Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

DESERT my meat sd Sank to pa a just cause. Let me introduce myself: Hayden’s - my name—Frederick Hayden, representing the Kansas City Silo, Vat, and Farm Build- ing Corporation. = _*No! I know you don’t want to buy anything for your ranch. It isn’t a matter of business this little conversation of ours. And yet, in a manner of speaking, it is!” “Business?” Hallie asked with wide open eyes. ‘No, you must be mistaken. IT am just a girl from the Seven C’s outfit. You’re a man from the East—-2 man from the city “You are scene. for a job—that’s a _ matter of business right there. ‘You imme- diately cease to be a farmer’s daughter and - become a business woman. I might say _ the moment that idea gets into your head you become a financier! ee “Oh, TF know old ‘Doxey, the skin: int and reformer, says there’s no chance for you in this town. But when he says that, he merely turns you over to me—or rather _the Fates and Destinies. and sisters ‘Three turn you over to me! ae fact i is, my oi this i is Ake juckiest. ~ hour of your life. By the merest coinci- — dence it happens that I came to town scarce- ly half an hour before you! It’s an act of - Providence. “This is the kind of hour which palm- __ ists tell us of—the kind of an hour which makes a red mark on a horoscope or a line in the palm of your hand. It’s an hour which astrologers. can read in the stars! 2 * That’s some language you Te peal the girl remarked. e Fa _ The fat Mexican waitress waddled into the room—huge of stomach—a cotton bag of red with black polka dots and a pattern of grease. She slid a heavy white bowl oi watery soup on the table before Hallie. The girl reached” hungrily fora spoon. But Hayden put up his hand with a ges- ture eloquent of command, disgust and ex- asperation. - “Take it away!” he cried. “ Take away that mess of greasy pottage! I myself shall — = order this dinner. None of your fried table -d’héte for this lady! - ‘Husks for the swine to eat! Whereas, here we: have a aay of © = the Western ranges! | any circumstances.” = 25: — - “ Well, say, mister, if you don’t take my == breath away!” = ‘Hallie exclaimed. —— = Fane ee to. = broiler!” == SS a= The Mexican woman having studied es = aking, = Z = A broiler done to a turn, —— ta = her have one of those chickens qt ordered. Sass egg shell, bring it to a Bad till the — = breaks!” He turned to Hallie: “Tf you = will be so gracious as to are my eS SS Hallie Crockett gaped in surprise. Her = mother back on the ranch had not given any directions how to act in cases of this == sort. She had thought at first that theman was suspiciously friendly and a little audae cious, but if he was actually inviting her—_ as a stranger—to dinner, it surely meant that he was a gentleman. _ = — “Don’t refuse!” Fred ‘Hayden ae per- = emptorily. “ That you cannot. do under — strange girl from the peak of her dusty som-_- = brero down to the little boots, came to some = very. definite. conclusions. — ee “Now, then—” LS = = Ss ““T must say, mister, you're . very 7 a ae =a “Not at all. You are probably laboring under a delusion. When a little. girl like - you, fresh, as one might say, from the wind- yay vie) ifs Bhs} iA ‘swept mesas comes to town, you must re-— — member that in the hearts of all men here Ra there burns a vital—an age-old desire << —= take off our cloaks and spread them upon — the. mud so Bees little feet will not | be a anfoldiig & an ‘iad ar oo — = : board floor. = ——— the accents of a delighted i = certainly a c= of juck = : “cuore HT SS aS Hallie Crockett was eating i eae = her nea found a had |