The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-01-09
CHAPTER XIX.
In the Dead OF Niuht.

While Kusiak slept that night the
wind shifted. II came roaring across
the range and drove before II grent
%scuddlng clouds heavily laden with
sleety snow. From dark TIL dawn the
roar OF the wind filed the night. BE.
fore morning heavy drifts had wiped
u the roads and sheetcd the town In
virgin white unbroken by trails or fur
rows.
with the coming OF daylight the
tempest abated. Kusiak got into It's
working clothes and dug itself out
from the heavy blanket Of white TINT
had tucked II In. By Don the bust
n0s Of the to1n was under way again.
That which would have dcmorallzed
the activities Of n Southern city made
little difference TO these Arctic Circle
dwellcrs. Roads were cleared, paths
shovcled, stores opened. Children In
parkus and fur coats troopcd to school
end studied through the short after
noon by the aid of electric light.
Dusk fell early and with II came a
scatter OF more Mrs. Selfridge
! gave n dinner.dancc at the club that
night and her guests came In furs
Of great variety and much value. The
, hostess outdld herself to make the nf-
fair the most elaborate Of the season.
Nobody In Kusiak Of any social i'm
portnnce was omitted from the list Of
invited except Gordon Elliot. Even
the grumpy old cashier OF M%ncdonald's
i.- III A.aNI-. .rl.. IF..-l 4.
himself In rooms behind those In which
| the banking was donc-wnS persuaded
10 break his custom and appear In n
rusty old dress suit of the vintage of
%.
The grizzlcd caShicr-hls name wnq
Robert MlltOn-loft the clubhouse
early for his rooms. II was showing
but the wind had died down. Contrary
10 his custom, he had taken two al
three glasses Of wine. Ills brain was
excited SO that he knew he could not
sleep. lie decided to read "Dor
QulNote' by the stove FOR an hour OF
two.
Arrived Mt the bank, he let himself
INTO his rooms and locked the door. II,
stopped to open the draft OF the stoy,
when n sound stopped him halfway
The cashier stood rigid. SIN crOuchcd
waiting for n repetition Of the noise
II came once more-the low, dull rasp
Ing of n file.
Shivers run down the spine OF Nil
ton and up the back OF his head Il
the roots OF his hair. Somebody wa,
IN the bank-nt two O'Clock In u,
morning-with tools for burglary. II,
vas n scholarly old fellow, brought III
In New England and cast out to tn,
uttermost frontier by the mallgn trag
edy Of poverty. Adventure offered NJ
appeal TO him.
But though his knees trembled he
meath him and the sickness NJ fen
was gripping his heart, Robert Mil
ton had In him the dynamic spark tina
makes n man. He tiptoed to his desl
and with shaking fingers gripped tn
revolver that lay In n drawer.
The cashier braced himself for IN,
plunge. then slowly trod across tn
room to the inner. locked door. Tn
paisied fingers Of his left hand coul,
scarce turn the key.
II seemed to him that the night wa
alive with the noise he made In turninI
the lock and opening the door. tn
hinges grated and the floor squeake'
beneath the fall Of his foot as he stoo'
at the threshold.
Two men were In front Of the wir
grating which protected the big SAT
that filled the alcove 20 the right. On
held n file and the other n candle
Their blank. masked faces were turne'
toward Milton. and each OF them GOV
cred him with a weapon.
"w-what are You doing heref
quavered the cashier.
"Drop that gum" came the low
sharp command from one OF them.
Some old ancestral instinct In tn
bank cnshier rose out OF his panic I
destroy him. He wanted TO lie dow
quietly In a faint. But his mind AZ
serted ts mastery over the weaklin