.

"How bad are you hurt, Charlie?" Hollister said. "Let me see."

"No use," Mills said thickly. "I'm done. He got me right through the
middle. And I wouldn't live if I could. Not now.

"Don't touch me," he protested, as they bent over him. "You can't do
anything. There's a hole in me you could put your hand in. But it
don't hurt. I won't last more than a minute or two, anyway."

"How did it happen?" Lawanne asked.

"I was sitting here talking to her," Mills said. "There was nothing
wrong--unless it's wrong for a man to love a woman and tell her so. I
found her sitting here, crying. She wouldn't tell me why. And I
suppose maybe that stirred me up. I hadn't meant to start it
again--because we'd had that out long ago. But I tried to persuade her
to go away with me--to make a fresh start. I wanted her--but I've been
doing that for a long time. She's only stuck to this Bland--because--oh,
I don't know why. I don't savvy women. She liked me. But not enough. I
was trying to persuade her to break loose. I don't remember--maybe I
had hold of her hand. A man doesn't remember when he's begging for a
chance. I don't know where he came from. Maybe he heard what I was
saying. Maybe it just didn't look good to him. I know his face was
like a wild man's when I saw him in the door."

Mills paused to catch his breath. The words tumbled out of him as if
he had much to say and knew his time was short.

"Don't think he meant to kill her. He popped me. Then she screamed and
jumped in front of me with her arms out--and he gave it to her."

Mills' voice broke. His fingers stroked feebly at the twisted coils of
Myra's pale, honey-colored hair. His lips quivered.

"Finished. All over--for both of us. Butchered like beef by a crazy
fool. Maybe I'm crazy too," he said in a husky whisper. "It don't seem
natural a man should feel like I've felt for months. I didn't want to
feel like that. Couldn't help it. I've lived in hell--you won't savvy,
but it's true. I'm glad it's over. If there is any other life--maybe
that'll be better. I hope there isn't. I feel as if all I want is to
sleep forever and ever. No more laying awake nights thinking till my
head hurts and my heart is like a lump of lead. By God, I _have_ been
crazy."

His body began to sag, and Hollister knelt beside him and supported
him. He shook his head when Lawanne offered him a drink. His eyes
closed. Only the feeble motion of his fingers on the dead woman's face
and the slow