Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-05

She, Too, Was Drowned by the Noun.
tain Sun and Air.
responding with a sort of fiery i'm
patience to her partners guiding, she
caught the rapid step of the music,
and together the two swept down the
floor. The spectators soon showed
their admiration of the dancing with
unrestrained handclapping, and fol-
lowed with approving Outcries. Every
swaying step, every agile turn proved
how sure Nan was Of herself, and how
perfectly her body answered to every
exaCtiOn Of the quick movement of the
dance. Gale Morgan seemed the mer-
est attendant for his partner, who, with
qufckened pulses, gave herself up more
and more to the lively call of the
music.
Once the two swung away out, near
to De SPANS corner. AS Nan whirled
by, De Spain, either with the infec-
ton of the music or from her near
ness to him, caught his breath His
eyes riVeted themselves on her flushed
face as she passed Obvious of his
presence-and he recalled how in the
morning she had handled her rife in
the same, quick, sure way. De Spain
could not dance at all; but no one
could successfully accuse him of not
knowing how to handle any sort of q
gun. It was only now he fOrgave her,
unasked, the humiliation she had put
on him. He felt an impulse to go UP
to her-nOW that she had stopped
dancing-and congratulate her honest
Iy, instead of boorishIy as he had done
at the match.
But while he thought of this the two
dancers disappeared, and a new and
rougher party crowded out on the floor.
Nov, isn't that a pretty bunch !"
exclaimed the talkative woman again.
That's the CalabaSaS gang. Look at
Sandusky, that big fellow, with the
crooked jaw. And Harvey Logan, with
his black hair plastered over his eyes.
Why, for one drink those two fellows
would turn loose on this crowd and kill
half dozen. And there's two of Duke
MOrgan's cowboys with them, boOzing
old Bull Page, and that sQuint-eyed Sas-
sU...-he's worse than the others, that
fellow-a fine bunch to allow in this
town."
1t had become second nature to De
Spain to note even insignificant de-
tails concerning men, and he took an
| interest in and remarked how very low
Logan carried his gun in front of his
hip. SanduSky'S holster was slung
higher and farther back on the side.
Logan wore q tan shirt and khaki. San
dusky, cOatless, was dressed in a white
shirt, with a red tie, and wore a soiled,
figured waistcOat fastened 1t the bot
tom by d cut-glass button.
The Sleepy Cat gossip commented on
how much money these men had been
spending all day. She wondered aloud,
| reckless apparently of consequences,
who had been robbed, lately, to pro-
| vide it. Her companion scoIded her
| for stirring up talk that might make
! trouble; ayerred she didn't believe
| half the stories she heard; asserted
that these men lived quietly at Gala
they're kind to poor folks, too" Sure"
grimaced the obdurate one, with other
| peoples money"
/ De Spain, disconnected. turning
| again into Main street, continued on to
! the Thief River stage barn. After look
| ing the horses over and inspecting he
| wagons with Il new but mild curiosity,
| awakened ~ Je1ries' PROF osai, De
| Spain walked back toward tie station.
| He had virtually decided It to take
| the job. Medicine Bend was his HON ..
! He knew every man, WOman a1d chi i
! in the town. Before the tragic death
| Of his father, his mother had lived
! there, and De Spain had grown up IN
| the town and gone to school there. Ee
was Il railroad man, anyEay-a modest
! tratnmaster-and not eager for stage
tIne management
AS he passed Grant street again he
encountered a party on horseback
heading for the river bridge. Three
IF the men we're riding abreast and q
little ahead. OF these, TIE middle
| hOrSeman was q spare man of trapE ~
| disreputable air. His face was drawn
up into a one-sided smile. Satt Nor
CAMS smile was habitual and lessennd
his stern aspect. At his right rode lis
cousin. Duke Morgan, older, short et
and stouter. His square, he2vy-jawcd
smOOth-shaven face was lighted by
hard, keen eyes, and finished by an Uu,
compromising chin. Duke was the real
head of the clan, of which there were
numerous branches in the SuperStiti01
mountains, all looking with friendii
ness. or enmity to the Morgans OF Nor
gan's gap.
The yellow-haired man riding on Tx
left, with a red face and red-liddc 4
squirting eyes, showed none Of the
blood of his companions. But David
Sassoon, the Calabasas gambler, quCn
dam cowboy, and chronic brawler
stood in some way close to the differ
: ent Morgans, and was reputed to have
got each of them, at different times
out of more than one troublesome af
fair, either by sheer force Of arms, OF
through his resourceful cunning.
These men We're followed by young