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Newspaper Page Text
LP.UUMI44!94UiJ!lIJ4MUIMWi Ml smiled to himself as he recognized the diminuitive little lady as a being with a spirit of her own. Then lie rode on his way, thinking of another certain little lady who filled his mind continually. It was a rough commu nity among which he had cast his lot at the gulch, but he had found a jewel rare amid the incongruous environ ment. It was Velma Dalton, the daughter of the district judga. Grif fiths, as a rising young lawyer, had won the good opinion of the judge. The latter represented the reform element of the border settlement It was by his influence and support that Griffiths had been elected mayor. That position was proving anything but a bed of roses. The rough ele ment of the gulch was opposed to in novations. Defeated at the polls, they went about cross-grained and venge ful. There were mutterings of dis content and veiled threats. The out cast element, however, feared the law, and the dignity and determina tion of the judge had so far prevent ed any serious outbreak. Griffiths reached the gulch just aft er dark. As he passed the Red Beaver tavern he caught the echoes of some wild jubilation. He learned its cause when he reached home. His landlady looked frightened and agitated. "Oh, I am so glad you have gotten home safe," she exclaimed. "They have been here." "Who has been here?" questioned Griffiths. "The committee from the rustlers. It's about renewing the license of the dance hall, sir." "I answered them once," spoke Griffiths, his lips setting firmly. "They have my ultimatum." "Yes, sir; but they threaten a big row. They had Giant Gabe with them, and his gang. It seems they've hired him to come here and upset the town, if you don't give way." "Not an inch!" pronounced Grif fiths, determinedly. ''Then, sir, don't show yourself on the streets. The mob is drunk and 1 ugly, and bound to do you up if youJ don't grant that license." Griffiths paid no attention to this warning. He felt it beneath his dig nity. He called upon Vehna that same evening. Her father was seri ous and she was anxious over the sit uation. Neither, however, attempted to influence him to recede one step from his fixed position regarding the carrying out of the law. The next morning Griffiths pro ceeded quietly to his office. He had heard of a wild debauch at the tav ern and of this imported bravo, Giant Gabe, and his gang. It seems they had appeared in similar circumstanc es as hirelings to help the half-subdued rowdy element of the towns voting for reform, hoping to intimi date the champions of the new move ment The convivialists of the evening previous were sleeping off the effects of their debauch during the morning. Just after noon, however, as Grif fiths was crossing the public square, he saw a hooting, straggling mob pouring out through the doors of the tavern. At their head was a red-shirted, brawny-fisted fellow over six feet in height and viciously intoxicated. Griffiths doubted not that this was Giant Gabe. Urged by the crowd he hustled along to the spot where Grif fith had halted. He squared off in front of him, egged on by his turbu lent cohorts. "You're the mayor, they tell me!" he bellowed. "Well, I'm nominated by the people to protect their liber ties. Rattlesnakes I eat 'em!" Giant Gabe glared horribly, leaped two feet in the air and cracked his heels together. "Dynamite!" he roared. "I sleep over a box of it" Calmly Griffiths regarded the mouthy demagogue, but planted fifmly, his glance noting every move ment of the raging bully. "Powder and shot my chewing gum! You goody-goody specimen 05