The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-11-29
"You talk as If you wouldnr ger ran
In At

"You talk as il you wouldn'r ger ran
play" said Helen.
1--WE WON'T" said he, with conviction.
~ look on all lawyers with suspicion.
wen to OIL baldface your uncle,
askin' yocr pardon an gettin' it, bein'
as I'm freud an he amt no real
rotation o. Yolrs, anyhow. No. sir
r.,Ng'rc sr crooked"
NS,'..,', h'ii the western distrust of
-, 'oGli p:ofession-comprehensive
l,.,'lascii.ag. deep.
"a &c old man all the kin you've
g't?' he questioned. when she refused
To discuss tho matter.
"IIc is-ln way. l have a brother,
or hope have. somewhere. He ran
away when we were both little tads,
and haven't seen him since. l heard
about him, indirectly, at Skagway-
three years ago-during the big rush to
the Klondike, but he has never been
home When father died, l went to
live with Uncle Arthur-some day, per-
haps, I'll find my brother. He's cruel
to hide from me this way. for there are
only we two left, and I've loved him
always"
She spoke sadly and her mood blend
ed well with the gloom Of her COM
panion, SO they stared silently out over
the heaving green waters.
"It's good thing me an the kid had
a little piece of money ahead" Dextry
resumed later, reverting to the thought
that lay uppermost in his mind, "'cause
we'd be up against it right If we
hadn't. The boy couldn't have amused
himself none with these court proceed
ings, because they come high. call
'em luXuries, like branded peaches an
silk undershirts.
II don't trust these Jim Grow banks
no more than I do lawyers, neither.
No, Stree! 1 bought a iron safe an
lauled it out to the mine. She weighs
1880, and we keep our money locked
mp there. We've got a Teller named
Johnson watchin' it now. Steal it?
Well, hardly. They can't bust her open
without stick of giant which would
rouse everybody in five miles, an they
can't lug her off bodily-she's too
heavy. No. It's safer there than any
place l know of. There amt no alb
scondin' cashiers an all that Tomor-
rer I'm .goin' back to live on the claim
an watch this receiver man till the
things settled"
When the girl arose to go, he accom-
panied her up through the deep sand of
the lanelil1e street to the main muddy
thoroughfare of the camp. AS yet the
planked and graveled pavements which
later threaded the town were unknown,
and the incessant traffic had worn the
road into a quagmire of chocolate col
ored slush, almost axle deep, with
which the store fronts, show windows
and awnings were plentifully shot and
spattered from passing teams. When
ever wagon approached pedestrians
fled to the shelter of neighboring door
ways. watching a chance to dodge out
again. When vehicles passed from the
comparative solidity of the main street
out into the morasses that constituted
the rest of the town, they adventured
perilously. their horses plunging. snort
ing. terrified, amid an atmosphere of
profanity. Discouraged animals were
down constantly, and no foot passen-
ger, even with rubber boots, ventured
off the planks that led from house to
house.
TO avoid a splashing team Dextry
pulled his companion close in against
the entrance to the Northern saloon,
Cfn Nd In, ,.rIt
Although it was late in the after
noon, the Bronco Kid had just arisen
and was now loafing preparatory to
the active duties Of his profession. He
was speaking with the proprietor when
Dextry and the girl sought shelter
just without the open door, so he
caught fair though ieeting glimpse
Of her as she flashed curious look in
side. She had never been so close to q
gambling hall before and would have
liked to peer In more carefully had she
dared, but her companion moved for
ward. At the first lodk the Bronco
Kid. had broken off In his speech and
stared at her as though at an appari-
ton. When she had vanished, he
SPOKE 10 hellly.
"Who's that?
Reilly shrugged his shoulders; then,
without further question, the Kid turn
ed back toward the empty theater and
out of the back door.
He moved nonchalantly till he was
outside, then with the speed of colt
ran down the narrow planking between
the buildings, turned parallel to the
front street. leaped from board to
board, splashed through puddles of
water, till he reached the next alley.
Stamping the mud from his shoes and
pulling down his sombrero. he saunter-
ed out into the main thoroughfare.
Dextry ana his companion had cross
ed to the other side and were APP
preaching. so the gambler gained q
fair view Of them. He searched every
inch of the girls face and figure, then,
as she made to turn her eyes in his di-
rection, he slouched away. He follow
ed, however, at distance, till he saw
the man leave her, then on up to the
big hotel he Swallowed her. A half
hour later he was drinking in the
Golden Gate barroom with an ac-
quaintance who ministered to the me-
chanical details behind the hotel
counter.
who's the girl 1 saw come In Just