Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-05-24
@ NAN 81 9
MUSIC MOUNTAIN
By FfdnkH. SDedrmaD
Author Of Whispering Smith, ..,...,


my houser he cried, launching n
vicious epithet with the words.
"This isn't your house." retorted De
Spain angrily. This house is Mans,
not yours. When she orders me out,
I'll go. Bring her down." he thun-
dered, raising his voice to shut Off
Duke, who had redoubled his abuse.
Bring her into this ROOM" he re-
peated. "We'll see whether she wants
to get married. If she does, I'll marry
her. If she doesn't, and you've been
putting this up to force her into marry
ing, so help me God, you'll be carried
out of this room tonight, or / will"
He whlrled on her uncle with an accus-
ing finger. "You used to be a man,
Duke. I've taken from you here to-
night what I would take from no man
on earth but for the sake of Nan Nor
gan. She asked me never to touch you
But If you've gone into this thing to
trap your own flesh and blood, your
dead brothers girl, living under your
own protection, you don't deserve
mercy, and tonight you shall have
what's coming to you. I've fought you
both fair, too fair. Now-befOre l
leave-it's my girl or both of you"
He was standing near Druel. With
out taking his eyes off the other man,
he caught Druel with his left hand by
the coat collar, and threw him half
way across the room. "Get upstairs,
you old carrion, and tell Nan Morgan
Henry de Spain is here to talk TO her"
Druel, frightened to death, scrambled
into the hall. He turned on De Spain.
I'm an officer of the law. / arrest
you for trespass and assault" he
shouted, shaking with fear.
ARREST me-" echoed De Spain con-
temptuously. "You scoundrel, if you
don't climb those stairs, I'll send you
to the penitentiary the day get back
to town. Upstairs with your message !"
at isn't necessary" said low voice
in the hail. and with the words Nan
appeared in the open doorway. Her
face was white, but there was no sign
of haste or panic in it; De Spain
choked back breath; to him she had
never looked in her silence so awe
inspiring.
He addressed her, holding his left
hand out with his plea. "Nan," he
said, controlling his voice, "these men
were getting ready to marry you to
Gale Morgan. No matter how you feel
toward me, you know me well enough
to know that all / want is the truth |:
Was this with your consent?"
She stepped into the line of fire be-
tween her cousin and De Spain as she
answered: mo. You know 1 shall
never marry any man but you. This
vile bully''-she turned a little to look
at her angry cousin-"has influenced
Uncle Duke-who never before tried
to prosecute or betray me-into joining
him in this thing. They never could
have dragged me into it alive. And
they've kept me locked up for three
days in a room upstairs, hoping to
break me down."
stand back, Man."
If De SPANS words of warning
struck her with terror of situation
she could not control, she did not re-
veal it. NO." she said resolutely. 'If
anybody here is to be shot, I'll be first.
Uncle Duke, you have always protect.
ed me from Gale Morgan; now you join
hands with him. You drive me from
this roof because don't know how
can protect myself under it,"
Gale looked steadily at her. "You
promised to marry me-" he muttered
truculently. 'Ill find q way to make
you keep your word"
A loud knocking interrupted him
and, without waiting to be admitted
Pardaloe, the cowboy, opened the front
door and stalked boldly In from the
hall.
If the situation in the room surprised
him, he gave no evidence of it. Ant
MS he walked in Nan disappeared. Par
daloe was drenched with rain, and, tax
Ing off his hat as he crossed the room
to the fire, he shook il hard into the
blazing wood.
"What do you want, Pardaloe?'
snapped Duke.
Pardaloe shook his hat once NOR,
and turned few steps so that he stool
between the uncurtained window ant
the light. 'The creeks up" he sait
to Duke in his peculiarly slow, stead.
tone. "Some of Salts boys are tryini
to get the cattle out of the lower cor
raj" he fingered his hat, looked frs
at Duke, then at Gale, then at d
Spain. "Guess they'll need a littl
help, so / asked Sassoon to com
over" Pardaloe jerked his head In
dlcatively toward the front. Hes out
side with some of the boys now"
, "Tell Sassoon to come in here
Numbered Gale.
De SPANS left arm shot out. "Hol
!. on, Pardaloe; pull down that curtai
, behind your
: "Don't touch that curtain, Pardt
. loe" shouted Gale Morgan.
"Pardaioe," said De Spain, his lei