Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

920 and go slam through the door? Maybe he *wouldn’t get none of us!” The sheriff regarded these speakers with a sort of sublime contempt: and without a word to them, as if what they had had to say was really not worthy of any answer other than silence, he turned to his own thoughts. As for Senor Jingle-Bells, he had slipped across the room after speaking. and knelt beside the door with his ear pressed to the crack so that he could hear whatever mur- murs were nearest. Of one thing he was sure, having listened to the mumbled pro- posals for making a rush, that the sheriff was not yet keyed to the point at which he would be willing to take such a desperate chance. Then he arose and glided back. ‘“ Pegay!” he called in a loud whisner. She came to him without a word. He felt the touch of her hand lightly on his arm and a light, light fragrance of her hair beside him. ‘We are about to begin and go through with the thing,” he told her. He added in another whisper: ‘“ Clary!” There was a faint groan from the min- ister. ‘You start the wedding service now.”’ ‘* Blasphemy!” groaned the poor minister. ‘“ Do vou hear me? Begin?” The voice of the minister answered: ‘“ Does any person in this presence know any reason—”’ “ Not too loudly!” cautioned El Cantor. “Ah, man,” groaned the minister, “I fear that you are putting a cross against your name in the sight of Heaven!” ‘That may be. I shall take my chance of Heaven after I have this girl. Continue!”’ “Young man, I cannot and I shall not!” ‘“ By the eternal God!” cried El Cantor, “IT shall make that sure first. Do you think—old man—old- fool—that I would stop at anything, having gone as far as this? Continue with the service.” “Our Father in Heaven forgive me!” breathed John Clary. ‘* I shall be murdered if I do not!” He repeated the last sentence hastily: ‘Does any person in this presence know any reason why this man and woman should ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. not be joined in the bonds of holy matri- mony? If so, speak or forever hold your peace!”’ Here there was a crash at the right hand. door leading into the room. Instantly the gun which was balanced in the hand of FE] Cantor exploded and was answered by a scream at the farther side of the door, fol- lowed by a wild scrambling and roars of rage and fear. And in the black of the room, the shriek of the terrified girl was like a sudden flare of blinding light. It made the minister him- self cry out aloud. ‘Steady, steady!” urged El Cantor. “I fired high. They only heard the hum of the bullet and thought they were dead men. They are a crowd of cowards and fools, Peggy. Confound them, they are not worth a thought from you.” “IT am quite able to stand,” said she coldly. ‘I do not need your hand.” “Very well, now—” Here all sound of voices was drowned by a fresh clamoring outside the house. ‘Go on!”* commanded El! Cantor. ‘“ The entire town is up now, and packed around the parson’s house. Man, man, do you think that 1 can wait here all night?” ‘Repeat, after me,” said John Clary. ‘““{, John, take thee, Mary—God make me strong!’’ broke in the minister. ‘I can- not say it—I shall not say it, not though I am murdered for it. I shall not say it without the consent of the lady.” ‘“Do you consent, Peggy?” asked El Cantor hoarsely. 66 Yes.” He added in a sort of frenzy: ** Do you hear me? You have only to say no, and [ shall give you up. One syllable, one breath from you is enough to put an end to all of this!” ‘“ Not a single word from me!” the girl replied. ‘I shall do what I have promised to do. To the last letter! I have given vou my word of honor, John!” ‘“ Repeat after me,” said the minister again. ‘I, John, take thee, Mary—” “No, no!” exclaimed El Cantor sudden- ly. “I thought I could do it—half for the devil that it is in me, and half for the sake of laughing at them all—but I cannot, COM DOOLK CO