Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1918-05-19
CHAPTER XIX.
In the Dead Of Niaht.


While Kusiak slept that night the
wind shifted. II came roaring across
the range and drove before 1t great
scudding clouds heavily laden with
sleety snow. From dark till dawn the
roar Of the wind filled the night. Be
fore morning heavy drifts had wiped
out the roads and sheeted the town in
virgin white unbroken by trails or fur
| rows.
With the coming Of daylight the
tempest abated. Kusiak got into its
working clothes and dug itself ont
from the heavy blanket Of white that
had tucked II In. By noon the bust
ness Of the town was under way again.
That which would have demoralized
the activities Of q Southern city made
little difference to these Arctic Circle
dwellers. Roads were cleared, paths
shoveled. stores opened. Children in
| parkas and fur coats trooped to school
and studied through the short after
noon by the aid Of electric light.
Dusk fell early and with 1t came q
scatter Of more snow. Mrs. Selfridge
I ~ thC SAup tLAot
night and her guests came In furs
Of great variety and much value. The
hostess outdid herself to make the af-
fair the most elaborate Of the season.
Nobody in Kusiak of any social i'm
portance was omitted from the list Of
invited except Gordon Elliot. Even
the grumpy old cashier Of Macdonald's
hooH-on ola k.cha,n~ x~ho nroA ~
himself in rooms behind those in which
the banking was done-was persuaded
to break his custom and appear in q
rusty old dress suit Of the vintage of
'95.
The grizzled clshier-his name was
Robert Milton-left the clubhouse
early for his rooms. 1t was showing.
bu. the wind had died down. Contrary
to his custom. he had taken two or
three glasses Of wine. His brain was
excited SO that he knew he could not
sleep. He decided to read "Don
Quixote" by the stove for an hour or
two.
Arrived at the bank, he let himself
into his rooms and locked the door. He
stopped to open the draft Of the stove
when a sound stopped him halfway
The cashier stood rigid. still crouched
waiting for q repetition Of the noise
II came once more-the low, dull rasp
ing Of q nle.
Shivers ran down the spine Of iii.
ton and up the back Of his head tc
the roots Of his hair. Somebody wal
In the bank-at two o'clock In the
morning-with tools for burglary. He
was scholarly old fellow. brought ur
In New England and cast out to the
uttermost frontier BY the malign trag
edy Of poverty. Adventure offered nc
appeal to him.
But u ugh his knees trembled be
meath him and the sickness Of feal
was gripping his heart, Robert MI
ton had in him the dynamic spark that
makes Q man He tiptoed to his desl
and with shaking fingers gripped ths
revolver that lay In Q drawer.
The cashier braced himself for TIN
plunge. then slowly trod across th<
room to the inner. locked door. Tn
palsied fingers Of his left hand could
scarce turn the key.
II seemed to him that the night wai
alive with the noise he made In turnins
the lock and opening the door. IN
hinges grated and the floor squeaket
beneath the fail Of his foot ~ he stood
at the threshold.
Two men were IN frost Of the WIN
grating which protected the big saf'
that nlled the alcove to the right. On
held Q nle and the other Q candle
Their blank. masked faces were turned
toward Milton, and each Of them Gov
cred him WITH . weapon.
"W-What are y0u doing hesef
quavered tAe casA1ef.
Drop tAat guA." came the low
sharp command fro0 one of them.
Some old ancestral instinct In th<
hank cashier rose ogt of ~ panic Il
destroy him. He wanted 10 lie down
. quietly In o faint. But his mind -
ssEsed IT. mastery ever he wesklial