The Mena weekly star., 1917-02-08

responding with sort of fiery im- 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 sine had handled her rife 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 pretty bunchI" 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 SSs- soon-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. a tan shirt and khaki. San dusky, coatless, was dressed In a white shirt, with a red tie. and wore soiIed, figured waistcoat 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, reckless apparently of consequences, who had been robbed, lately, to pro vide 1t. 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" grimaced the obdurate one, with other peoples money"
 De Spain, discontented, turning again into Main street, continued on to the Thief River stage barn. After look ing the horses over and inspecting the wagons with a new but mild curiosity awakened by Jeffrles' 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 there, and De Spain had grown up in the town and gone to school there. He was railroad man, anyway-a modest trainmaster--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 a little ahead. Of these, the middle horseman was spare man of frankly | disreputable air. His face was drawn up Into n one-sided smile. Satt Nor gans smile was habitual and lessened his stern aspect At his right rode his cousin, Duke Morgan, older, shorter and stouter. His square, heavy-jawed, smooth-shaven face was lighted by hard. keen eyes, and finished by an un- compromising chin. Duke was the real head of the clan, of which there were numerous branches In the Superstition mountains. all looking with friendli- ness or enmity to the Morgans of Nor gan's gap.
 The yellow-haired man riding on the left, with red face and red-lidded. squinting eyes, showed none of the blood of his companions. But David Sassoon, the Calabasas gambler, quon- dam cowboy, and chronic brawler, stood in some way close to the differ ent Morgans. and 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 q young CT 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 he set eyes on De Spain, and he spoke quickly to Nan: There's your handsome Medicine Bend gun man."
 A Nan, glancing toward De Spain, I