Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-03-30

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

ing the horses over and inspecting the
wagons with new but mild curiosity
awakened by Jeffries' proposal, De
Spain walked back toward the station.
He had virtually decided not to take
the job. Medicine Bend was his home.
He knew every man, woman and child
in the town. Before the tragic death
of his father. his mother had lived
iuere, and De Spain had grown up in
the town and gone to school there. He
was railroad man. anyway modest
trainmasrer-and not eager for stage
line management.
AS he passed Grant street again he
encountered a party on horseback
heading for the river bridge. Three
Of the men were riding abreast and
little ahead. or thesA, the middle
horseInan was spare man of frankly
disreputable air. His face was drawn
mp into q one-sided smile. Satt Nor
his stern aspect. At his right rode his
cousin, Duke Morgan, older, shorter
and stouter. His square, heavy iawed.
Smooth-shaven face was lighted by
hard. keen eyes, and finished by an I'M
compromising chin. Duke was the real
head of the clan, of which there We're
numerous branches In the Superstition
mountains. all looking with friendu.
ness or enmity te the Morgans of Nor
gan'S gap.
The yellow-haired man riding on the
left, with n red face and red-lidded
squirting eyes showed none of the
blood of his companions. Rut David
SaSsoon, the Caabasas gambler quon-
dam cowboy, and chronic brawler,
stood in some way close 10 the differ
emf MorganS, aud 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, or
through his resourceful cunning
These men were followed by young
or man riding with very young wom-
an. De Spain knew none of the front
rank men. but he knew we'll Nan Nor
gan and her dancing partner. Gales
face lighted as lac set eyes on De Spain,
and he spoke quickly to Nan: There's
your handsome Medicine Bend gan.
man."
Nan, glancing toward De Spain,
seemed aware that he heard. She
looked away. De Spain frightened up
with rage. The blood rushed TO his
face. the sarcasm struck In. II the
birthmark could have deepened with
humiliation il would have done so at
the instant 90 the cold inspection ot
the girls pretty eyes. Gale. calling
ahead to the others, invited their at
tention TO the man on the street cor
ner. De Spain only stood still, re-
turning their inspection as insolently
as silence could. Each face was faith
fully photographed and flied in his
memory, and his steady gaze followed
them until they rode down the hill and
clattered jauntily out on the swaying
suspension bridge that still crosses the
Rat river at Grant street ard CON
meets the whole south Countrywide
Spanish sinks, the Thief River gold
fields, the saw-toOthed Superstition
range, Morgan's gap, and Music noun
tain with Sleepy Cat and the railroad.
De Spain, walking down Grant
street, watched the party disappear
among the hills across the river. The
encounter had stirred him. He already
hated the Morgans, at least all except
the blue-eyed girl, and she, 1t was not
difficult to divine from her expression.
was, at least, disdalnful of her morn
ing rival.
Reaching the station platform while
still busy with his thoughts, De Spain
encountered Jeffries and Lefever.
"Jeffries. I'll take that Thief River
stage job" announced De Spain bluntly.
whats the reason that fellow
changed his mind?" demanded Jeffries.
when Lefeyer joined him later In his
office.
Don't ask me" frewned Lefever
perplexed. Don't ask me Henry IL
ODD in some ways You can't tell
what's going on inside that fellows
head by looking at the outside OF II"
Jeffries grunted coldly at this bit of
wisdom. III tell you what | should
think--if ! had TO think: Henry de
Spain has never found out rightly who
was responsible for the death of his
father file expects TO do it. some
time and long ago some of these same
Morgans lived on the Peace river above
his fathers ranch"