Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-05-10


Ing partner the little Music Mountain |
girl who had been his undoing at the
target.
The energetic piano thumped the
strains OF a tw0-step. Gale Morgan
extended his arm toward Nan; she
looked very slight ut his side. Then.
responding with q 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 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 n new and
rougher party crowded out on the floor.
Now, isn't that Il pretty bunch! y
exclaimed the laxative woman again.
That's the Calabasas gang. Look ut
~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 a 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. Sandusky's holster was slung
higher and farther back on the side.
!, Logan wore a tan shirt and khaki. San
dusky, coatless, was dressed in n white
shirt, with q red tie, and wore a soiled,
figured waistcoat fastened ut the bot.
tom by a cut-glass button.
The Sleepy Cat gossip commented on
how much money these men had been
: spending all day. She wondered aloud,
reckless apparently of consequences,
r who had been robbed, lately, to pro.
j vide 1t. Her companion scolded her
g for stirring up talk that might make
trouble; averred she didn't believe
e half the stories she. heard; asserted
that these men lived quietly at Gala.
n basas, minding their W affairs. "And
e they're kind to poor folks, too" "Sure'
grimaced the obdurate one, with Other
d peoples money"
De Spain. discontinued, turning
again into Main street, continued on t.
h the Thief River stage barn. After look
n ing the horses over and inspecting tn,
le wagons with a new but mild curiosity
awakened by Jeffries' proposal, d.
Spain walked back toward the station
He had virtually decided not to TAXI
the Job. Medicine Bend was his home
He knew every man, woman and chile
in the town. Before the tragic dealt
le Of his father, his mother had live
ig there, and De Spain had grown up IL
IN the town and gone to school there. II,
sr was n railroad man, anyway modes
ID trainmaster--and not eager for stage
10 line management.
~ AS he passed Grant street again h
IN encountered n party On horsebacl
In heading for the river bridge. Tire
he Of the men were riding abreast and
he little ahead. OF these, the middl
or hors9pan was n spare man Of frankl,
en- disreputable air. His face was draw
Is. up into a 0ne.sided smile. Sat- MOI
gan's smile was habitual and lessene'
his stern aspect. At his right rode hi
u cousin, Duke Morgan, older, shorte
and stouter. His square, heavy-jawet
mt smooth.shnven face was lighted b
nd hnrd, keen eyes, and flushed by an III
d. compromising chin. Duke was the req
he head Of the clan. Of which there WEI
numerous branches In the Superstitio
De mountains, oil looking with frIendl
IN ness or enmity to tho Morgans Of MOI
hi gan's gap.
ut The yellow.haired man riding on til
ID. left, with a red face and red.liddet
nd squirting eyes. showed none Of tn
vn blood Of his companions. But Davi
"a Sasso0n, the Calnbasas gambler. quor
oy dam cowboy, and chronic brawle
lin stood In some way close to the dineI
|os cnt MnrUaus md vvna sonutod n hos