Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-03-16


lever and the defeat at the fairgrounds.
1t still ranked in his mind. While he
stood thinking the music ceased.
A man, who appeared to be in au-
thority, walked to the center of the
dancing-f1oor made an announcement
that De Spain failed to catch, and
looked toward a young couple stand
ing in an attitude of waiting at the
head of the hall.
All eyes being turned their way, De
SPANS attention as well was drawn
toward them. The man was powerful
In stature, and rather too heavy, but
straight as an Indian. His small, red
dish face was tanned by the sun and
wind, and from the handsome hat down
to the small, high-heeled and Spurred
boots, he wore the distinctive cowboy
rig Of the mountains. De Spain
seemed to recall that this particular
fellow had crowed the loudest when
he himself forfeited the shooting-match
earlier in the day.
But De Spain, unamiable as he now
at the mans dancing partner. She,
too, was Drowned by the mountain sun
and air-a slight, erect girl, her head
well set, and delicate waistline above
belted, brown skirt, which just
reached the tops of her small, high
tan riding boots. She wore soft,
French-gray Stetson hat. Her eyes,
noticeably pretty, wandered about the
platform, rejecting in their unrest the
dissatisfied expression of her face. A
laxative woman standing just in front
of De Spain, told companion that the
man was Gale Morgan, nephew of
Satterlee, LATEST of the Morgans. De
Spain at once recognized in the dane
ing partner the little Music Mountain
girl who had been his undoing at the
target.
The energetic piano thumped the
strains of a two-step. Gale Morgan
extended his arm toward Nan; she
looked very slight at his side. Then,
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
quickened 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-oblivious of his
presence-and he recalled how in the
morning she had handled her rifle 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 a
gun. 1t 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.
ly, instead of boorishly as he had done
at the match.
But while he thought of this the two
dancers disappeared, and a new and
J rougher party crowded out on the floor
"Now, isn't that a pretty bunch =
exclaimed the laxative woman again
That's the Calabasas gang. Look al
Sandusky, that big fellow, with the
crooked jaw. And Harvey Logan, witt
his black hair plastered over his eyes
Why, for one drink those two fellows
would turn loose on this crowd and xii
half dozen. And there's two of Duke
Morgan's cowboys with them, boozins
old Bull Page, and that squint-eyed Sas
soon-he's worse than the others, tina
fellow-a fine bunch to allow in thi!
u town."
r 1t had become second nature to D,
4 Spain to note even insignificant de
y tails concerning men, and he took al
+. interest in and remarked how very low
q Logan carried his gun In front Of hi
hip. Sandusky's holster was stun,
n higher and farther back on the side
q Logan wore tan shirt and khaki San
6 dusky, coatless, was dressed in a whit
Il shirt, with a red tie, and wore a soiled
q figured waistcoat fastened at the bot
o tom by cut-glass button.
h The Sleepy Cat gossip commented OF
n how much money these men had beef
e spending all day. She wondered aloud
= reckless apparently Of consequences
who had been robbed, lately, to pro
vide it. Her companion scolded he
for stirring up talk that might max
trouble; averred she didn't believ
half the stories she heard; asserte,
g that these men lived quietly at Gala
@ basas, minding their own affairs. IAN,
n they're kind to poor folks, too" Sure