Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-08
The Lone
Star Ranger,
a Romance Of the Border
BIZ ZANE GREY


4 pleasure to lie by the west window
and watch Uncle Jim whittle his stick
ana listen to his talk. The old man
was broken now. He told many In
teresting things about people Duane
hal people who had grown up
and married, failed, succeeded, gone
away, ana died. But It was hard to
keep Uncle Jim OF the subject Of
guns, outlaws, fights. He could not
seem to divine how mention Of these
I things hurt Duane. Uncle Jim was
childish now, and he had great pride
1 In his nephew. He wanted to hear
Of all Of Duane's exile. And II there
was one thing more than another that
pleased him 1t was to talk about the
bullets which Duane carried In his
body.
give bullets, ain.t itr' he asked,
for the hundredth time. Five In that
last scrap! BY gumI And you had
six before7''
eyes, uncle" replied Duane.
s"Fiye and six. That makes eleven.
EBy gumi A mans man. to carry
ali that lead. But, Buck, you would
carry more. There's that Niger Ed
wards, right hero In Wellston. He's
rot 4 ton Of bullets In him. Doesn't
seem 10 mind them none. And there's
Cole miller. I've seen him. Been q
bad man in his -ay. They say he
packs twenty.thret bullets. But he's
bigger than you-got more flesh. J.
Funny, wasn't It Buck, about the
aoctor only bein' able to cut one bullet
but OF you-the one In your breast
bone? It was forty-one calibsr, an
Unusual cartridge. saw it. and I
vanted 1t, but Miss Longstreth
.c.!an,t mart with 1t. Buck. there
vas . bullet left In one Of Poggin's
uns, and that bullet was the same
lind rs the one cut out Of You. By
Jun! Boy, it d have killed You II
a stayed there"
ut would indeed, uncle" replied
Suane, and the old, haunting, somber
hood returned.
But Duane was not often at the
Mercy OF childish old hero-w0rshiping
Uncle Jim. Miss Longstreth was the
nly person who seemed to divine
kuane's gloomy mood, and when she
has with him she warded of all sug-
Iestion. !.
One afteF1ooo while she was there
Il the west window, q message came
Or him. They read It together.
Nfou have saved the ranger service TO
lone Star State. ,,..,,.,,.. Il
Ray knelt beside him 1t the window,
Ind he believed she meant to speak
Then Of the thing they had summed.
Her face was still white, but sweeter
now. warm with rich life beneath the
marble = and her dark eyes were still
Intent, stilf haunted BY shadows but
no longer tragic.
arm glad for MacNelly's sake %
vel as the states" said Duane.
She made no reply to that and
seemed to be thinking deeply. Duane
fshrank little.
.sThe paints 1t any worse today Z"
she asked, instantly. s..
.No; it's the same. It will always
be the same. I'm full Of lead, you
know. But don't mind q little pain"
ssThen it's the old mood-the
fear?'' she whispered. ''Tell me-"
n .Yes. It haunts me. I'll be wen
soon-able to 60 out. Then that
!. that hell will come back r.
..So, no!v she said with emotion.
..Some drunken cowboy, some fool
with gun, will hunt me out in every
town, wherever CO." he, went on,
miserably. 'Buck Duanei TO kill
Buck Duaner
AHush Don't speak 30. Listen.
Ton remember that day In Val Verde,
when / came to you pleaded with you
not to meet Poggin7 oh, that was 4
terrible hour. for me. But It showed
me the truth, I saw the struggle be-
tween your passion to kill and your
hove for me. Iscould have saved you
then had / known what. I know now.
Now I understand that that thing
which haunts you. But you'll never
have to kill another man, thank God r.
Like d.cgning man he would have
krasped at straws. but he could not
voice his passionate query.
she put tender arms round his neck.
ssBecause you'll have me with you al
waysi's, she replied. Because always
shall be between you and that
HAT terrible thing. = s Il +,
II seemed with the spoken thought
absolute assurance Of her power came
WI III. Duane realized instantly that
fe was ID the arms Of stronger
woman than she who had pleaded
him that fatal day.
We1l-we,ll be married and leave
Texas, : she said, softly, with the red
blood rising rich and dark in her
rheeks. %
Ray n sT 53 81 II
sHes We will, though you're laggard
Il askink me. sir" "
ssBut, dearsuppose," he replied.
n1Eily, suppose there might be--be
hisdren boy. 4 boy with his
pray God there will be. do
ot Tear what you fear. But even so----.
s,il be hAH my Blood
Duane felt the storm rise and break
him. And his terror was that Of
81 quelling fear. The shining glory
love ID this woman's eyes made him
~ as I child. How could she
~ him how could she 80 bravely
ee 4 future with him? Yet she held
II n her arms, twining her hands
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