Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

326 thusiastically. “ But I thought you said no one ever came here? Somebody has in- vaded your fairy land, Miss Poindexter; there are ashes over there on an improvised stone fireplace and the remains of food. Surely we are too far from the railroad for tramps?’”’ “ Campers, maybe, or punchers hiking north,” Sylvia replied indifferently. “ Some of them are born rovers, you know, and won’t stay long on any one ranch after the spring round-up.” “By the way, your brother invited me out to the Circle Six.” With the riding- crop, which he carried in lieu of a quirt, Garry had been prodding the moss in a crevice between the stones at his feet, but now he turned and looked into her eyes. “ Won’t you, too, ask the to come before I leave for the East?” “Why, of course!” she stammered, im- patient of the blush which she could feel rising once more into her cheeks beneath his glance. ‘‘ I—I should have asked you before, but out here we sort of expect people to take our hospitality for granted. You must have thought it ay ill- mannered of me!” “On the contrary, I’ve been curious about you ever since I met you, Miss Poindexter,” he retorted truthfully enough. “At the risk of having you think me rude in my turn, I have wondered—you say you have never been anywhere, and yet your manner—you are not like the other young people I have met hereabout and in some of the boom towns.”’ Sylvia dimpled and then her lip curled slightly. “ Like the other ranch girls, you mean?” she supplemented. “I don’t talk like a puncher or eat with my knife or wear cheap finery? Father was a professor down in a little fresh-water college in the South be- fore his lungs gave out, and he came here ahead of the railroad and started the Cir- cle-Six with a few head of miserable, half- starved shorthorns. Mother followed him ‘out West, then other ranchers settled aroundPand that brought a store and hotel, and—and some saloons and gambling places that strung themselves out on a single street and called it Dexter. It will never be any- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. thing but a cow town, of course, but father was always proud of it. After Sue was born he sent for books and taught her until it was time for her to go to Kansas City to school, and he prepared Lee for his en- trance examinations for college before he died. We—we aren’t just heathen, you see, Mr. Chanler.” “You know that I never thought you were,” he responded laughingly, but his thoughts reverted once more to the un- known other girl. ‘So your sister went to school in Kansas City?” Sylvia bit her lip. Bother Sue! Why would he keep talking about her when he hadn’t even seen her? And he had spoken of going away! “You don’t expect to stay very much longer in Dexter?” She ignored his ques- tion. “‘T must start for the East in a few days, a week at most,’ he replied. ‘ I have idled about here longer than I intended as it is, but I found this part of the country un- expectedly interesting.” Sylvia promptly accepted the rather vague explanation as a subtle compliment to herself, but dismay at the concrete fact of his imminent departure swallowed up all other emotion. “ A week!” she repeated forlornly in naive self-betrayal. : “Yes. We'll have one more opportunity to try those new steps I showed you, though, if you will be kind enough to save mea dance or two on Saturday night.” He spoke lightly, but in a trifle more for- mal tone after a quick side glance at her. Good Lord, the child wasn’t going to weep over his departure, was she? A few dances, a ride or so together,-with never a touch of the hand or a word which might remotely be construed as anything but the most cas- ual friendly conversation, and yet those astonishingly blue eyes of hers had seemed to have suddenly misted with tears. Garry was not vain enough te be under any de- lusion that the girl had fallen in love with him, but he was touched by her attitude even while it discomfited him. - Poor little thing! She was only interested in him because he was the first Easterner she had encountered, and she hadn’t learned to dis- Eomicbooks (Eo)