The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-10-12
CHAPTER XIII.
a Girl Like Her.

SRsJ the open door of his own
lighted shack and stopped for a mo
ment to gaze In at the two men, whose
faces were touched by the glow Of the
lamp ON the table. There had been
more than one moment in those forty.
eight hours which had elapsed since he
had lifted that black robed. inert Hg.
ure from the floor I'm which Steve had
wondered whether Garry Devereau
would even await his return to Thirty
Mile
Save for a short and casual See you
I'm the morning" stephen o'Mara turn.
ed without a word that night to leave
the Improvised sleeping quarters in the
storehouse shack.
lie looked at Garry nodding drowsily
on bunk and then ut Fat Joe seated
near him. Their eyes held for a mo-
ment before Steve turned again toward
the door And perhaps his manner
was little too unconcerned that even.
ing. little too carefully careless. for
almost before he had lifted the latch
Fat Joe stepped forward one quick.
protesting step and then stopped on
second thought
"You amt goin' - he began. and
suffered that spoken protest also TO re-
main uncompleted.
Its not late" Steve's voice was
thoughtful. Its not late, but it's sure
ly very quiet" lie stood gazing out
into the gloom. Maybe I'D best run
down and see what ais our visitor Of
the other night Somehow the more
I've thought about II the more I've
come TO fear that he IN temperamental.
Joe. too temperamental for such u
wearing proposition as this one is like
ly 20 be. And you haven't slept much
since I've been gone. oh. that was
easy. Just from your eyes! So you'd
better turn In. I'll Just stroll down and
let them know that I'm back home"
IL Is odd how much OF finality there
can be In the quietest OF statements.
Eyes narrowed. Joe stood In the middle
OF the floor and watched him depart
without further objection. But the
moment the blackness had swallowed
him up he backed TO the bunk. FUN
bled for a gun which Steve had tossed
upon the blankets and followed out
Into the dark.
Stephen O'Mara stood a long time
outside the door of the workmen's
bunkho that night. fingers upon the
latch, before he made any move to
enter. but neither n wish to caves
drop nor a desire TO frame experiment
tally the words he meant to speak was
the reason behind that pause. II was
In itself new thing TO find the long.
low building lighted at that hour, even
though, as he had himself put II to
Joe an instant before. IL was hours
from being late. That night the al
most absolute silence beyond the closed
door was an even more unusual state
OF affairs. The voice OF one man only
was audible, the words he spoke In.
distinguishable altogether. But sud
den bursts OF laughter, punctuating the
recital which he could not clearly fol
low. were indication enough to the
man outside OF what manner OF tale
was holding the ears Of that roomful
OF rivermen. stephen O'Mara. who
had long ceased TO wonder at the dis
covery In them OF new and impulsive
finenesses which bordered close upon
inherent nobility. knew fully as well
how utterably and unspeakably gross
could be the premeditated coarseness
OF those same men.
There was no movement TO mark his
/entrance when he finally pressed the
latch and swung the door open. not
SO much as a single glance TO indicate
that his presence was noted. Under
the yellow light Of pickering oil lamps
the eyes OF all those scores OF gaudy
shirted figures lounging against the
walls We're fixed eagerly upon the face
OF him who held the middle OF their
stage-hlm who talked from where he
half lay, propped ON one elbow, I'm his
bunk at the end OF the room. Harri-
gan, red shirted. red headed, was
lounging at ease. waiting for the last
gurgle OF appreciation to subslde be
fore he gave them the close OF the
story, the last titbit. the SAVIOR OF
which already had set him noisily TO
licking his lips. And I'm the doorway
Steve, rigid OF a sudden, sensed what
that climax was 10 be.
"Her Ramsay inslde"-the droning-
ly indistinguishabl words were very
plain now--"her ramsay inside. con
soomed with pride and anticipation.
tellln' all who had come 10 dance that
she had promised TO be his FOREVER
more. And her at that same minute
outside with him, and both av thim'-
IIarrigan did not hurry II In the tell
Ing And II his portrayal OF Archi-
bald Wickersham was Enthusiastically
deliberate, neither did he fail for want
OF sufficient detail 10 make the other
picture clear. Wiley he gave them the
complete imagery OF his vile brain.
A shout went up. a louder. hoarser
oulcry Of applause which rocked the