The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1908-01-10

tossed and wondered over It for a
long time before at length she fell
asleep.
Red also looked up at the roof and
took accoun of stock. His face was
radiant in the dark. "If | could only
pull that off," he thought. Il must
seem an awful rough cuss to her,
though. All right for a cousin, but
it's different when you come to the
other proposition. My Jimmy! I'll
take a chance in the morning and find
out, anyhow" said he, and, eased in
mind by the decision of action, he too
shook hands with Morpheus and was
presently dreaming.
1t had never occurred to Red Saun-
ders that he was afraid of anybody.
He wen chuckled when he got Lettis
out of the way with a plausible en-
cuse the next morning. Then he
strobe briskly into the house, his ques
ton on his lips in a plump out and out
form.
Miss Matte looked at him with her
slow smile. What is it," she asked.
Red swallowed his question whole.
II wanted a little hot water to
shave with" said he. Then 4 fury
took hold of him. What the deyfl
am l lying liEo this for?' he thought.
He eXhOrted himself 10 go on AMI say
what he had to say like a man, but
the other Red Saunders refused to do
anything Of the sort. He took the L
of hot water most abjectly and fled
from the house. He had to shave
then, and in his hurry and indignation
/ he turned the operation into Il clinic.
"Oh, Jimmy, look at that" he cried as
the razor opened up another part of
the subject. There's q slit an inch
long! If | keep on at this gait l
won't have face enough to say good
morning, let alone what l want t.
do. What ais me? What ais me?
Why should l be scarf of the incest
Oma God ever built? Now, by all
the Mormon gods. I'll post right into
the house and say my little say as
soon as these cut stop bleeding."
Cobwebs stopped the cuts. and other
cobwebs stopped Red Saunders, late
Of the Chanta Seechee ranch. $50
pounds of the very finest bone and
muscle. And the cObwebs held him.
foaming and boiling with rage and
disgust, calling himself all the yaller
pups he could think of, but staying
strictly within the safe limits of the
barn. It was Il revelation to the big
man, and not a pleasant one. How
was he to know that the most salient
point of his apparent cowardice was
nothing less worthy than respect for
the woman's security? That if he
would stop swearing long enough to
get at the springs of his action he
would find that he heSitated because
the new light on the matter made huge
shadows of the slips in the career Of
i strong, lawleSs, unframed but sOrely
tempted man? He knew nothing Of
the sort. and the funniest of comedies
took place in the barn. He would
reach the sensible stage. "Pah! All
foolishness! Go? Of course he'd go,
and this very minute, and have the
thing done with. good or bad" He
was quite amused at his former con-
duct until he reached the door; then
he'd skip nimbly back again, with a
hot feeling that somebody was watch
ing him, although a careful inspection
through the crack of the door revealed
no one.
Red discovered another thing that
afternoon, which was that the more
nervous you are the more ervo you
get. He groaned in perfect misery:
"Ohoho! That l should have seen the
day when 1 was afraid to ask anybody
how? It's this darn country, l be-
lieve. 'Tain't me-" Then he stopped
short. "What you saying, Red?" re
queried. why don't you own up lie
a man." The fact that it had a funlE
side struck him, and he laughed Half
forlornly and half in thorough enjoy
ment. He suddenly Sobered down.
"She's worth it anyway" said he.
"Sne's the best there is, and 1 ought to
feel kind of leery of the outcome.
Well, now l guess L won't say any
thing till there's Il downright good
chance. l see 1 didn't savvy this kind
of business like | thought l did.
'Twouldn't be no kind of to
step up to a lady and shout, I'd like
to have you marry me if you feel you've
got the timer That don't go no more
than a Chinaman on roller skates.
Your work is good, Red, but it's a lit
tie lumpy in spots. Them two left feet
bother YOU. You're good in yOur place, !
but you'd better build a fence around
the place, d-n the luck! Smothera-
ton! l think she likes me, all right,
but when it comes to more'n that
oh, blast it, I'll just have to wait for
a real good chance! Now come, old
man, get four feet on the ground and
roll your eyes. Take it easy till
the chance comes"
Little lie knew the chance was COM
up the street at that moment. He
saw Miss Matte step out into the