Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

692 same cannot be found. I know the little cuss is cunning, and this is the time for him to show he can use what’s under his hair. So I lounges back on the bench and rolls a cigarette as if time meant noth- ing to me, nor those cow-punchers heading for town as if old Nick was after ’em. IT starts to tell Mary some expe- riences of riding stagecoach out of Tombstone, of the holdups we encoun- ters, and brushes with the Injuns. Per- haps this is old stuff to Renwood, for after listening disgusted for a few minutes he turns on his heel and goes indoors agin. ‘“Mebbe in awhile I expect to be heading back to the Southland once more, Mary,” I tells her. “ You would like the people down there, I think, bet- ter than up thisaway. More friendly, and the sun shines warmer. “The hills is brimming of color and romance; I’d get tired purty quick of these long, tiresome stretches of prairie they has up here. I has a duty to per- form—and when that is over, I will leave.” Mary ‘Renwood listens to me and sighs. “T’ve been longing to get away this last year, with a consuming longing that possesses me like fire. But what can a lone girl do. I tell you, Harry, I didn’t really realize then, but the rea- son I eloped with Dick was mostly to get away. : “He was a nice boy, but I didn’t what the story books call love him. I told you my stepfather’s urging for me to give in to the idea of marrying Deve- ture—and if things get worse, I’ll be tempted to do something desperate— though I don’t know what.” “Mary,” ~ I telis-nery-- mebbe in striving toward my own end I can help yours. Clutch fast to hope for a week or so; events is going to move fast. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve thought out a way to move ’em, and luck is playing on my side.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. I pressed her hand, and I thought she returned the pressure. “ You give me confidence, Harry, but don’t be reckless. Take good care of yourself.” In return I patted my six-gun. ‘ This is my little protector,” I said. “And it ain’t gone back on me yet. Sides, I’m scheming this trip; to win this deal needs more than a lightning draw.” “Oh, Harry, you have the easier part,” Mary says. “ Nothing is so hard as sitting back and waiting. But women, I suppose, should be accus- tomed to it by now; it is what they’ve always done.” “And it helps, too,” I ventures, “when a feller feels a gal is waiting for him.” She smiles faintly, but I didn’t go any further. I figured, taking the play I was go- ing to make into consideration, that it would not be fair. “When this is all over,’ I tell her, getting to my feet, “ and I’m ready to ride south, Mary, I’m coming out here to the ranch and ask you a question.” “Tl be waiting,” she replies, slow and soft. Looking deep into her eyes, I mut- ters a good-by and tells her to think of me. Then I approaches the hitch- post, figuring I have let time enough go by to show Renwood that I wasn’t plotting against him. I see him peering out from the win- dow of his office, but he does not come out to see me off. That doesn’t bother me none. I waves a hand to Mary and starts away at.an easy canter, nothing like the dust-eating pace his men had taken. That don’t mean. however, I’m not worrying about that paper Shorty tells me he is going to hide so clever, for I is. After all, on a party’s person, and in a room like we has in the hotel, there isn’t so many places to hide a document that they can’t be counted over and checked off. COMMGCNIOONKS COL