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GAMBLING
WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author of "Th* Gold Gleaner*: A Story of
th* Ct»nid« Tank*. " “Wilby't Dan,”
“Hi* Friend the Knemy,” ''Roger*
of Butte,'' Kic., Bus.
4 Copyright, 1903, by William Wallace Cook)
(Continued from last week.)
What wan there about the easterner
that kept him constantly in Darrel's
mind? Was ft the subtle working of
destiny?
On approaching Gryce in the War
Eagle trail Darrel had taken note of
ihe dull suspicion in the foreman's
mind, and the man in corduroys was
first to occur to the fugitive as a foil.
Now. standing beside the peculiarly 1
marked horse, a weird sensation ,
thrilled through Darrel's nerves.
After a brief pause he passed to the
hut. The door was closed and he halted
and listened.
No sound came from within. The
silence was intense and even the deep
breathing of a sleeper might have been
heard.
Pushing open the door Darrel
stepped quickly across the threshold.
Through an unglazed opening the
moonlight fell ami trailed across the
rotting floor, but everywhere else hov
ered mysterious and ominous shadows.
Darrel groped his way forward and
ran against a table. After a pause he
took a match from his pocket and
struck It-against the tabletop.
in the dim light lie saw the old
traveling-bag open before him. Clean
linen met his startled gaze, a razor and
shaving materials, a sole leather case
containing toilet articles and a small
round mirror.
A bit of candle, planted in its own
drippings, stood in the center of the '
table, while two other candles, un- j
used, lay near it. Darrel applied the |
flickering match to the candle-wick i
and then, from sheer weariness, fell;
on an old stool at the table side.
For a space he rested, his eyes tak- i
ing in the objects spread out before!
them and growing keen for the slight
est detail. One-half of the opened i
traveling-bag lay over some papers. I
Pushing the bag aside he saw a small j
heap of letters and a red morocco |
hook, well worn and marked in tar- i
nished gilt: “Junius McCloud."
His gaze roved elsewhere and in an
instant he was brought up standing,
limbs rigid and eyes staring. Near the
papers, and lying so that it had been
hidden by the opened traveling bag,
was a revolver whose ebony stork was
carved with a death’s head.
Murgatroyd’s! Sudden strength
swept through Darrel’s body and he
plucked the candle from the table-top
and whirled around, holding the light
above his head.
At the other end of the room was a
bunk built against the wall. Beside the
bunk, across another stool, were the
corduroys, neatly folded.
A form lay in the bunk—a still form
whose wide, unmoving eyes seemed
fixed upon .the intruder. Darrel heaved
a deep breath. The form was not that
of Murgatroyd but of the easterner.
How came Murgatroyd’s revolver
there? There were a dozen things
Darre! wanted to do. all at once, but
he set his hand to the thing nearest
him.
Picking up the revolver he examined
it. That it was the same weapon he had
held in his hands a few hours before
five cartridges, their lead tips marked
with an "M.” convinced him beyond all
peradventure.
The weapon was a .45 and the empty
shell of the sixth cartridge lay under
the hammer. Darrel’s breath came
hard and cpiiek as he laid the revolver
back on the table.
He knew it. Murgatroyd had com
mitted the murder for the purpose of
involving him and fate, working cir
——r mm }*1 -- -
PICKING t'P TH10 REVOLVER HE
EXAMINED IT.
cuitously, had developed Murgatroyd's
euilt through the agency of Junius Me
Cloud, otherwise the man in corduroys.
Life is a game of chance, Darrel
reasoned, and every man plays it
through with Fate for an opponent,
it is perforce an "honorable game,'’ for
Fate will tolerate none of your short
card gentry.
The backs of the cards may not be
read and various tricks and makeshifts
are tabooed. Fate loves a daring and
honest player; one for example who
will discard aces in the hope of “help
ing’’ inferior cards.
But the play of Fate is peculiar, as
the establishing of Murgatroyd's guilt
through the instrumentality of Mc
Cloud will witness. One thing alone
remained to make Darrel’s assurance
doubly sure.
The bullet that killed Sturgis was
in the possession of the doctor at
I Sandy Bar. Would that bullet show
the mark which Darrel had put upon
every load in the weapon belonging to
Murgatroyd?
| Darrel picked tip the candle and
stepped to th*> bunk. Other matters.
