The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1919-06-20

CAoA Noo uI4plJillS 1IOlu HIS long, raw /
boned face. "And you, Bacon-you and
Dillingford hustle upstairs AMI get a
mattress off'n one OF the beds. Stand
at the door there, Pike, and don't let |
any woman in here. Go away, Miss
Thackerayi This is no place for you"
Miss Thaekeray pushed her way
past the man who tried to stop her
and Joined Barnes.
ut is the place for me" she said
sharply. Haven't you men got sense
enough to put something under his
head? Where is he hurt? Get that
cushion, you. Stick it under here when
I lift his head. oh, you poor thing
Wen be as quick as possible. ThereP'
The mans eyes were closed but at
the sound of a woman's voice he
opened them. The hand with which he
clutched at his breast slid off and
seemed to be cropping for hers. His
breathing was terrible. There was
blood at the corners of his mouth, and
more oozed forth when his lips parted
in an effort to speak.
With a courage that surprised even
herself the girl took his hand in hers.
1t was wet and warm. She did not
dare look at it.
"Merei, madame" struggled from the
mans lips, and he smiled.
Barnes leaned over and spoke to him
in French. The dark, pain-stricken
eyes closed, and an almost impers
ceptible shake of the head signified
that he did not understand. Evidently
he had acquired only a few of the
simple French expressions. Barnes
had a slight knowledge of Spanish
and Italian, and tried again with no
better results. German was his last
resort, and he knew he would fail once
more, for the man obviously was not
Teutonic.
The bloody lips parted, however, and
the eyes opened with a piteous, appeal
ing expression in their depths. 1t was
apparent that there was something he
wanted to say. something he had to
say before he died. He gasped dozen
words or more in q tongue utterly un-
known to Barnes who bent closer to
catch the feeble effort. 1t was he who
now shook his head; with groan the
sufferer closed his eyes in despair. He
choked and coughed violently an in
slant later.
Get some water and towel" cried
Miss Thackeray, TREMENDOUSLY. She
was very white, but still chung to the
mans hand. BE quickl Behind the
bar"
Barnes unbuttoned the coat and re-
vealed the blood-soaked white shirt.
"Better leave this to me-" he said in
her ear. There's nothing you can do.
He's done for. Please go away"
ooh, l sha'n't faint-at least, not
yet. Poor fellowl I've seen him up
stairs and wondered who he was. Is
he really going to dep
"Looks bad" said Barnes, gently
opening the shirt front. Several Of
the craning men turned away sud-
denly.
"Who is he, Mr.. JonesT"
"He is registered as Andrew Paul,
from New York. That's all / know.
The other man put his name down as
Albert Room. He seemed to be the
boss and this man a sort of servant,
far as could make out. They never
talked much and seldom came down.
stairs. They had their meals in their
room"
"There is nothing we can do" said
Barnes, "except try to stanch the flow
of blood. He is bleeding inwardly, I'm
afraid. It's clean wound, Mr.. Jones.
Like a rifle shot, I should say"
'That's just what it is" said one of
the men, tall woodsman. 1.-THE Teller
who did it was a dead shot, you en-
bet on that. He got t. other man
square through the heart"
'Lordy, but this will raise rum
pus," groane6 the landlord. Wen
have detectives an"
81 guess they got what was comm
to 'em," said another of the men.
whats that? Why, they was ridin'
peaceful as could be to Spanish Falls.
What do you mean by sayin' that, Jim
Conley? But wait minute! How
does it happen that they were up near
your dads house2 That certainly
amt on the road to Span"
Spanish Falls nothin'! They wasn't
goin' to Spanish Falls any more'n am
at this minute. They tied their horses
up the road just above our house"
said young Conley, lowering his voice
out of consideration for the feelings
of the helpless man. ut was about
'leven o'clock, reckon. I was comm
home from singin' school up at Number
Ten, an I passed the bosses hitched to
the fence. Naturally | stopped, curl
GUS like. There wasn't no one around,
fer as T could see, SO I thought I'd
take a look to see whose bosses they
were. / thought 1t was derned funny,
them bosses bein' there at that time O.