The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-07-24

! would not he in vain.
The miner waited leaning against
| the desk. TimmOnS came down the
| stairs, eager to ask questions.
Lady friend O. yours. Jim?" he
asked. IF I'd a knowed she wuS
| comm I'd a saved better room"
81 have never seen her until tonight,
| Pete. She got of the train and Car
son asked me To escort her uptown-it
was dark, you know"
what do you suppose she's come
| yere for?"
Not the slightest idea; take it
that's her business"
Sure; bur a Teller can't help won
! derin', can he? Donovan" he muSed,
peering AT the name; that's Irish, l
take it-hey?"
"SUspiciously so; you are some de-
tective, Pete. I'll give you another
clue-her eyes are Irish gray"
He sauntered across To tie stove,
and stood looking idly ut the card
players. blue wreaths of tobacco smoke
circIing up from the bowl Of his pipe.
/
ting in babel of noise, and walked
heavily across the Office floor. West
colt turned about to observe the new
conner. He was hurly, red-faced
man. who had evidently been drinking
heavily, yet was not greatly under the
influence of liquor, dressed in Il
checked suit of good cut and fashion,
but hardly in the best of taste. He
bore all the earmarkS of II CONNER
ciaI traveller of certain SOrt-a dOmi-
neering personality, making up by
sheer nerve what he might lack in
brains. But for his words the miner
would have given the fellow no further
thought.
"Say, TimmOnS," he burst forth
noiSily. and striding over to the desk,
"the marshal tells me Il dame blew in
from New York tOnight-is she regis
tered here?"
The landlord slowed the book for
ward. with one finger on the last sig
nature.
yep" he said shortly. "but she amt
the one you WIZ lookin' for-I asked
her that, furst thing"
"Stella DonOvan-huh! That's no
name ever l heard; what's she look
like? Dark or lightE
"WaaI, sOrter medium, | should say /;
/ brown hair with a bit o red in it. an
, a pair O. gray e!~s full of fun-some
, girl. to my notion"
\ or. hic fSt th a
wood sharply.
well. what the devil do you sup
pose such woman has come to this
! hole clear from New York for, Tim
mons? What's her game, anyhow"
BLESSED if I know" and the pro
T prietor seated himself on high stool,
81 didn't ask no questions like that ;
maybe the gent by the stove there
2 might give yer all the information yer
I want. He brought her up from the de-
] boo. an kin talk English. Say. jim
4 this we're is a shOrthOrn frum New
: York. named BeatOn. an he seems ter
he powerfully interested in skirts
y Beaton. Mr.. Jim WestcOtt."
Il The two men looked at each other
: the miner stepping slightly forward
and knocking the ashes out of his
pipe. Beaton laughed, assuming a
y semblance of good nature.
"AIy questions were prompted sole
" by curiosity" he explained. evi
IDENTIFY not wholly at ease. Il was eX
pectng a young woman, and though
this new arrival might prove to be m!
friend"
l. Hardly" returned .Westcott dryly
AS the landlord informed you, Miss
= Donovan is lady"
If he expected this shot to take eff
. feet he was disappointed, for the grin
never left Beaton's face.
"Ah, a good joke a very good joke
: indeed. But you misunderstood; this
is altogether a business matter. This
young woman whom ! expect is com
ing here on a mining dealt is not L
love affair at all, | assure you"
II thought possibly you might care
to question me regarding my acquaint
ance with the young wOmanT West
colt went on, his voice hardening
slightly. IF so, l have not the slight
est objection to telling you that it con
sists entirely of acting as her escor
from the station TO the hotel. do nOt
know why she is here, how long she
intends staying. or what her purpose
: may be- Indeed. there is only one fac
= do know which may be of interest Il
you"
Beaten, surprfsed by the language
of the other. remained silent. his face
:, turning purple. as a suspicion came Il
him that he was being made fool of
y, 1T is this, my friend-whc she is
= what she is. and why she happens t
: be here, is none of your d-n busi
ness. and if you so much as mentor
, her name again in my presence you
are going to regret it TO your dying
, day. That's ALL"
a Beaton, CHANGING about at the uplift
a ed faces of the card players. chose t.
assume an air OF indifference, whict
scarcely accorded with the anger il
r his eyes.
!, "Ah. come now" he blurted forth, :"
; didn't mean anything; there's no harm
= done-let's have drink, and b.
!. friends"
Westcott shook his head.
NO. I think not" he said slowly