Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-12
pa1ssd It tAs twiaphins eaes e u

|pa1ssd at The twisphins eaes se ~
shoei6.
Hs swslIed ominously. IKE a great
pigeon. purple ma couSsstsd With
raoA. strutting 10 the nswconee. he
glaesd insolsntly up into bio smiling
face
what are - laughing at - shave
tail! His hands were cllnched till
his arms showed tense and rigid. and
the cords n his neck were thickly
swollen.
"Lsmms In on II! I'm strong on hu-
NOR. What in h-l ais YER hs yelled.
In q fury. a. the tall young man gased
Axedly, and the glasses ratified at the
below from the barreied-up lungs.
I'm not laughing at you." said the
sheriff.
"Oh. amt yer Knocked the man OF
peace. well. take care that ye don't.
ye big wart, or III trample them new
clothes and browse around on some of
your features. III take We apart till
ye look like cut feed. Guess ye don't
know who I am, do ye? rm"-
anxious voice Of the bride, descending
the stairs.
The little man spun like q dancer
and. spying the girl, blushed to the
color of a prickly pear. then stammsred
painfully, while the sweat stood out un-
der the labor Of bis discomfort:
'Just Shorty miss," he finally qua.
ssOloas~ scHo HhU
era miserable. crawling worm for
disturbing Of ye." He rolled his eyes
helplessly at Bailey while he sopped
with his crumpied sombrero at the
slistening Precipitation.
why didn't ~ tell meT he whis-
pered ferociouSly at the host, and the
volume Of his query carried to Joy.
hiding out In the night
"Mr. Shorty" said the sheriff grave
~, "let me introduce my wife. Mrs.
Turney."
The bride smiled sweetly at the
tremulous little man, who broke and
ded to high bench in the darkest
corner. where he dangled his short legs
In silent ecstasy of bashfulness.
II reckon III have to rope that
Chink. then blindfold and back him
into the kitchen. If we git any supper"
said Bailey. disappearing.
Later the Chinaman stole In to set
the table, hnt he worked with hectic
and fitful energy. fearful eye always
upon the dim bulk in the corner. and
at a fancied move he shook with an
ague Of apprehension. Backing and
siding. be finally announced the meal.
prepared to stampede madly at notice.
During the supper Shorty ate raven
ously Of whatever lay to his hand, but
asked no favors. The agony of his
shyness paralyxed his huge vocal mus
cles till speech became labor quite
impossible.
To a pleasant remark of the bride he
responded. but no sound issued; then,
breathing heavily into bis larynx, the
reply roared upon them like burst
Of thunder. seriously threatening the
gravity OF the meal. He retired alb
ruptly into moist and self conscious
silence. fearful of feasting bis eyes
on this disturbing loveliness.
As soon as compatible With decency
he slipped back to his bunk In the
shed behind and lay staring into the
darkness. picturing the amazing &C.
currences Of the evening. At the mem
Org Of her level glapces he fell a-trem-
BILE and sighed ecstatically. prickliDg
with asnew. strange emotion. He lay
till far into the night, wakeful and abb
sorbed He was able to grasp the fact
but dimly that all this dazzling per-
lection was for one man. We're 1t not
manifestly impossible he supposed
other men in other lands knew other
ladies as beautiful, and it furthermore
grew upon him blackIy, in the thick
gloom. that in all this world of won,-
AMY sweetness and beauty no modicum
Of It was for the Inisshapen dwarf Of
the Bar X outfit All his life he had
fought furiously to uphold the empty
shell of his dignity IN the eyes of his
comrades. yet always morbldly con-
scious of the difference in his body.
Whisky had been his solace. his sweet
heart. It changed him. raised aud be-
atifed him into the likeness of other
men. and now as he pondered he was
aware OF q consuming thirst engen-
dered by the heat OF his earlier emo
tons. Undoubtedly 1t must be quench-
ed
He rose and stole quietly out into the
big front room. Perhaps the years Of
free life in the open had bred sus.
picion of walls: perhaps he felt his
conduct would not brook discovery:
perhaps habit prompted him to take
the two heavy Colts from their holsters
and thrust them inside his trousers
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