The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-03-24

bumped him off, sure. Called
him up at his office. Told him I had
news Of his father-what's his name!
oh. yes. Thaddeus Rand"
Jensen laughed again. Jim
my thought the sound of it would
drive him crazy. mo harm tellin'
you about it. You're gonna get
your anyway. Well. he comes right
S save to the ine sSan I Fails ls or ft0% jus,
like a fish. Pretty smart OF me,
eh?"
Jimmy's hands twitched. He bit
his lip savagely to down the hot
anger that was leaping up to destroy
his forced calm. And Jensen's voice
went on, maddeningly, tauntingly:
"Ycah. pretty smart of me, III
say. Comes right upstairs an knocks
on the door. An ! says, Come
in Just like that. Come In
says. Huh-huh-ha"
Again that thick. crazy laughter.
$50 he comes in, an | says. what
do you want!' and he says, Are you
the man.. he says. that called me up
and said he had news Of Thaddeus
Randi
No. says. You must'a made q
mistake. You got the wrong room,
guess Pretty slick. eh. Rand? Oh.
I'm not so dumb"
He paused. and the short silence
was again broken with a laugh.
Jimmy said. his voice like chilled
steel: "And then what?"
AN then he turns to 60. Beg
your PARDON he says. Real polite,
Rand, I'll say that for him. He's
turned around. with his hat in one
| hand an his other hand on the door.
knob. An then lets him have it
!; Bingo." &c
| He made loud smacking sound,
Of fist on palm. with the old black
| jack, Rand, understand. Good
blackjack. Made it myself.
Best blackjack in tn world. ;.
! Damn you, you got it away from me
that night, didn't you? Never
! mind. you're gonna get yours in
coupa minutes. Plenty Of
!. time.
"Thats ali. / turned ON the gas
and left him. Pretty smart, wasn't
/! 1t don't make no difference about
the ticket stub, Rand, because I'm
goin' away from here where they
won't find me. First of ali.
half
Jensen. who put you up to it?
Who paid you? The same man that
paid you that thousand dollars to-
day.,
| "What do you know about any
body giyin' me a thousand-oh hell,
you heard me on the phone. Sure.
Like to know. wouldn't you? But
I'm not goin' back on him. Pretty
good pay, he is. Tell you what.
Rand. Come on over here an let
me get my hands on you. Then III
tell you--while I'm .breakin' you
apart. Huh-huh."
| Jensen" said Jimmy, in a voice
III don't know whether you can
understand-yoG probably can't--but
! just want you to know that whether
you kill nae or not don't give II
damn.
!, "Ten minutes ago | might have
cared not now" And then
Jimmy himself laughed. hard.
| strange laugh.
! Jensen. feel sorry for you, be-
cause we'll, just because you CAM
; understand and never would it you
lived to be thousand years. l sworc
one day. in a morgue in Grafton, that
I'd kill the man who murdered my
father. I've thought about that many
+. times. ] didn't know that when that
chance came was going to find my
self in a closed room with man
can't even see as I'm talking.
Jensen, you're drunk-but you're
not so drunk that you're not afraid
| to die. And tell you, that as truth
fully as ] stand here. I'm not. Not
now. You don't understand that, do
you? With that-that heavy thing
on your conscience that you just told
! me about, you can't realize that it's
possible for q man to look death in
the eye and laugh.
Here's why I'm not afraid, Jen-
sen--because my longing to kill you
Ito get my hands on y0ur throat-ts
! stronger even than the desire to live.
! Not melodrama, you understands; Just
this--that somehow it'll be all right
if I 60 down trying to get even for
what you did to my father.
/ That's ALL" He took step in
the dark. Jensen, I'm waiting for
YOU" aG!c
aYou are. eh? Well. that was
pretty little speech you just made.
but it don't mean anything. You
think you're not afraid, but you will
be-when get my hands on you an
start breakin' you up
"Why don't you open the door so
/ can see you?" Jimmy said.
AN let you get away? Nothin'
doin'."
ooh, all right, I'll open it. I'd
kinda like to see you myself while
I'm operatin' on YOU"
There was q sound made by the
turning Of the knob. and then Jen-
sens shape was limned shadow-like
in the doorway; dim light behind him
from the refracted beam on the stair
case.
The opening Of the door had been
turning the knob, Jimmy was start
ing forward. and all his strength was
behind the blow that landed flush on
Jensen's lips.
/ The other staggered. caught HIM
self against the door-jamb. and then,
suddenly, his arms were around
Rand. locking him in grip that was
like mighty wise.
"You would. would you - He
laughed again, that crazy laugh.
right in Jimmy's ear, and the latter.
his ribs cracking under that terrible
pressure. could only struggle feebly
to resist
He was lifted off his feet. Jensen
swung him around, then set him
down again. and all the time the
pressure of those mighty arms was
growing stronger.
Jimmy has never been able to ex-
plain how it happened. but suddenly
Jensen shifted his grip and his hands
| were around Jimmy's throat. And
it that same fractional part Of a
second during which his huge hands
moved. Jimmy had thrown his weight
forward and pushed out against Jen-
sen with his arms.
j Jimmy heard the cracking of wood,
and the others hands were loose on
his throat.
! And then the stair rail gave way.