The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-05-30
When He Opened His Eyes Later, II,
Found Food and Drink Near.

Found Food and Drink Near.
hear OF it. He looked ut her horse and
'rofesSed to be shocked. He told her
she had ridden hard. urged her to dis
mount, and sent her pony liz to be
rubbed. While her horse was cared
for. McAlpin asked, in his harmless
Scotch way, about Gale.
Concerning Gale. Nan was noncom-
initial. Blu she listened with interest,
more or less yelled. to whatever run
ming comment McAlpin had to offer
concerning the C~alabasas fight. "And
l was sorry to see Gale mixed up In it,
he concluded, in his effort to draw Nan
out, sorry. And Sorrier TO think of
Henry de Spain getting killed that
way. Some say" he suggested, look
ing significantly toward the door Of
the barn, and significantly away again,
that Henry went down there to pick a
fight with the boys. But" he asserted
graphically, 81 happen to know that
wasn't So"
Then what did he 90 down there
VI wan lutlS uuutly, Dul
not warily.
McAlpin, the situation now in hand,
took his time to 1t. He leaned forward
in a manner calculated to invite conf
dence without giving offense. Miss
Nan" said he simply, Henry de Spain
was here, with me, sitting right there
where you are sitting, in that chair,
not fifteen minutes before that fight
began. | told you he never went down
there to fight. Do you want the proof?
I'll tell you'll wouldn't want anybody
else to know-will you keep it,"
Nan seemed Indifferent. "Girls are
Rot supposed to keep secrets" she said
~obstinately.
Her narrator was not to be baked.
He pointed to the coat.rack on the
wall In front Of them both. There Is
Henry de SPANS coat. He hung it
there just before he went down to the
inn. Under it, If you look, you'll find
his belt Of cartridges. Don't take m
word-look for yourself"
Giving this information time to sink
in. McAlpin continued. Mans eyes had
turned, despite her Indifference, to the
coat; but she was thinking more in
tently about the belt which McAlpin
asserted hung under 1t. "You want to
know what he did go down to the hotel
for that afternoon? l happen to know
that, too" averred McAlpin, sitting
down, but respectfully, on the edge of
Tho chair sSENrCt Z xynrt % co.., ALi~. r
worked for your Uncle Duke FIVE
years"
He paused to give Nan q chance to
dispute the statement If she so desired.
Then. taking her despairing silence as
an Endorsement Of his position In CIV
Ing her a confidence, he went on:
Henry de Spain Is dead" he said quiz
city. She eyed him without so much
as winking. II wouldn't tell 1t, IL he
wasn't. The boys dead. And he was
always talking about you. It's Gods
truth, and since he's dead 1t harms no
one TO tell 1t to you, though I'd never
breathe II to another. He was fairly
gone on you.
You don't have to knock me down,
Miss Nan, TO put me wise about Il
mans being keen on a girl. I'm a mar
ried man." declared McAlpin with
modest pride. "He thought all the
time he was fooling me, and keeping
covered. Now. that afternoon he came
In here kind Of moody. 1t was an an
niversary for him, and q hard one-the
day his father was shot from am
bush-a good many years ago, but
nary n Of us had forgot it. Then
he happened to see your pony-this
same pony you're riding today-a-
standing back there In the box-stall.
He asked me whose 1t was; and he
size me about you, and, by ink! the
way he perked up when l told him
you were coming In on the stage that
afternoon! When he heard you'd been
sick. he was for going down to the
hotel TO get a cup Of coffee-eor I"
MeAipin, like any good stOry-teller,
was already IN his feet again. HE
did it," he exclaimed. "and you know
what he got when he stepped into the
barroom." He took hold of De SPANS
coat and held II aside to enter his
exhibit. There" he concluded. us
his cambridge belt, hanging there vet.
The boy Is dead-why shouldn't I tell
your"
Nan rode home much more excited,
more bewildered than when she had
ridden over. Strangest shock Of all
that this man Of all other men should
profess to care for her. She had
shown anger when McAlpin dared
speak Of 1t; 1T least. she thought she
had. And she still did not know how
sufficiently TO resent the thought OF
such audsctty On De Spain's. part.