Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-11-25
CHAPTER ".
The Proposal.

The Proposal.
He stared back at the closed door,
still dazed but capable of swearing at
himself for being such a blame fool
He felt a vague suspicion that he had
acted foolishly and that the girl was
amused at his awkward embarrass-
ment. The interview had proven al
togther different from what he had
anticipated; the tears he had come to
wipe away were conspicuous by their
absence, and instead of bringing COM
fort and courage to an extremely NOR
tilted young lady, he had found her
filed with merriment over the affair
and quite Indifferent as to It's outcome.
She was different from anything he
had previously conceived. He had
confidently expected to encounter RAJ
Their ordinary young woman of the com
monplace frontier type-the kind he
had known for years.
She had proven herself nothing like
what he had conceived. She had been
smiling and self-poSsessed, hooking
hin Will ICl SOOu oNhA ~
the whole affair as a joke. He was
the victim, rather than she, evidently,
in her estimation and he had aetuallf
felt like a raw boy in her presenqd
unable to think of word to sayter.
what to, do with either hands or fdd-s
How Immediately clean she was y d
ready of speech. He saw aga! .ysFeH
picture OF her, sitting there facinnf go
her eyes meeting him frankIg tel
she had made fool of him, ait led
and he turned and strobe up thests to-
obllvious to all else but his glo0he
thoughts. "a
There were numerous people on IT, }
main street although the principal
groups we're before the dance hall and
McCarthy's saloon. Shelby stopped In
the glare of the former to consider
what he had better do, his mind vibrat-
ing between Joining the others at the
bar or seeking his bed at the hotel.
He was still undecided when two men
suddenly bumped into him and he rec
ognized Cowan and RED" Kelly, both
drunk enough to be ugly and insult
ing. The first stared into his face
with a sheer.
HI, Red If here amt the bride
groom" he exclaimed insOlently. SAY,
where you been all this timer"
Shelby drew back slightly, but held
his temper, his brain instantly clearing.
81 don't hold that to be any OF your
business" he replied coldly.
"Well, by thunder, it is, just the
same. You butted into this game with
out no warrant, an yer playin' us
fer a parcel of fools. Fer one,
don't stand fer It, 1t was a put-up
lob. You an her are in cahoots for
that money. She didn't never look at
one o. US. Your pretendin' to be sur
nrised was too darn thin. HI! bet
yer Just come over from bein' with her
an laughin' at us-yer d--n skunk 7
Shelby's face hardened and his teeth
set grimly.
"Don't go too far Cowan," he warn
ed sternly. II got some reputation as
a fightin' man myself an l don't take
everything peaceably. Now, listen to
me- you drunken brute, and keep
civil tongue in your head. have seen
the girl but we didn't talk none about
marriage and, what's more, l wouldn't
touch that money, not a cent or IL,
even If was to marry her-she amt
that kind, ner | amt
"Gosh. you must think I'm sucker,
Tom Shelby. What the HI you got
70 git married on? I'll bet yer never
seed two thousand before In all your
life Tell that to the marines-there
amt nobody goin' to marry her ex-
cept for the cash."
"What do you meang
'Why, she's homely as hedge fence.
Red was just sayin' that If she'd a
picked him, he'd have jumped the re-
servation, money or no money. Yer
can't string mel"
you say she's homely"
'T sure do, an as damn mean as she
looks, reckon"
Shelby's face was like flint and his
right fist crashed square into Cowan's
sneering lips. The fellow went top
pling over and before he even knew
what had happened the ranchman was
upon him, holding him fiat to the
earth and pommeling with both hands.
1t was soon over with, Shelby giving
his opponent no chance to break away,
intersperslng his blows with frank
expression Of feeling.