| Show STUDENT LIFE 40 room leaned up against the picture I got back just at sunset found the boss’s horse in the barn and rode down to the room to see if he wanted anything more before I unsaddled I opened his door as usual without knocking He sat there in a chair his figure drooped his chin on his breast and his face in the last ray of sunlight as white and ghastly as a dead man’s The room was filled with powder smoke a big empty revolver lay on the table before him and on the floor all about him were scattered empty cartridges shells Across the room pinned to the logs was the black card of the picture The face and the white margin had all been shot away and a large ugly jagged hole was bored into the wall The cartridge belt was empty and a single loaded cartridge sat bullet up on the table in front of him I thought he had killed himself and stood there in horror but he roused hurled curses at me for disturbing him that were terrible even to me and I fled Ten minutes later he came out threw something that glistened far across the yard and went to the barn I heard him When he cursing the horse mounted he struck the horse a terrific blow with a heavy quirt I had never seen him use before and they were tearing out across the field towards the hills I went across the yard and found that single loaded cartridge I went back into the room picked up the fragments of paper on the floor pieced them together and read the letter front her She had received his telegram and letter Another fellow with more money than the other one had had was awfully She had nice and ha(j proposed accepted and knew' that our boss wouldn’t care She was sorry that she had troubled him she wanted to thank him for his kindness and hoped for his friendship still He came back the next day all the good gone out of his face and nothing left but cruelty and hardness and if you think it wasn’t hell on Spike river after that you are greatly mistaken All the old fellow’s left and only new ones who would stand the mean abuse stayed He was cruel to everything he had He remained here been kind to until he someway came to own most of the outfit then sold his interest back to the Shiptons and went into mining He w ill ow n millions in a month or two and much as I hated her for killing the best friend I ever had I'll be sorry for her if he ever Dauber goes East |
