Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 25: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

COLD STEEL. marked witha silky smoothness. “ You expect to marry some other girl—and have no intention whatever of marrying Mary here.” “To hell with you and your opinions!”’ “First, youcoax her to Bowenville with a promise, then you persuade her to go to Los Angeles with more promises,” the en- gineer proceeded steadily, ‘and there you would betray and abandon her to a life on the streets, like the yellow cur you are.” Sorenson snapped his fingers and moved round to the girl’s side. : “Pay no attention to him,” he addressed her. ‘“ He’s only a crazy fool.” But she drew back against the wall, star- ing at him with a strained, searching regard. ‘Will you marry me to-morrow, as he says?” she asked anxiously. “No. I explained the reason once. Come on; let’s get away from him. Then I'll make everything clear and satisfactory to you.” For a moment she stood wavering in in- decision, picking at her handkerchief, her face pale and unhappy, questioning his countenance. Finally she turned to look at Steele Weir, standing silently by. “You never said you were engaged to another girl; you told me I was the only one you loved,” she muttered in a choked voice. “ But I see now you won’t marry me. You wish me to go with you—but not to marry me. I’m going away—away any- where. By myself! Where I'll never see any one!” Burying her face in her hands, she shook with sobs. “This is what comes from your putting an oar in,” said Sorenson, lifting his fist in a burst of fury to strike Weir. The latter at once smote him across the mouth with open palm at the vile epithet that followed. Sorenson staggered, then lunged forward, tugging at something in his hip-pocket, while the table and dishes went over in a crash. Before he could draw the weapon Steele’s fingers.shot forth and seized his wrist; his other “hand closed about Sorenson’s throat in atriron grasp. Slowly under that power- ful grip, the younger man’s struggles ceased, his eyes dilated, his knees yielded and gave way. The revolver was wrenched from his 367 numbed hold. His eyeballs seemed afire; his breast heaved in violent spasms for the denied breath; and his heart appeared about to burst. “You miserable skunk!” Weir said, bare- ly moving his mouth. “TI ought to choke the life out of you.” Then he released his hold. “TI keep this gun—and use it if you ever try to pull another on me! Now, make tracks. Remember, too, to pay your bill as you go out.” When Sorenson had straightened his coat, giving Weir a malignant look during the process, he departed. His air of disdainful insolence had quite evaporated, but that he considered the action between them only begun was plain, though he spoke not a word. “Weir, however, heard him give a quieting explanation to the waiter hovering outside, who had been drawn by the crash of dishes. “Thought a fight was going on,” the aproned dispenser of food said to Steele, when he and the girl emerged. “ Just an accident. Nothing broken, I imagine,” was the response. : “You can’t break those dishes with a hammer; they’re made for rough work.” “Tf there’s any damage, this may cover it.” And Steele tossed him a dollar. * Outside the restaurant he slipped his hand into Mary Johnson’s arm and led her along the street. With him he had brought the old strapped grip. “Where you taking me?” she asked, in a worried quaver. “Home, Mary.” “Oh, I’m afraid to go home.” “Are you afraid of your own father and mother? They’re the ones to trust first of all.” “ But when father—mother is dead—sees _.the telescope, he’ll want to know where I’ve “been. He doesn’t know I have it. I told him I might stay with a girl at San Mateo overnight, and then sneaked it out.” “The best thing is to tell him all about it?’ Oh cat “Then I shall. Leave that part to me.” And though her heart was filled with fresh alarms and fears at the prospect, there seemed nothing else to do. She longed to comicbooks*com