Gilpin observer., 1917-01-04

sThis fellow Is only bl0oded a lit.
tle," he said curtly. '4The wound
looks worse than 1t is. No vital organ
has been penetrated, and we'll have
that bullet out just one minute after
the X-ray has located It,"
Within an astonishingly short space
Of time, therefore, the knocked-out
gunman, now swearing loudly at all
and sundry, was taken of in the am
bulance. Burton and George Coe. with
Grace, were accompanying Bill Reilly
to the station house, where he was
promptly liberated on bail, and
Blanche Griffin was left with her
| nearly distracted sister.
Blanche tried to comfort Virginia,
but the latter sought solace in whisky.
Blanche resolved to remain with her
and when opportunity offered emptied
the whisky bottle in the sink.
Both girls, worn by the excitement
of the day, finally decided to retire.
When they were ready for bed Blanche,
| who since Grace Coe had taken her in
| hand. had fallen back on the habits
| of her childhood, knelt at the side of
the bed in prayer. Virginia at first
sneered at her sister, but later, as she
thought of their mother and of their
happiness at her side when they were
children, she also knelt in prayer be-
side Blanche.
Bill Reilly, taken to the police sta
ton, was released on bail furnished by
John Burton and Grace Coe.
Mr.. Henry Coe was probably sur
prised during dinner by the hangdog
demeanor of his son and the some
what subdued attitude of distinctly
self-willed daughter. But she said
nothing and retired early to rest.
The storm broke next morning at
the breakfast table when his furious
glance dwelt on the scare-heads of
| newspaper article describing the shoot
ing affray.
BILL REILLY, REFORMED CON-
VICT. CONFESSSES TO SHOOT
ING .GANGSTER-GRA COE
AND JOHN BURTON GO ON HIS
BAIL.
These sensational captions were
more than borne out by the text of the
article. Goes voice was thick with
fury when he sought his daughter, who
had breakfasted earlier and was then
seated at a plano in the drawing room.
"You are becoming a disgrace to
your family" he cried, vehemently,
smashing a clenched fist into the news
paper crumpled up in the other hand.
''This sort of thing has to stop, and
stop now. You either give up this re-
form work or leave my house. And I
cut of the supplies, too. Though you
own your mothers estate, l am your
trustee and I'll put the whole d
lot into the courts SO that you can't
touch penny for the next five years."
The man was incoherent with wrath
or he would never have sworn in front
OF a daughter whom he loved devoted
ly. He could not guess, of course,
how acutely the girls soul was har-
rowed by conflicting emotions. For
once she was tOngue-tied, and tried
lamely to argue that If she would be
consistent in her endeavor to elevate
humanity she must help those who de-
pended on her.
Naturally, the irate man would not
listen. He insisted on complete and
instant submission to his will, and
Grace was at her wits end to obtain
some sort Of respite, since it was i'm
possible that she could accede to his
wishes on an utterly false pretext. At
that juncture her brother entered. She
saw at once that George, goaded to
desperation, was about to confess, and
dreaded the outcome of his sOrdid rev.
elatiOn far more than her fathers mis-
directed wrath against herself.
But George Goes newborn resolu-
tion was not to be gainsaid. Every
instinct of manliness In his compost
tion rebelled against the positive in
Justice inflicted, in the first instance,
on Bill Reilly, and, secondly, on girl
whose efforts to ameliorate the lost of
the submerged tenth had often excited
his wonderment.
'This thing has gone far enough,
Sis" George said firmly. "Its up to
me to face the music. did that
shooting, dad. 1 was several sorts of
a fool, and now I am ready to pay the
price. But one thing you ought to
know and believe before say another
word. I'm soft-headed idiot and a
wastrel, but l am no criminal"
Disregarding Grace's fearful pro-
tests, he surprised even the angry
banker by the quiet lucidity with
which he exposed the trap laid for
him by Virginia Griffin and Two-Gun
Jake. He did not spare himself in the
least degree. He did not so much as
strive to palliate his action in con-
senting to wiring the money out of his
philanthropic sister.
When he had made an end, his fa-
ther ragged Mt him SO frenzledly that he
turned and left the room, taking lit
orally the command that he should
''clear out forever and never again
dare to show his face in that house or