The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-05-31

/ Mountain mousse. AT the moment luke
| left the revolving chair and walked to
the cigar stand TO pay his check, De
Spain entered the shop through the
rear door opening from the hotel Office
/ Passing with an easy step the row
of BARRIERS lined up in waiting beside
their chairs, De Spain walked straight
down the open aisle, behind Morgan's
back. While Duke bent over the case
| to select a cigar, De Spain, passing,
1 placed himself at the mountain-man'
1 side and between him and the street
sunshine. 1t was taking an advantage,
/ De Spain was well aware, but under
/ the circumstances he thought himself
entitled to a good light on Dukes eye.
1 De Spain wore an ordinary sack
| street suit, with no sign of a weapon
about him; but none of those who con-
| sidered themselves favored spectators
of a long-awaited encounter felt any
doubt as to his ability to put his hand
on one at incomparably short notice.
| There was, however, no trace of hos
tility or suspicion in De SPANS greet
! ing.
! "Hello, Duke Morgan" he said frank
! ly. Morgan looked around. His face
! hardened when he saw De Spain, and
| he involuntarily took a short step
backward. De Spain, with his left hand
lying carelessly on the cigar case,
| faced him. 81 heard you wanted to
see me-" continued De Spain. II want
to see you. How's your back since you
went homer
Morgan eyed him with mixture of
suspicion and animosity. He took what
was to him the most significant part of
De SPANS greeting first and threw his
response into words as short as words
could be chopped: "What do you want
to see me about?
Nothing unpleasant, l hope" re-
turned De Spain. Lets sit down a
minute"
Say what you got to say"
"Well, don't take my head off, Duke.
1 was sorry to hear you were hurt. And
I've been trying to figure out how to
make it easier for you to get TO and
from town while you are getting strong.
Jeffries and l both feel there's been
lot of unnecessary hard feeling be-
tween the Morgans and the company
and we want to ask you 10 accept this
to show some of it's ended" De Spain
put his left hand into his side pocket
and held out an unseaIed envelope to
Morgan Duke, taking the envelope.
eyed it distrustfully. whats this?"
he demanded, opening it and drawing
out a card.
Something for easier riding. An
annual pass for you and one over the
stage line between CaIabasas and
Sleepy Cat-with Mr.. Jeffries' compli-
ments."
Like a flash, Morgan tore the card
pass in two and threw it angrily to the
floor. Tell Mr. Jeffries," he ex-
claimed violently, to"
The man that CHANGED at that mo-
ment to be lying in the nearest chair
slid quietly but imperiously out from
under the razor and started with the
BARRIERS for the rear door, wiping the
lather from one unshaven side of his
face with a neck towel as he took his
hasty way. At the back of the
shop Il fat man, sitting in a chair on
the high, shoe-shining platform, while
Il negro boy polished him, rose at Nor
gan's imprecation and tried to step
over the bootblack's head to the floor
below. The boy, trying to get out of the
way, jumped back, and the fat man fell
or pretended to fall, over him-for it
might be seen that the man, despite his
size, had lighted like cat on his feet
and was instantly halfway up TO the
front of the shop. exclaiming profane- |
ly but collectively at the lads awk- |
wardness, before De Spain had had |
time to reply to the insult.
The noise and confusion of the Incl |
dent were considerable. Morgan was |
too old fighter to look behind him at |
critical moment. No man could say |
he had meant to draw when he stamped |
the card underfoot but De Spain read |
it in his eye and knew that Lefever's |
sudden diversion at the rear had made |
him hesitate; the crisis passed like a |
flash. "Sorry you feel that way, Duke"
returned De Spain, undisturbed. at is
a courtesy we were glad to extend. /
And 1 want to speak to you about
Nan, too"
Morgan's face was livid. what
about herr
"She has given me permission to ask
your consent to our marriage" said
De Spain, some time in the reason
able future"
1t was difficult for Duke to speak
Mt all, he was so Infatuated. "You can
get my consent in just one way" he
to say, that's by getting me-"
Then I'm afraid I'll never get it, for
I'll never GET you, Duke"
A torrent of oaths fell from Nor
gans cracked lips. He tried to tell De
Spain in his fury that he knew all
about his underhand work, he called
him more than one hard name, made
20 secret of his deadly enmity, and
him to end their differ
ences then and there.
De Spain did not move. His left
hand again lay on the cigar case. I
Duke" he said, when his antagonist
had exhausted his vituperation. 81
fight you, anyway. You're
crazy angry at me for no reason on
earth. If you'll give me just one good
reason for feeling the way you do to-
ward me, and the way you've always
acted toward me since l came up to
his country, I'll fight you"
Wpull vonr o1ln - cried MORGAN with