Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-13
CONTINUED from last issue)

me WOOuSmanS lace was grave.
"Wolfpaw, it's against the law of
liquor from Indians" he replied
gravely. II won't drink tonight"
Pete turned with a scowl. His
thought had already flashed to the
white blade at his belt. You're
damn particular he began.
But Joe shook his head, restrain
ing him. The hour to strike had not
yet come They must enjoy their
liquor first n %engender fresh cour-
g from its fire.
Have a drink" Joe asked Vir-
ginia.
She didn't like the tone of his
voice. = He was speaking with entire
familiarity, and again she expected
interference from Harold. Her fl
ance, however, was lingering the
bottle. She saw Bill straighten, ever
so little. and beheld the first signs
of rising anger in the set of his lips.
NO" the girl responded coldly.
The others poured themselves
mighty drinks-staggering portions
hat more than h~alf-emptied the
first of the quarts. Then they drew
back their heads ana drained the
cups.
~ CNtlADoul
stand up" Harold, getting drunken,
finally proposed. We're going to
drink to Virginia! To my future
wife, conference.-the lady who's
promised me her hand! Look at
her there, you breeds-the most
beautiful woman hat ever came to
the North! Drink her down.
The burning poison poured into
their threats. Virginia glanced at
- -sx-I - @N - @nrN,
merely anxious. Bill still sat, help
less and blind, against the wall.
She had not dared to resent aloud
the bandying of her NAME, the insult
of their searching yes upon her
beauty.
1t seemed to her that. she heard a
half-muttered exclamation from
Bill, but his face belied 1t. And in
reality the mans thought were as
busy as never before.
He opened his eyes, struggling for
vision. But he could not make out
the forms of the men at all, except
when they crossed in front of the
candles.
The candles themselves were
merely points of yellow between his
lids.
The men drank another round,
empting' the first quart and begin
ming upon second.
You're a pretty little WITCH"
Harold addressed Virginia. you're
hard to kiss, but your kisses are
worth having. What you think
about that, Joe? Aren't I tellin'
you the truth"
Joe, Bills first impression had
been right, after all. Virginia heard
the name, too, and her fears in
creased.
"Joe?' she repeated. You know
him, them"
"of course know Joe. He's an
old friend. He's IN that Bill told
of Clearwater again-but o don't
see anything happening to him, do
your"
He waited. hoping that Bill would
make response. But the latter was
holding hard.
you see he hasn't anything to
say" Harold gloated. Il asked you
a question n, Joe-about Virginia.
Didn't I tell the TRUTH"
IT don't know" Joe replied. shes
pretty enough. But I've never kissed
her."
The girl fiinched. then caught her
self with a half-sob. She resolved
to make one more appeal.
ooh, Neutrality-suspicious. be
careful what you say" she pleaded
You're drunk now-but don't for
get you were a gentleman-once.
Don't drink any more. Don't let
those Indians drink any more,
either"
"A gentleman once, Ell? So you
don't think I'm one any more. But
Bill there-he's one, amt he? 1t
seems to me you've been getting
kind of bossy around here, lately
and the ONE of we northern men
don't behave that way"
I'm not our woman, thank God
and I ask you to be careful"
$50 you're not my woman, eh?"
mo, no, no! I never will be-"
The girls eyes We're blazing, and
she had forgotten her fear in her
magnificent wrath.
There ensued a moment of strange
and menacing silence. Pete chuck
led, already receptive to Joe's
thought. Harold turned to stare at
him.
Joe put his pipe to his lips, then
fumbled at his pocket. He seemed
to search in vain. "Wfll you give me
a match, please, lady?" he asked.
The tone was strange, thick and
strained, yet Virginia's heart thrill
ed with hope. Perhaps If these men
started to smoke, their blood would
cool. She turned quickly to the shelf
above Bills head and procured half
a dozen matches from the box.
AS her back was turned she heard
Pete laugh again.
Instinctively her eyes turned to
the wall for a ~reassuring sight of
her pistol. 1t was gone from its
place.
She looked at Joe; his evil, leer-
ing ACE told her only too plainly
that his eager hand had seized and
secreted her pistol.i Pete's face was
drawn, too; Harold only looked be=
wildered.
He was her last hope, but in n
instant's scrutiny she saw that this
had vanished, too. Some terrible
thought had sobered and engrossed
him.
what is it, Virginia ?" Bill asked.
zone of these men she an
swered brokenly--"has taken my
pistol. 1 want him to give it back
Joe spoke then, a single sentence
in the vernacular for Harold's ears.
With one gesture he indicated Har-
old, himself and Pete in turn, then
pointed to the girl. His face was
hideous with eagerness.