The evening world., 1911-12-16
Tw.o-Gun Mar
The Best CoWboy Story In Ten Yeon
BY Charles Alden Seltzer

bSH hu0W uofBeo uuito - W0ti - ~
knew men. or she would not ave al.
b had thrown over the drowsy.sysd
beast that ne sAAdied for her. but sas
was ovsr3oysd ~ anding the pouy all
that her brother had said Of Il. The
little animal was tlrslsss, and often.
aftsr . trip ver the plains 81 70 Dry
bottom 10 mall . letter. she would re-
turn by q roundabout trail.
Meanwhile the novel stiil remained
unwritten. Perhaps she had not yet
absorbed" h local color" perhaps
Inspiration wss tardy. Al all events.
h he'd not written Q word But hi
was beginning TO realise the possiblli-
ties; deep in her soul something Vas
moving that would presently iow
from her pen.
II would not be commoupiaosethat
she knew. Real people would move
among the VI Of her boob, real
deeds would he done. And a. the days
passed she decided. She would write
her self into the book; thsrs would b
the frst real character. Tho story
weuld rsvoivo about her and smother
character-A male one - pom whom
she he'd not decidsA-untii the appear
anes Of Ferguson. After he had csme
she was no longer undecided--shs
tt8&S stss ~ W -
The villain she had already mst-in
Lsviatt. somethiae abSut this mar
was repellent. she already had = de-
scrtption Of him In the notebook that
she always carried. Had Lsvistt read
the things she had written Of MIN Ne
would have discoatnusd his visits TO
the cabin.
srs also were noted % being po:siois
secondary characters. h had found
them very amusing. Hut b hero
would be the one character to whom
she would devote the eonesntrateA
effort Of her mind. She would make
him live In the paGes-a real. force
full. ma me tic human being that the
reader would instantly admire. She
would bare his soul 70 the reader; she
would reveal his mental procssas-
not involved. but leading straight and
true to-
Hut would shsi Had she not 80 fae
discovered . certain craftinsss IN the
character OF the Two Diamond stray
man that would indicate subtlsty Of
thought?
This knowledge had been growing
gradually upon her sincs their second
meeting. and u had become an obstacle
that promised dificuIties. OF course
che could make Ferguson talk and act
as she plsased-in the book. But II she
wanted a real character h would
have to portray him ~ he . To do
this would require study. Serious study
Of any character would inspire fsith3ul
d~eiineation.
She cav much thought to him new.
keeping this purpose In view. she quss-
toned Zen concsrning him. but Wa
unable to gain satisfying Information.
He had been hired by Stafford. her
brother told her. holding the position
Of stray-man. ."
rive sssn him once. down the Other
side OF the cotton WOOD" the younu
man had said. II amt sayinK much "a
any one. Seems to be q quiet sort
and deep. Pretty good sort. though"
. She wns pleased over Ben's brief e.
} Innate OF the stray-man. II vindicatst
her judgment. Besides. II showed tina,
her brother was not averss to friend
ship with him. .
Lsviatt she saw with her brother
often. N occasionally he came to the
cabin. HIS attitude toward her VA
ono OF frank admiration. but he had
received no encouragement. How could
he know that no was going TO b the
villain In her book-soou to b writ.
tent
rieus note bookf Yes. for later Va
shall SEQ much OF Il.
Dave Ievistt." she had written in
one place. Age thirty-nve. Tall.
slender: walks whit 4 slight stoop.
Ono rather gets the impression tina,
tho stooo Is q reflection OF the mans
nature. which sens vindiotivs and sug
sests a lew cunning. His eyes are
talks. But they are steady and cold
almost merciiess. Ones thoughts Va
Instantly to the tiger. shall ty -
create that impression In the readers
mind"
In another place she had jottsd this
down: II shouldn't want any one kiilel
In my book. but II I Ind this to b
necessary Lev!att must DO the murder.
But I think It would bs better 70 have
him employ some other person to DO II
for him: that would give him Just the
character that would ht him best. I
want 20 make him seem too cowardiy-
no.. not cowardly. because I don't think
he is q coward: but too cunning-to
take nance of being caught"
Eviently she a been questioning
Ben. for In another place she had
written:
Ferguson. must remember this
all cowboys dc not carry W. runs
Hon does. because he says he Is ambi.
btAAt 'b' Niip'''Hs 'NHbbJ v ~
either nand. But he does not tie tho
bottoms OF his holsters down. like Fer.
suson: he % some men do this. but
usually they are men who are excsp-
tionallv rapid In getting their revolvers
out and that tying down the bottoms
Of tho holsters facilitates removing the
weapons. They are accounted to be
dangerous men.
Ben says when q man n quick 10
shoot ont here he Is called n gun-mAn.
and that II IN carries two revolvers ne
IL a two-gun man. Ben laughs at me
when | speak OF a revolver they are
known merely as guns out here.
must remember this. Hen says that
though NJ likes Ferguson quite wall he
IL rather suspicious ~ him. He SEEM
TO be unable to understand why stat
ford should employ a two-gun man to
look up stray cows"
Below this appeared . brief reference
to Ferguson.
"Hc Is not a bit conce'ted rather
bashfui. should say, But embarriss-
mont IN him IL attractive. No hero
should bs cancelled, There is q wide