I till now, had kept him from thinking
much of the strange silence of Junius
McCloud.
A deathly pallor lurked in McC:-*'
eyes. Darrel laid a hand on the ! rs
but detected not the slightest puls e 0,1.
The fugitive looked pensively down
on the silent form. Death had sealed
the lips which could have explained
the presence of that revolver.
In turning away, Darrel saw a paper
bag on a shelf near the head of the
bunk. The bag contained food. Fam
ished as he was he began eating at
once, carrying the bag to the table and
clearing a place in front of him.
McCloud, Darrel reflected, had been
a fastidious person. The fugitive re
called his furtive wiping of the dishes
at the Half Way house and wondered
to note that even then, as he lay in the
i bunk, his face was cleanly shaven and
his hair neatly brushed.
There were no marks of violence on
McCloud’s person and it must be that
lie had taken something to hurry him
self out of the world. His burden of
guilt had been greater than he could
bear and he had made his preparations
; and left life like a gentleman.
In the midst of his meal, Darrel
heard the impatient whinnying of the
horse. The animal was probably in
need of water and Darrel went out at
once, pulled up the picket-pin and led
the horse to the creek. Then, after
seeking out a fresh range, he drove
the pin into the ground once more
and returned to the house.
A bold expedient had suggested itself
to Darrel. Sweeping the uneaten food
aside he picked up the diary and
ffi
'll
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Cordials always on hand.
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OR YOUR MONEY BACK.
MAIL ORDERS
given Special Mention. Always Send $
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^ ST.35"'S"'3^3T-2^S'"ST-^ 5TST ST-ST^^ST-2T-^-5• —!»'
opened it.
A third of the leaves were gone hav
ing been torn raggedly from the hook 1
and undoubtedly destroyed. On the
remaining leaves there was not a scrap
of writing.
A' sigh of disaj pointment escaped the
man and he laid down the book
and drew the little heap of letters in
Iront of him. Suddenly he paused.
What right had he to read that cor
res, ldence? He boasted of being
kor.. and honorable; was there any
thing honest or honorable in reading
another's letters, even though that ;
other were dead?
It was a fine point and it is to Dar
rel's credit that it occurred to him.
There is a time, however, when neces
sity makes its own laws and Darrel,
with a half-apologetic look in the di
rection of the bunk, was soon deep in
the matter before him.
(To be continued.)
^ ^ I
A Paradox.
It is possible to move in political
circles and still be square.—Phila
delphia Record.
Seen Everywhere.
Ostend (in museum)—Pa, why
do they always have “iron-jawed’’
men in the museum, but no
women?
Pa—Because iron jawed women
are no rarity. — Chicago Daily
i ews.
Railroad Time Card,
WHITE RIVER BRANCH
St. L. I. M. & S. Ry.
Trains pass Newark as follows:
GOING WEST.
No. 127.12.50 p. m.
No. 125.8. no a. m.
GOING EAST.
No. 128.0.10 a. m.
No. 126.7.02 p. m.
F, C. Hoyt, Agent.
Send model, sketch or pi oto of irmntkD loi
freereporton r>an-ntabllity For free book,
How to SecureTD « r|E UADVO Wli‘»
Patcntsaud I IiHUl“IiWUiM) to
* Opposite U. S. Patent Office >
/ WASHINGTON D. C. >
■’'
^.0 DAYS OF SLAUGHTER.
Our buyer will leave for the markets in a few days
to buy goods for our three big stores, which we now
own and control, and in order to make room for our
Mammoth Spring Stock
We must close out our heavy goods, regardless of cost.
It is unnecessary to quote prices. You are the loser if
you fail to come to us for your February purchases.
I All Outing Flan els, Flannelettes, Red Woolen Flan
X
II
If
¥
<
4
a
4--.
f
f
nels, hoods and racu itors go at cost.
Big cut in Boys and Mens Winter Caps. All Mens,
Boys and Youths Clc iiing at 25 per cent discount. Ten
percent discount on Trunks and Telescopes. All Tin and
Granitware at cost. We can save you from 10 cents to
$1 on every pair of Shoes you buy.
Big lot of Mens, Womens and Childrens, Rub
bers and Overshoes just received by Express.
YOURS FOR YOUR MONEY’S WORTH,
WHITING & COMPANY.
C. L. LOVE, Manager. NEWARK, ARKANSAS.