Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-03-10

Joe looked up quickly.
"Of course not" he said. a certain
hardness in his voice. The wariness
which had come to him in the menag-
erie tent had not relaxed Fnllhouse
had been revealed to him tonight as Il
vastly different person from the emo
tionless. often faciturn person he had
known Mt Louie Rertnlini's. As far
as the law WAS concerned Joe re-
Elected. he was a murderer now; what
more damagn could be done? Sup
pose he killed men who must be worse
than dogs to coldly, maliciously, con-
denim an innocent person TO the chair
to protect themselves 1t wouldn't
be murder to kill them; 1t would be
justice and retrihniion and humanity
toward some other boy. stumbling
about the maze of New York until he
fell into their nets.
1t did not even affect him to realize
that perhaps Fullhouse had looked MS
much to his own desires ms to altru-
ism In his rescue of Joe from im-
pending arrest. Fullhouse had an AK
to grind. Joe Barry felt sure. hut he
found That hn cared little. Perhaps
This man might he leasling him on to
more sinister things than he had
limited, taking advantage OF the fact
that Joe already was a fugitive from
justice, to assure himself Of n partner
in crime. II made little difference,
Joe told himself. After all, there were
only two things paramount the pro-
lection Of a girl and his own escape.
OF the two. the first was tremendously
important He had lied to Fnllhouse
about writing. There was way. he
knew. to halt any danger that might
threaten her from Chnven and Max
well.
About them hotels" said Full
house, looking up suddenly at the
sight OF street sign. It'll drop you
out on dark street and you 20 in
first. I'll come In later. like we didn't
belong together and 70 to another
room. You're hnlf dead: you'll prob
ably sleep all day. Soil |. for that
matter. II Won don't sleep. lay low.
Stay In your room. Tomorrow night
Mt eight o'clock It'll be dark then.
This place Is Fayetteville: thought
knew it. Been through here n million
times. There's park down about
&C Isn Al
stay mt. Fayette house: I'll put YOU
out on side street. Meet me MT TINT
park. eight o'clock tomorrow night"
At last Joe was In the hotel. paying
for his lodging in advance owing to
lack OF luggage. Once in his room. he
strobe to the writing desk and pulled
open the drawer
Bring me mp some stationery" he
commanded OF the boy. "A bunch Of
1t. I've got lot Of writing to do"
Sunrise found him still Mt his task,
a haggard man. bent low over the
writing desk. his free hand brushing
often at his red-lidded eyes. Bright
day and he sagged in his chair. The
task was done.
There had been no excuses. There
had been no plea for faith. no extenu-
alton. to hint Of a future It had
been straightforward. brutal letter
In which he had asked forgiveness and
in the next sentence, commanded that
she do not give it. Joe Barry had put
his soul on paper TO save a girl the
possibility Of police embarrassment,
Here was his story. She could hand
1t TO the officers. Certainly they could
ask no more OF her than that
Joe did not know that he had placed
into ink and paper classic az manli-
ness. Just as he had taken his blows
from the first moment that four men
knocked at his door, so had he taken
them now. without weakness. save
that OF which he accused himself.
That evening. MS he left the hotel to
meet Fullhouse, he asked about air
mail, and dropped his mlssive into the
box. 1t had been his sole concession
to himself. to wait until its arrival
could not form n clew for d tele-
graphic order to arrest.
That night. the wandering process
began. II was a haphazard course,
altered to the whims Of Enllhouse and
his hopes of poolroom gold mine.
Fifty miles one day. hundred the
next; travel usually was done just
following darkness.
They stopped at cheap hotels, room
Ing together now that Fullhouse had
decided that direct chase was eluded,
They ate at cheap restaurants: meal
times and travel times were about the
only ones in which Joe was allowed to
leave his room Thus life continued
for more than two weeks.
The horrible loneliness OF II gnawed
az MIN, hurt him like canker. The
old hollows were returning to his
cheeks, and the circles under his eyes.
lie had developed unkemptness, shirt
loose al the collar, tieless: he went
from day to day. Fullhouse
left him alone only for short intervals,
he would come back to dis
play money in plenty, at other times.
he was not SO prosperous. He talked
little OF his activities. but he seemed
r.,..ff III 4.