Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-05-18


II see great many things-that
woman I told you about, and three
men. One Of 'em is you, the other two
is Mexicans. You're at water hole
in the mesquite. Now there's shooto
Ing scrape; I see the body Of dead
man. And now the scene changes.
Everything dissolves. I'm in man.
sion and the red-haired woman comes
toward me. Over her head floats a
skeleton"
Dave broke in crisply. "All right
Let's get down to cases. What's on
your mind, Stranger"
The psychic simulated a shudder--
painful contortion, such as anyone
might suffer if rudely jerked out Of
the spirit world.
'Eh? What was T? There! You've
broke the connection" he declared.
did I tell you anything?"
mo. But evidently you can"
sT'm sorry. They never come back"
"Rot!"
Phil was hurt, indignant. With some
stiffness he explained the danger Of
lnterrupting seance of this sort, but
Law remained obdurate.
you can put over that second-sight
stuff with the greasers," he declared
sharply, 'but not with me. So, Jose
Sanchez has been to see you and you
want to warn me. Is that it?"
II don't know any such party"
Strange protested. He eyed his caller
for moment; then with an abrupt
change of manner he complained:
"Say, Bo! What's the matter with
you? I've got reputation to protect,
and DO things my own way. I'm get
ting set to slip you something, and you
try to make me look like sucker.
Is that any way to act?"
II prefer to talk to you when your
eyes are open. I know all about"
you don't know nothing about any
thing" snapped the other. "Jose's got
1t in for Mrs. Austin"
"You said you didn't know him."
swell, I don't. He's never been to
see me in his life, but-his sweetheart
has. Rosa Morales comes regular"
Rosa Jose's sweetheart"
Eyes. Her and Jose have joined out
together since you shot Panfilo, and
they're framing something"
what, for instance"
The fortune-teller hesitated. 81 only
wish l knew" he said slowly. ut
looks to be like killing"
Dave nodded. "Probably is. Jose
would like to get me, and of course the
girl"
ooh, they don't aim to get you. You
amt the one they're after"
"No? Who, then?"
II don't know nothing definite. In
this business, you understand, fell
low has to put two and two together.
All the same, I'm sure Jose amt cary
ing no epitaph for you. From what
I've dug out of Rosa, he's acting for
:hird party-somebody with pull and a
lot of coin-but who it is don't know.
Anyhow, he's cooking trouble for the
Austins, ana ] want to stand from
lnder."
Now that the speaker had dropped
Ill pretense, he answered Dawes ques-
ions without evasion and told what
ne knew. 1t was not much, to Dawes
way of thinking, but it was enough to
give cause for thought, and when the
men finally parted it was with the I'M
Outstanding that Strange would
promptly communicate any further in
.elligence on this subject that came
his way.
On the following day Dawes duties
called him to Brownsville, where court
was in session. He had planned to
leave by the morning train; but as he
continued to mediate over Strange'S
words, he decided that, before going,
ne ought to advise Alaire of the fell
lows suspicious in order that she
might discharge Jose Sanchez and in
other ways protect herself against his
possible spite. Since the matter was
one that could not well be talked over
oy telephone, Dave determined to go
in person to Las Palmas that evening.
Truth to say, he was hungry to see
Alaire. By this time he had almost
ceased to combat the feeling she
aroused in him, and 1t was in obedience
to an impulse far stronger than friend
Iy anxiety that he hired machine and,
shortly after dark, took the river road.
The Fates are malicious jades. They
delight in playing ill-natured pranks
upon us. Not content with spinning
and measuring and cutting the threads
Of our lives to suit themselves, they
must also tangle the skein, causing us
to cut capers to satisfy their whims.
At no time since meeting Alaire had
Dave Law been more certain of his
moral strength than on this evening;
at no time had his grip upon himself
seemed firmer. Nor had Alaire the
least reason to doubt her self-contrOl.
Dave, to be sure, had appealed to her
fancy and her interest; in fact, he SO
dominated her thoughts that the i'm
aginary creature whom she called her
iream-husband had gradually taken on
his physical likeness. But the idea
that she was in any way enamored
of him had never entered his mind. In