Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-24
Copyright by Chas. Scribner's Sons
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Arrow to the Mark.

loOkeu up ScOWllng.
He was here a minute ago, with
Stillings. Said he'd be back. You've
come to take him homer
She nodded and came to sit in a
chair at the desk-end, saying:
"Don't let me interrupt you, please.
I'll be quiet"
II don't mean to let anything inter-
rupt me until have finished what l
have undertaken TO do; I'm past all
that, now."
II have heard about what you did
last night"
about the newspaper fracas? You
don't approve Of anything like that, of
course. Neither did 1, once. But
there is no middle way. You know
what the animal tanners tell US about
the beasts. I've had my taste Of blood.
There are a good many men in this
world who need killing. Crawford
Stanton is one of them, and I'm not
sure that Mr.. David Kinzie isn't an
other"
Il can't hear what you say when
you talk like that. she objected, look
ing past him with the gray eyes
yelled.
do you want me to lie down and let
them put the steam roller over me?' he
demanded irritably. "Is that your
ideal of the perfect man?"
what 1 said, and what 1 meant,
had nothing at all to do with Timan-
yoni High Line and it's fight for life"
she said calmly, recalling the wander
Ing gaze and letting him see her eyes.
II was thinking altogether of one
mans attitude toward his world"
"That was some time ago." he put
In soberly. 1--WE gone a long way
since then. Corona"
Il know you have. Why doesn't
daddy come backT"
Hell come soon enough. You're
not afraid to be here alone with me,
are your"
mo; but anybody might be afraid
of the man you are going to be-"
His laugh was as mirthless as the
creaking of a rusty hinge.
"You needn't put it in the future
tense. l have already broken with
whatever traditions there were left to
break with. Last night 1 threatened
to kill Allen, and, perhaps, l should
have done 1t If he hadn't begged like
a dog and dragged his wife and chill
dren into It,"
Il know" she acqulesced, and again
she was looking past him.
"And that isn't all. Yesterday Kin
zie set a trap for me and bated 1t
with one of his clerks. For little
while it seemed as If the only way to
spring the trap was for me to go
after the clerk and put a bullet
through him. 1t wasn't necessary, as
II turned out, but IL it had been"
"Oh, you couldn't" she broke in
quickly. II can't believe that of you y
"You think couldn't2 Let me tell
you of a thing that I have done
Night before last Verda Richlander
had wire from a young fellow who
wants to marry her. He had found
out that she was here in Brewster
and the wire was to tell her that hi
was coming in that night on the de
layed Flyer She asked me to NEE
him and tell him she had gone to bed
He is a miserable little wretch sor
Of sham reprobate; and she has neve
cared for him, except 70 keep him dan
Cling around with lot of others.
told her 1 wouldn't meet him, and sh,
knew very well that l couldn't NEE
him-and stay out Of jaily are yol
listeningT"
"I'm trying to-"
''It was the pinch, and I wasn't bl
Rnough-in your sense of the word-t
meet II. saw what would happen
II Tucker Jibbey came here, Stanto
would pounce upon him at once; an
JIbbey, with q drink or two under hi
belt, would tell all he knew. l tough
II all out while was waiting for tn
train. 1t was Jibbey's effacement, @
the end of the world for me, and fo
Timanyoni High Line"
Dexter Baldwin's daughter was nc
Of those who shrek and faint at tn
apparitlon of horror. But the gra
eyes were dilating and her breath wa
coming in little gasps when she said
II can't believe It'll You are not G,
ing to tell me that you met this ma
as a friend, and then"
mo; it didn't quite come to a mu
der in cold blood, though I thought
might. had Maxwelrs runabout, an
got Jlbbey into 1t. He thought VIZ
60 Ht.fv fn 40 A ca
we got out of town he grew suspicion
apd there was struggle in the aut
IL had to beat him over the head
make him keep quiet; l thought fl
the moment that / had killed him, ar
knew, then, just how far had gor
on the road I've been travelling ev
since a certain night in the middle
last May. The proof was in the W;
felt; l wasn't either sorry or horrc
stricken; l was merely relieved
think that he wouldn't trouble me,
clutter up the world with his wort
less presence any longer"
"But that wasn't your real self
she expOstulated.
what was it, then?"
II don't knOw-I only know that
wasn't you. But tell me: did he die
"NO."
"What have you done with him?"
"Do you know the old abandon
Wire-Silver mine at Little Butter
II knew It before 1t was abandou'
yes"
II was out there one Sunday aft
1oon with Starbuck. The mine is bu
headed and locked, but one of the Ike
On my ring fitted the lock, and ST
buck and 1 went in and stumbl
around for a while in the dark Il
aels. I took Jlbbey there and lock
nim ur. He's there now"