Part 38 (1/2)
”You'll hang for this!” said the gambler, unsteadily, at which Gale's face blazed
”Ha!” exclaiuts already, eh?”
With an effort Stark began to assemble his wits as the trader continued:
”You saddled your dirty work on me, Ben Stark, and I've carried it for fifteen years; but to-night I put you out the way you put her out An eye for an eye!”
”I didn't kill her,” said the rand jury We're all alone”
”I didn't kill her”
”So? The yellow is showing up at last I knew you were a coward, but I didn't think you'd be afraid to own it to yourself That thing must have lived with you”
”Look here,” said Stark, curiously, ”do you really think I killed Merridy?”
”I know it A man ould strike a woman would kill her--if he had the nerve”
Stark had now mastered hiht Well, well, that made it hard for you, didn't it?” he chuckled ”I supposed, of course, you knew--”
”Knew?” Gale's face showed emotion for the first tihtly
”She killed herself”
”So help you God?”
”So helppause
”Why?”
”Say, it's kind of funny our standing here talking about that thing, isn't it? Well, if you want to know, I caone two hours--and the surprise did it,else, I suppose--she hadn't prepared a story I got suspicious, named you at randoht I knew more than I did, and--and then there was hell to pay”
”Go on”
”I suppose I talked bad and ht I meant to kill her, but I didn't No I never was quite that bad Anyhow, she did it herself”
Gale's face was like chalk, and his voice sounded thin and dry as he said:
”You beat her, that's why she did it”
Stark gle”