Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-06-30

ing. He had a Theory that no man
that was ever born was either all
angel or all devil. and he was hunting
for the redeeming streak in this one.
When you looked right hard at the
haggard face you could see something
sort of half-appealing in it; something
to make you think that perhaps, away
back yonder before the spelling be-
gan, there used to be a man: never a
strong man. guess, but n that might
have been generous and f~ree-hearted,
maybe. I got a f1eeting little glimpse
Of that back-number man when he
turned suddenly and said:
"One night a few weeks ago when
! was full up, Hatch got hold Of me
and told me you were out at the Ken
drick place with Sheila. He made me
believe that I ought to go out there
and kill you, and I started to do 1t.
Do you know why / didn't do itY
mo- said the chief, mighty quietly.
swell. I'll tell you. One night last
spring up at the Billiard you slammed
me one in the face and dragged me OF
to my room to keep me from making
a bigger ass of myself than I'd al
ready made. I haven't forgotten that.
In all these crooked years, nobody else
has even taken the trouble to chuck
me decently out Of Sight and give me
a chance to brace. Drunk as I was,
I remembered it that night when I
was climbing up to q window in the
majors house and trying to get a shot
at you"
Mr.. Norcross shook his head, more
than half sympatheAcally, I thought.
"Let that part Of 1t go and tell me
about this other trouble" he said.
GLOW badly are you tangled up in
this political business?"
tive given it to you straight on the
bribing proposition. Uncle Brock used
me as a money carrier because-well,
maybe it was because he couldn't
trust Bullock. I didn't know definitely
what Bullock was doing with the
checks I cashed for him, though l sup
posed, of course, it was something that
wouldn't stand daylight. 1t was only
a side issue with me. I was coming
out here anyway. I knew Sheila had
made up her mind-God knows she's
had cause enough; but l had a crazy
notion that I'd like to be on the same
side of the earth with her again for
just a little while. Then this" he
trailed off in a babbse of maledictions
poured out upon the man who had
trapped him and used him.
The boss Strengthened himself in his
chair, but he still was speaking gently
when he said:
"You are not asking my advice, and
I don't W you anything, personally
Mr.. CG2lingwood. But I'll say to you
what / might say to a better man in
like circumstances. You have done all
the harm you can, hut, as I see it
there doesn't seem to be any need Of
your staying here to suffer the con
sequences. Why don't you go back tt
New York, taking your wife with you
If she will go?"
Collingwood's smile was a mer,
teeth-baring grimace.
y "Sheila made her wedding journe!
with me once. when she was jus,
/, clSItccA. 1AC HSAl Lille SuS llucs
with me it will be at my funeral. Oh
rye earned 1t, and I'm not kicking
! And about this other thing: I cam
: duck. You know what Hatch is hold
ing me for. He told me just a little
: while ago that if l stepped aboard O
: a train, I'd be arrested before thu
train could pull OUT.
Tt was a handsome little %precautiol
: on the part of the chief Of the graft
ers. If a fight should be precipitated-
! if the boss should try to checkmat,
Z the C. SIS w. pohble-the arrest an,
indic+mant Of President Dnn+nn'
nephew would serve bully good an,
well as a dramatic bit of side pla,
to keep the newspapers from prin-
Z ing too much about the other thing.
Il. you really want to go, ! thinl
: it be arranged in some way, il
: spite of Hatch and his bluffing," Mr.
: Norcross put in quietly. $50 far al
: our railroad troubles are concerned j
will neither help nor hinder for yo'
: to stay on here, now
"a ~ as II LIE IClpIul SuSSCSliOu hdu DCSi
: a lighted match to fire a hidden min
: of rage, C~ollingwood sprang to his fee
3 with his dull eyes ablaze.
7 "No, by Cod" he iswore. 'Im go
: ing to make him come across wit
! those affidavit papers first! You wal
I right here, Norcross. You think Tn
all cur, but IN show you. There ISM
much left of me but hound dog, bu
: even a hound dog will bite if you kic!
him hard enough. Lend me a CUR
if you've got N and Till
y "Hold on-none of thatii' the hos
broke in sternly, jumping out of hi
: chair to enforce the command. Blu
, before he could make the grabbin
4 move the corridor door slammed noisil
L and the mailman was gone.
6 CHAPTER XVI
g The Desertcr