The Ely miner., 1927-06-03

cern, did 1 stop being Just plain
'John'?"
"Never, to me-never," she said
brokenly. "But tonight I come to beg
my life at your thanksgiving, pray
ing you won't deny me. Let me tell
you what 1 mean-tell you my story.
was married ten years ago, when
/ was eighteen. Oh. yes" she said,
to cut off his surprise, 81 know how
old + look-trouble has done that.
band in the world-kind, considerate,
devoted. His friends persuaded him
to go into politics. They elected him
, city treasurer of the little town where
we lived In Michigan. That was his
undoing; 1t meant being out nights.
being a good fellow, drinking, spend
ing, wasting.
.It lasted two years. And during
that time I fell sick. / was very sick.
long time, and he did everything
he could in the world to care for me
Ito relieve me. cost him so much,
oh, so much for doctors-more than
wanted him to spend; but he would
try everything that gave us the least
hope. He said 1 should have the best
care, and he gave 1t literally, extrav-
agantly. to me. Then-one night he
come home He had been drinking"
She stopped an instant. "It was the
! first time in my life, John, had seen
him In drink" she went on. ''He told
me that night his accounts were short
that the next day his books would
be examined; that he must face the
penitentiary-or run away"
In her agony she sat, now twisting
and clasping her fingers, now her
hands; now looking at the floor, now
looking at Selwood imploringly-h
words wrung from her reluctant lips.
"When he told me that" she faltered
on. 81 was frightened. I was so weak
that night And / was wicked. told
him to go, John-to go at once But
to write me. And that when he found
some safe place far away In the
West. I would join him."
Selwood only looked at her-not
unfeelingly, but as one who could
saw nothing because he knew of moth
ing to say. Margaret moistened her
parched lips.@ "He never wrote me-"
she said, in low, hard voice; '1f he
did, / never got the letter. made up
my mind he must have been hurt, or
killed, and that I would find out, or
find him, myself And after weary,
weary months of search / did find my
husband-here-in Sleepy Cat.''
Her eyes had dropped from her lis
tener's eyes. Her head hung. Her
voice fell still lower. HE was not
hurt, nor dead. But worse for me
his feeling-for me-was dead. He
cared nothing for me-nothing-"
"But you,' interposed Selwood cold
ly, "you cared for him. It's an old
story. Well, what then?'
81 stayed here while he was here;
then went to Thief River to be near
him-not chasing him, not bothering
him-hoping sometime to repay him
for his old goodness to me- But he
had chosen bad company, and through
drink was going from bad to worse.
/ can't excuse him for the evil. But
know there is good in my husband.
I've come to you to plead for his life"
ITO me?" echoed Selwood, mildly
astonished. "Why to me? What's his
namer'
1t took all her courage to speak
"He doesn't use his real name here"
she said In strained, broken tones.
"You wouldn't know 1t If I mentioned
1t. He is known here-as Cliff Star
buck
"Starbuck ~
She heard the name blurted out in
hateful amazement. With dry, de-
spairing eyes she watched the pas
sionless features before her harden
into the cold refusal that she saw
! was coming.
Leaning against the table, with his
back to it, the gambler shifted from
one foot to the other, his eyes, that
he might avoid her eyes, fixed on the
floor; he flattened his left hand at
his side on the table, and his right
hand rested on the grip of the revol-
yer he had slung in the scabbard at
his hip.
"Ill tell you, Margaret" he said
at disappearing with apparent un-
concern but with deadly point-"Pm
sorry you're mixed up with that fell
low. But I couldn't do thing for
you, if / wanted to-and 1 can't hon.
estly say I'm looking to do anything
for that man. They're going to hang
him-and it's almost too good for
him-that, If you want 1t, is my hon.
est opinion. But you might go and
talk to the two Cole boys, John and
Abe, If Abe's alive yet; and to the
teamsters. If they're willing to let
him go"-he shifted again on his feet
IL won't say anything"
''But, John," she pleaded in heart
breaking tones, "f you won't say any
thing, I'm lost. None Of these men
would have any mercy for me; or for
him but to hang him. They have no
hearts, no feeling-you know, might
as well go out and beg the stones in
the streets for mercy"
Selwood stood motionless. "He
pulled a knife on me in that clinch
u