Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

266 chinery across the State line and sell it at @ premium. They tell me those operators in the Keyes field are crying for pipe.” “There'll be a howl go up here, too!” chuckled one. “A howl with vengeance, I hope!” snarled Duke. ‘* Oh, fellows, I have it!’’ exclaimed Pearl.. “ Here’s poetic justice! Why not steal one of Charlie Renfro’s rigs?” “ That bullwhacker?” objected Cady. ‘“‘ Sure,” said Pearl, flashing her showy teeth at him. ‘‘ He’s Knox’s pal and started all this mess.”’ The men exchanged swift glances. The small, round, beady eyes of Oily Duke took on an added gleam. “The very thing!” said he, giving Pearl an approving pat. CHAPTER XXVI. THE HEAVENS CRASH. T was a gala occasion in Stringtown. Iris’s small school was having its closing exercises. All the patrons attended with their friends and neighbors, many families coming from the shacks and tents on: the outskirts. A school “exhibition” was reminiscent to many of old cherished scenes in the past when they themselves had worn the tarleton and tinsel and declaimed sonor- ously of the Italy that lies beyond the Alps. It was, in a way, a harking back to civiliza- tion. Iris had carefully trained the children in their parts. There were to be speeches, songs, and drills. The schoolroom was en- tirely inadequate to accommodate the throng, and a platform had been erected in the yard. This had been inclosed with a calico curtain, strung on wires, and two small boys had been intrusted with the drawing of the curtain, back and forth, as the different exercises demanded. The au- dience was to sit on roughly devised benches, surrounding the platform. The whole scene was lighted by two gas torches, extended from a near-by drill rig. All of these arrangements had been effect- ed by Mrs. Dowdy. The capable little wo- man, feeling a responsibility akin to Iris’s, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. had eagerly taken charge of the rough detail, leaving the finer task of training the pupils to the girl, Mrs. Dowdy had borrowed the lumber from a well-drilling outfit and com- mandeered the services of the male boarders in building the platform. The curtain she had made on her own sewing machine, and the lights, by the help of Charlie, had been boldly filched, as she said, ‘“ off ” the Win- ning Wager. The exercises were to begin at sunset. It was the time of day most loved by Iris; be- sides, this would permit the lengthy pro- gram to be performed before the children grew sleepy and admit of the final dance by the grown-ups, which the boarders had teased Mrs. Dowdy into arranging as a climax. Knox and Charlie, in festal attire, mount- ed their horses and rode in the direction of Stringtown. Gladly would Knox have re- mained away from the festivities, but Char- lie had pooh-poohed the idea. Here he was, according to Charlie, in the equivocal posi- tion of standing for the uplift of the settle- ment and trying, at the same time, to absent himself from the most important cultural function Stringtown had ever attempted. It was preposterous. As an official, it devolved upon him to encourage the effort with his presence. He ought— Knox had held up his hands in capitulation, and proceeded to array himself in his best. But his heart was not in it. He felt that the desolation that already existed in his heart would be in- creased by the sight of Iris. As they rode, a gorgeous panorama was unfolding in the western sky. A silver sun behind blue-gray clouds shot diverging rays, in the shape of geometric figures, toward the earth—perfect isosceles triangles were they —and the lines of light scintillated as if diamonds were being drawn up and down their slender lengths. The impressive view was heightened by the vast land perspective furnished by the prairie, just as a sunset at sea is made more beautiful because of the water perspective. Charlie, who never so much as glanced at scenery, did not notice the phenomenon until Knox called his attention to it. ** Yeah,” he said, squinting his eyes to- ward the west, “‘ the sun’s drawin’ water.” comicboooks C©