The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-03-15

AASS - AAS NSAA ~
moved his derby hat His purplish
face had assumed a deeper hue
than usual, and, as he inhaled and
blew out the smoke Of a cigaret,
the sound of his breath was ster-
torous. Occasionally a smile, ex-
pressive of animal comfort, moved
the disfgured features in a pecu-
Liar way. On the whole, the per-
son with the beady eyes was en-
joying life. He felt at ease.
There had been no warning
noise of any kind in the corridor
outside when the door opened, dis
closing the face and figure Of Mr..
Charles Waller, who, without cere-
mony, entered the room. He had
never appeared quite so languid,
quite so slow, or quite so indiffer-
ent. He seemed bored to the point
of extinction. AS he stood for a
moment, surveying the room and
it's occupant, he even neglected to
swing his cane. Life, it seemed,
rested upon him as a burden.
He was followed by a uniformed
policeman, who closed the door
quietly.
The man in the armchair did not
speak. He merely looked at the
intruders. There was the picture
for fully three minutes-he with
the beady eyes motionless and 81
lent, Waller still and %interroga-
tive, and the policeman like a
statue. The man in the chair in
hailed a puff Of smoke and watched
his visitors. Each waited for
speech from the other. There was
none,
Waller was the first to move. He
stepped forward slowly and, in a
manner that had the air of ex-
IRENE consideration, grasped the
ankles of the beady eyed man and
removed the feet from the table.
The man In the chair submitted to
that without sign of either pleas
ure or displeasure. Only, he be-
came mor wary, more alert.
There was no longer any stertor-
, Gus sound in his breathing.
The policeman, removing his
helmet and keeping it in his left
) hand, sat down on the side Of the
bed Waller, drawing a straight
backed chair to the table, took
from his pocket a pack Of cards
and began a game Of Garfield soil
i taire. He devoted to it all his in
terest. The policeman, most of the
{ time, looked straight ahead Of him
at The blank wall opposite.
The man In the armchair lit a
fresh cigaret, and, as he tossed
away the match, spun it from his
fore finger and thumb so that it
made a droning noise through the
t air. Little beads of perspiration
began to show on the upper part
of his forehead near the roots OF
his hair. Once he rubbed his
stockinged feet one against the
other.
Waller, having "gotten out
five cards, ran the deck together
and shufled it eight times with
great care. Then he began al
: over again. Neither he nor the pc
liceman looked at the man in the
chair. The newspaper mans lucl
at Garfield was decidedly poor
Z His second attempt got out only
four cards. He shuffled the pacl
more slowly the next time, as il h,
= = calculated how much money h,
5, would have lost if he had beer
IS playing for real money.
He was in the midst of his fftl
game when the beady-eyed mai
IS Is reached down slowly, and, pullin.
his shoes toward him, began to pu
,g them on. When he had them o.
$. and had laced them up, he rose t
his feet. There were now littl
beads of perspiration on his nose
Nobody said anything, but the pc
iceman went to the door in a leas
mely manner, locked it, an
dropped the key into his pocket
When he had resumed his place o
e. the side Of the bed, the man wit
r. the red cravat sank back into til
lie armchair and laughed awkward
e ". It was the first sound tina
he had come from anybody's mouth
Waller, finishing that gam,
shufled the cards and began dea
aing again. The policeman fame
+ himself slowly with his helme
ne It was oppressive in the room. III
&c man they were visiting began I
look swiftly from one to the othe
Fear got hold Of his features III
mistakahly.