Show OLD MISERY By Hugh Continued from Yesterday out J Tobin left the room to carry his part of the plan Mr Peters I until he heard hoard stood in the doorway the order given for the dinner the the stentorian voice vorce carrying far an and suggesting whisky exhilaration measure Tobin robin was For good loudly proclaiming Make it the best All the fix fix- ings My pard Old Misery can buy buy this lodge sand and give it ayay away an and I still have hav lots of ponies left left Motioning for Misery to remain I Mr Peters closed the door He lie was gone only a Jew few minutes and when when he returned he was composedly shuffling a stack of gold pieces from hand to hand much as he would shuffle cards and his broad face was placid and benevolent In a whisper he The way is clear out the back backof of the house Sent a friend to the bar bar- and he reports is on on duty and with thO Grass Valley men and nd acting very drunk I go and dont don't bring the youngster down this way again If it was anything except helping Murieta Murieta- Hes going plumb over the Sierra if it it busts up my camp Took hook careo care carts o of oP me last night like I 1 was a baby Tell Tom he wont won't lose anything by letting our 11 fight wait waft wait wait- Little runt thinks I bit him purpose a-purpose a I Mr Peters peered up and down the hall and then escorted Misery to the back stairs and down to the tho kitchen The help are backing my game Not one will blab Through the back door and good luck If you are re I trailed you'll have to throw them off the track best you ou can Youre a white man Peters I wont won't forget mumbled the mountain mountain mountain moun moun- tain man and he glided through t the e kitchen apparently unnoticed while the gambler returned to his room and threw hims himself lf on the bed Misery cleared the town without discovering any signs of ot the Grass I IV V Valley men For several miles mUes he walked rapidly then slowed his I pace confident none was pursuing him He lIe came to a halt while passing passing passing pass pass- I ing through Willow valley as asa a horse rounded a bush bush- grown bend and came toward him The animal was In a lather and had galloped some distance and was was was' betraying betraying be signs of The mountain man stood in the narrow road and the animal animal sowed slowed down and attempted to go o around him Quick as a panther the mountain mountain moun moun- I tain tam man mOan had him by the nose and andin andin andin in the next moment was saddle sad sad- sad sad-I dle die a Ching hoss or or Im I'm aliar a I I liar muttered Misery as he qUieted quieted I Ithe ithe the animal No No such good luck I I that the devils devil's been thrown I and busted his head Now to save my legs a bit And he rein reined d the horse about and rode him jup up th the valley alley He covered severs several miles mUes then reined in on beholding a man walking toward him It was ling Ching-a-ling and he had his left arm in a sling improvised from a handkerchief Sliding to the ground ground- Old ground Old Misery called out called out Heres your nag Better not ride if you cant can keep the saddle sad ne Chin Ching a g-a g ng swore fluently 1 m in Spanish anish then said I I was not thrown Senor Misery ry I was afoot when this spawn of th the devil ran away Thought you was tossed and I hurt your arm Theres There's blood on th the hanker Who done it Ching va Ching a ling gritted his teeth then confessed I That hell-cat hell Maria Knifed me without any reason f She had hada a reas f You talk I straight or or Ill I'll finish what Sh she commenced growled the mountain man his frosty eyes displaying luri lurid lurid-j lights You was troubling her damn you j I I 1 say no Senor Misery cried ling Ching-a-ling hIs ChIng Oils his eyes watching the hand resting on the belt beIt knife That Is not the way to talk to Manuel I did but ask the girl to marry me Is Js that a a. crime Is a man to be killed every time he asks a woman to become his wife Only once as as' asa a rule But damn your nerve nerve Youve You've got a Chinese girl for a wife already Think youcan youcan you youcan can fill fiU your lodge with squaws squaws' f It is not so shrilly denied the II breed My wife has left me She took the child and my little savings I and went to San Francisco where she is now noV hiding In some Dupont street house I shall never see her I again I am free tree to marry But not to Maria 1 marry you scum Ever bother her again and I Ill I'll cut your arms off In the Dakota way Now crawl on that hoss boss and show dust down the road I ling a mounted and turned his yellow brownish face to stare down at the mountain man for a I moment I Then h hit he s softly said said- But free to marry Ana Benites perhaps Good enough for her per per- I haps Before Old Misery could make reply re reply re- re ply the long spurs cruelly raked the I i tired animal causing him to squeal In pain and gallop madly down the creek I Old Misery instinctively threw up his rifle then lowered It and mused mused- I Just his wild talk Sores Sore's a I burnt pup Hes He's too scared of Murieta Murieta Mu Mu- rieta to give the child away Lawdy I But she's a spit fire What an old fool I was I didn't find out where he met her She's probably bly for Grass Valley to see the playacting play play- acting Ill I'll m meet et her and she shell she'll talk I Gilbert trav traveled led very leisurely and at noon made a long halt while he ate his dinner and allowed the I mule to graze Being Ignorant of ot the packers packer's art he had not ventured I to remove the load of provisions I and the weight of the same being I light the mule had made mad only halfa half a dozen attempts to dislodge it by rolling I Lucky theres there's no eggs eggs ggs 0 u In It ft he told himself after correcting the mule for what proved to be the last i time He tried to make himself believe he was waiting for the mule to I rest lest and all aU the while he knew he was lonely and was hoping the mountain men would be overtaking him before he made the night camp At last he saw a figure down the trail and his hopes hopes' went up Then he discovered the newcomer was a woman and something told him It I was Maria Remembering their last meeting I he was embarrassed and almost wished she had not overtaken him She came up the slope with her easy gliding step stop and nodded co coolly lly At first he believed she was angry with him and would have none of his company Instantly Instantly In In- In he desired to break down her prejudice and vindicate him self I forgot to tell to-tell tell telI Old Misery you w were were re down In the valley yesterday he greeted She halted seated herself on a rock and replied replied- I Maria was not in Senor Gilberts Gilbert's s He is too women be beeg a cabellero cabellero cabel- cabel I lero to of women You know that's not true Maria Marla I didn't see much of f Mr Misery He I went Vent to bed very early early- earlY OJ Drunk she listlessly supplied I And this morning he was busy i with two friends strangers to me i and sent me on ahead with the mule I You have not not- unpacked That is ver Yer wrong she gravel gravely rem remarked asked I Afraid I couldn't get the stuff back so so It would stay Te Too l late te now as I 1 must be bo going But he supposed you were coming down I today You didn't look him up and nd I didn't know Well it was your own business S I didn't tell telI him I had to look after him a bit hit An incredulous smile twisted her I red lips Ups then her eyes were hard hardas I as she reminded I I i 7 I thought our gran caballero I Iwas was taking care of the Montez I I woman I Nonsense She's good as married i to Phelps the mining man I j Her eyes grew rew very bl big and I round bound at this and for a count of I I five she stared at him fixedly Her Ifer next moVe mode startled him From her het hetI I garter she pul pulled ed a slender Knife J and stabbed It several times Umes Into I the earth He watched her Jn n I j amazement amazement Without glancing at I him she quietly explained I 1 A snake was wis in my path I cut his hm I arm arm Snakes do dont don't t have haye arms he be- be i I flan Kan an then decided she must be be I speaking In metaphor and added I Some Som man bothered you By i George Maria iaria Wish Id I'd been i there Id I'd have fixed him L You murmured and and f laughed silently I Continued Tomorrow I I I H. LACE lace with the pal pattern tern worked out in toM gold or silver threads thread j I Is extremely fashionable I |