The Benson signal., 1917-07-14

automatic piano. He took his place in
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.
1t still ranked in his mind. While he
stood thinking the music ceased.
A man, who appeared to be in au-
thorlty, walked to the center Of the
dancing-foOr, made an announcement
that De Spain failed to catch, and
looked toward 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-matc
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
a 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
talkative woman standing just in front
of De Spain, told a companion that the
man was Gale Morgan, a 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,
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
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 a
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
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 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-
soon-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. San6usky'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 red tie, and wore a soiled,
figured MaiStcOat fastened Of tho hot