Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-07-03
TEXAS GUNS
FIRST INSTALMENT
Bv L. p. Holmes

x4NS
Silas Spelle gripped his black
stogie more firmly between his yell
low teeth and, leaning across Ed
Starbuck's desk, pounded a huge
fist upon the oaken top to add
emphasis to his words.
'By God, yuh've got to do
something, Starbuck," he snapped
harshly. "You know and l know
and everybody else knows yore
damned bank is on the verge Of
going under. Yuh couldn't pay
off yore depositors now, not four
bits on the dollars. Pm offerin'
yuh a fair proposition. As I told
yuh before I'll buy up the mortg-
ages yuh hold and I'll pay every
cent yuh loaned on them plus in
terest to date. That's a damn
good offer-yuh know it is"
"Perhaps," replied Starbuck
quietly. "But it amt enough,
Spelle. Those mortgages represent
more than just collateral to me.
They represent faith-faith in me
and my bank by the men who gave
them. In time they'll all be taken
up. Present conditions won't last
forever. The price of beef is be-
ginning to climb. The drought is
broken. No Spelle, yuh or no other
man has got enough money to
tempt me to double-cross my
friends"
"Faith-faith HE'LL" snorted
Spelle. "Yuh'll starve to death
while yuh're rantin' about faith.
Yuh're a hell of an excuse of a
business man. Yuh better consider
my proposition, Starbuck. If I
have a tip off the bank examiner
in Westhaven he'll put the skids
under yuh pronto. But I don't
want to do that. My offer stands.
I'll give yuh until this time next
week to think it over. I'll be back
for an answer then"
Spelle stood up, a big, thick-set
man whose loose. thick lips and
close set eyes mirrored plain the
consuming passion of his life.
Greed! Greed and selfishness.
Remember" he bit out, step
ping to the door of Starbuck's Of
flee. by this time next week I'll
expect yuh to get back to common
sense. If yuh won't talk turkey
then why" He finished with a
significant gesture, which consisted
of holding out one grimy, hairy,
hand then closing it slowly as
though to crush whatever lay
within it.
"Wait!"
Ed Starbuck was now on his
feet, a tall gaunt, leathery faced
man, whose dropping tawny must
ache bracketel a pair of grim, tight
lips. Beneath his faded, bushy eye
brows his eyes looked out clear and
blue and cold. His left sleeve
hung empty for the arm was off
at the shoulder, a reminder of an
old rustling wal when he himself
had been a cattleman. But the
lean right hand was sound and with
it he lifted a heavy, worn Colt re-
volver from the drawer of hisl
desk and laid it on the Scared sur
face before him.
"Yuh've had yore say, Spelle,'
he drawled, his words dripping con-
tempt and scorn. Now I'll have
mine. What I just told yuh stands,
this week, next week or any other
week. Yore damned money amt
worth hell room in this bank. Faith
no, yuh don't know the meaning
of the word. Greed is yore war
cry"
Thick blood congested Spelle's
beefy features. His lips parted in
a snarl. He tried to match looks,
but failed. Those icy blue eyes of
the valiant old banker seered like
live flames and the %implacable
courage behind them was unmis-
taxable. Spelle cursed venemously
and left.
Ed Starbuck stood for a long
time after Spelle had gone. The
fire in his eyes slowly faded and
hopelessness took its place. He
sank back into his chair like IN old
man who was suddenly very weary.
Ed Starbuck had always been al
Nervous. Weak Woman