The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-30

| intentions must remain In doubt, and
| probably Penrod himself was not GER
tain Of them; but one thing comes to
the surface as entirely definite-thas
trigger was not 80 hard to pull as Sam
said 1t was.
| Bang Wh-a-a-ack. A shattering re-
| port split the air Of the stable, and
there was an orifice Of remarkable d.
ameter In the alley door. With these
phenomena. three yells, expressing ex-
element Of different kinds, were al
| most simultaneously from within
| the stable and the third from point
In the alley about eleven inches lower
than the orifice just constructed In
the planking of the door. This third
point roughly speaking, was the open
mouth of gayly dressed young color
| ed man whose attention, as he strolled,
had been thus violently distracted from
some mental computations he was
making In numbers, including, particu-
| larry, those symbols Of ecstasy or woe,
as the case might be, seven and eleven.
His eye at once perceived the orifice
on line enervatingly little above the
| top of his head; and, although he had
not supposed himself so well known In
this neighborhood, he was aware that
he did, here and there, possess &C.
| complimentary action might be expect
| ed as natural and characteristic. His
immediate procedure was to PROSTATE
himself fiat upon the ground, against
the stable doors.
In SO doing, his shoulders came
brusquely In contact with one Of them,
which happened to be unfastened, and
II swung open, revealing to his gaze
two stark-white white boys, one of
them holding an enormous pistol and
both staring at him In stupor Of ulti-
mate horror. For, to the CLASSY eyes
of Penrod and Sam, the stratagem OF
the young colored man, thus dropping
to earth, disclosed, with awful certain.
ty, slaughtered body.
This dreadful thing raised itself up
on Its elbows and looked at them, and
there followed motionless moment
a tableau Of brief duration, for both
boys turned and would have fed,
shrieking, but the body spoke:
oats a nice business !" 1t said re-
proachfully. "Nice business! Tryin'
blow mans head OF"
Penrod was unable to speak, but
Sam managed to summon the tremu-
lous semblance of voice.
"Where-where did 1t hit youl" he
gasped. u
"Nemmine anything bout where II
hit me-" the young colored man return
ed, busting mis- breast and knees as he
rose. II want to know what kline o.
white boys you think you is-man
can't walk long street 'thout you blow
in his head off y He entered the sta
BILE and, with IN indignation surely
justified, took the pistol from the limp,
cold hand of Penrod. "Whose gun you
playin' within Where you git at gum"
'It's ours" quavered Sam, SIT be-
longs to u.s." .s,o
"Then you pa ought to be rested"
said the young colored man. "Lettln'
boys play with gunp He examined
the revolver with an interest in which
there began to appear symptoms of
pleasurable appreciation. my goo'-
ness! Gun like 'iss blow team o.
steers thew brick house, Look at at
gun!" With his right hand he twirled
1t in manner most dexterous and sur
/ ho 10
we're. you white boy, listen mel" he
said. "Ef went IN did what l ought
to did, I'd march straight out 'iss sta
BILE, git policeman, an tell him rest
you an take you of to jail. Ats what
| you need-blowin' mans head off
Listen me: I'm goin' take 'iss gun an
tb'Ow her away where you can't do no
mo- harm with her. I'm goip' take her
way off In the woods an th'ow her
away where can't nobody fine her an
| go blowin' mans head off with her.
ATS what I'm goin' dol" And plasing
the revolver inside his coat as incon-
spicuously as possible, he proceeded TO
| the open door and into the alley, where
he turned for final word. II let you
off ISIS one time" he said, "but listen
me-you listen, white boy: 20 bet not
tell you pa. / ain gOin' tell him, an
you ain goin' tell him. He want know
where gun gone, you tell him you los
her."
He disappeared rapidly.
| Sam Williams, swallowing continu-
ously, presently walked to the alley
door, and remarked In a weak voice,
I'm sick at my stummick." He paused,
then added more decidedly: am goin'
home. guess I've stood about enough
around here for one dayr' And be-
slowing last glance upon his friend,
who was now sitting dumbly upon the
floor in the exact spot where he had
stood to fire the dreadful shot, Sam
moved slowly away.
The early shades OF autumn evening
were falling when Penrod emerged
| from the stable; and better light