Gilpin observer., 1909-08-19

oA AihioSh, anu ShpidiASu, Win
ming comments. each feature of his
plan as he showed how it had been
carried out through the various rooms.
Surprised at the attractiveness of
things, Dicksie found herself making
mental notes for her own use, and be-
gan asking questions. Sinclair was
superb in answering, but the danger
of admiring things became at once ap-
parent, for when Dicksie exclaimed
over a handsome bearskin, a rich dark
brown grizzly skin of unusual SIZE Sin
clair told the story of the killing,
, barred his tremendous forearm to
| show where the polished claws had
ripped him, and. disregarding Dicksie's
protests, insisted on sending the skin
over to Crawling Stone ranch as a
souvenir of her visit.
Il live great deal alone over here"
he said, waving Dicksie's continued re-
fusal magnificently aside as he moved
into the next room. I've got a few
good dogs, and hunt just enough to
keep my hand in with a rifle" Dicksie
! quailed a little at the smile that went
with the words. THE men, at least
the kind l mix with, don't care for
grizzly skins, and to enjoy anything
you've got to have sympathetic COM
pany-don't you know that" he asked,
looking admiringly at Dicksie. i've
got another skin for you-a silver-tip,"
he added, in deep, gentle tones, ad-
dressing Marion. 1T has a fine head,
as fine as l ever saw in the Smithson-
ian. 1t is down at Medicine Bend now,
haipO p, bn
way. I've forgotten to ask you, Miss
, Dicksie, about the high water. How
did you get through at the ranch?"
Dicksie, sitting on the piano bench,
| looked up with resolution. "Bravely!"
she exclaimed. Mr. McCloud came to
! our rescue with bags and mattresses
and 100 men. and he has put in re-
vetment 1000 feet long. Oh, we are
regular river experts at our house
now! Had you any trouble here. Mr..
| Sinclair?'
| mo, the Frenchman behaves pretty
well in the rock. We had 40 feet of
water here one day, though; 40 feet,
that's right. McCloud, yes; able fel-
low. l guess, too, though he and
| don't hit 1t off," Sinclair sat back in
his chair, and as he spoke he spoke
magnanimously He doesn't like me-
but that is no fault of his; railroad
men, and good ones, too, sometimes
get started wrong with one another
Well, I'm glad he took care of you
Try that piano, Miss Dicksie. will you?
l don't know much about pianos, but
that ought to be a good one. l would
wheel the player over for you, but
any one that plays as beautifully as
you do ought not to be allowed to use
player. Marion, / want to talk a few
minutes with you, may 1? Do you mind
going out under the cottonwood?
Dicksie's heart jumped. Don't be
gone long. Marion" she exclaimed, i'm
pulsively. for you know, Mr.. Sinclair
we must get back by two O'clock"
And Dicksie, pale with apprehension
looked at them both. Marion, quite
composed, nodded reassuringly and
followed Sinclair out of doors into the
sunshine.
For few minutes Dicksie fingered
wildly on the piano at some half-for-
gotten air, and in fever of excite
ment walked out on the porch to see
1
saw Marion sitting near Sinclair un.
der the big tree in front of the house,
where the horses stood. Dicksie, with
her hands on her girdle. walked for.
lornly back and forth, hummed tune.
sat down in a rocking chair, famed
| herself, rose, walked back and forth
again, and reflected that she was per-
fectly helpless, and that Sinclair might
kill Marion hundred times before
she could reach her. And the thought
that Marion was perhaps wholly un
conscious Of danger increased her
anxiety.
She sat down in despair. How could
Whispering Smith have allowed any
one he had care for to be exposed in
this dreadful way? Trying to think
what to do, Dicksie hurried back to
the living room, walked to the piano,
took the pile of sheet music from the
top, and sat down to thumb it over.
She threw song after song on the
chair beside her. They were sheets
of gaudy coon songs and ragtime with
flaring covers, and they seemed to
give Off odors OF cheap perfume. Dick.
sic hardly saw the titles as she passed
them over. but of sudden she
stopped. Between two sheets OF music
lay n small handkerchief. II was
mussed, and In the corner Of 1t mel.
lie" was written conspicuously in a
laundry mark. The odor of musk be.
came in an instant sickening. Dlcksie
threw the music disdainfully aside,
and sprang up with n flushed face to
leave the room. Sinclair's remark
about the first woman to cross his
threshold came back to her. From
that moment Dicksie hated him. But
no sooner had she seated herself on
| the porch than she remembered she