Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

THE WAY OF usually does he garden works: But this rose bush has been obstinate. Some way, it just seems to lack ambition.” ** Reminds one of some people.” “That’s a bint,” she charged instantly. “You are referring to Uncle Jeff. Folks in town have been telling you about him.” “Well,” he admitted, “I think I have heard some talk. I didn’t place much cre- dence in it,” You thought it-impawtant enough to repeat it,” she said, looking at ss with level eyes. ‘“ But what Uncle Jeff thinks 3 is his af- fair,’ she added. tions. “Folks get queer no- There are some around heah who think uncle is a harmless crank and that ~ he talks just to let off steam, But I want to warn you that he isn’t a crank. “TI really don’t think he hates people in Ransome because they’ve come so close to the I Down. Uncle Jeff has got a big heart. Nobody can know him and not love him. “ Ths just that he’s got so used to living the old way that he feels the people of Ran- some are going to interfere with him. Hf he’d move this house back several miles, or build a new one back where the people couldn’t bother him, he’d never worry; he’d not hate people. “ But from the way he acts I expaict es don’t know that. And I’m afraid he’ll get _ so resentful that he’ll kill some one. There is men in town who would be only too glad to have an excuse to get him out* of the way so that they could do what they pleased with his land.” She led the way to the porch and of- fered him a chair. But he dropped to the edge of the porch. “Tl be comfortable here,” he said. “You go right ahead with your work.” “My work is done,” she said, “ until dinner.” The color in her cheeks grew deeper. “ There isn’t much work,” she added; ‘ there’s only Uncle Jeff and myself. There’s a cook with the outfit.” She had been standing near the kitchen door. Now she crossed the porch, went _ down the steps and seated herself on the She was edge of the porch near the wail. undeniably embarrassed and uneasy, The sun was hich, but there was a welcome == shade on the porch, and she still held the - sunbonnet by its- strings and seemed to - gravely inspect it. Twice as Cameron sat there gazing off : into the shimmering glare of white sunlight he felt she was watching him, and he some- how got the impression that she wanted to introduce a subject but was uncertain as to how to begin. He was not surprised when she finally said: “Mr, Cameron, I’ve told Uncle Jeff about Dave Jenkins trying to shoot him.” “Tt understood that was to be a secret between us?” “So it was. But afteh what happened in town the other day I felt uncle ought to know.” “You mean after what happened on the veranda of the City Hotel?” “Yes. That was just like Gideon Strong. He’d do a thing like that. But that doesn’t matter. Strong doesn’t count. But afteh uncle told me that you had bought the land down along the creek I felt uncle ought to know that you had saved his life.” €¢ Why?” “Mr. Cameron,” she said gravely, ““ Uncle Jeff has sworn to kill any man who tries to improve the land you have bought. He don’t want it all cluttered up with fac- - tories and mills and machinery and rail- roads, to make a lot of noise and dirt and smoke. That’s what you intend to do, isn’t it; "993 “‘ Something like that,” admitted: Cam- eron. ‘‘ So your uncle has vision? He fore- - sees what is going to happen some day.” “It won’t happen in his time,” declared the girl, soberly. ‘“‘ He'll die, keeping those things away. He’s been hoping he wouldn’t have to fight. He’s been worried. And then you had to come heah. “‘You’re Smoke Cameron’s. grandson. The night uncle came home afteh shooting Bill Nelson he was out heah on the porch muttering to himself. I heard him repeat- Ing over and over that you was Smoke Cam- eron’s grandson, that you had Smoke’s blood in you, and that you’d very likely be as determined a fighter as Smoke. —__ “J thought he’d go into town and Shcot you before I could prevent him, ¢ andsoT had. — =“comichooks.com THE BUFFALO. 5ae S—