for If you'd touched
! 1t I'd have Killed you, as ought to kill
you now. But you're drunk, Harri
gan. You we're drunk minute age
when you lied your lie. You're sober
cr now. You're sober enough to star
again and tell me you're liar
They waited-the roomful of river
men. Nothing stirred save the cloud:
of filmy blue smoke floating aga1ns
the rafters-that and bulky blot Of
shadow outside which shifted little
noiseessly, Just beyond the patch Of
light that streamed through the door
They waited, heavy breathed, while
Harrigan began to recover frotn thC
discOncertment into which 0'Mara'I
coming had flung him. Slowly thG
formers lips twisted into q mocklnG
leer; mockery rose and swan with the
hatred in his intiamed eyes. He woult
have spoken, sparring for tlme wher
Steve's hand leaped in and made of the
joking effort only rattle in his throat
Beneath the stiff red sthbble the fest
was llvid where those fingers had beer
when he was able to draw breatl
again.
Twas only a bit av a Joke" h
gasped and gulped and swallowed
hard. "Twas only bit av a joke
was tellin' the bhOys about seem yol
an -
Steve's voice bit in and cut hin
short.
"Your turkeys ready, Harriganw Fl,
pointed at the pack toward which tn,
other had CROPPED and then thought
better of the impulse. you were 90
ing Of your own accord, | see. Well
I'm telling you to go now! The door;
open. | left it so foc you when
came in. And I'm telling you, too, be
fore you leave that you'll do well mo-
to come back. There's not room fol-
both of us on this river any more. Har
riganr'
The riverman's eyes shifted. Fur
lively they fitted from face to face In
those rows of faces at the walls. But
whatever he thought or hoped to find