The Ozark spectator., 1917-03-07

fringe of onlookers that filled the sidewalk. But he was thinking as he stood, not of the boisterous dancing or the clumsy dancers, but of the broken lever and the defeat at the fairgrounds. It 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-foor, 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 Spain's 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 was, looked with unconcealed interest 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, re1ecting in their unrest the dissatisfied expression of her face. A talkative woman standing just in front of De Spain, told a companion that the man was Gale Morgan, a nephew of Satterlee. laZiest 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 dumped the strains of q two-step. Gale Morgan extended his arm toward Nan; she looked very slight at his side. Then, responding with 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 quickened pulses, gave herself up more and more to the lively call of the music.
 Once the two swung away out, near to De Spain's 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 gun. It was only now he forgave her. unaslied, 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 rougher party crowded out on the floor.
 "Now, isn't that pretty bunch '" exclaimed the talkative woman again. That's the CaIabasas 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. boozlng old Bull Page, and that squint-eyed Sas- soop-he's worse than the others. that fellow-a fine bunch to allow in this town."
 It 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 tan shirt and khaki. San dusky, coatless was dressed in a white shirt, with q red tie. and wore Il soiled. figured wastcoat fastened at the bot tom by cut-glass button.
 The Sleepy Cat gossip commented on how much money these men had been spending all day. She wondered aloud. l reckless apparently of consequences, who had been robbed, lately. to pro vide it. Her companion scolded her for stirring up talk that might make trouble; averred she didn't believe half the stories she heard; asserted that these men lived quietly at Gala ! basas, minding their own affairs. And they're kind to poor folks, too" Sure"