The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-11-19
CHAPTER ~.
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 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
titled young lady, he had found her
filed with merriment over the affair
and quite Indifferent as TO its outcome.
She was different from anything he
had previously conceived. He had
confidently expected to encounter a ra-
ther 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, mocking
him with her good humor and treating
the whole affair as joke. He was
the victim, rather than she, evidently.
in her estimation; and he had actually
felt like a raw boy in her presence,
unable to think of a word to say or
what to do with either hands or feet.
How Immediately clean she was and
ready of speech, He saw again the
picture of her, sitting there facing him.
her eyes meeting him frankly. Yes.
she had made fool of him, all right.
and he turned and strobe up the path,
oblivious to all else but his gloomy
thoughts.
There were numerous people on the
main street, although the principal
groups were 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 he ugly and insult
ing. The first stared into his face
with a Sneer.
HI, Red If here amt the bride
groom" he exclaimed insOlently. "Say.
where you been all this rime?"
Shelby drew hack slightly. but held
his temper. his brain instantly clearing,
81 don't hold that to he any of your
business" he replied CoiClly.
We'll, by thunder. it is. lust the
same. You hutted into this game with
out no warrant, an yer playin' us
fer parcel of fools. Fer one.
don't stand fer it. 1t was put-up
job. You an her are in cahoots for
that money, She didn't never LOOK AZ
one g us, Your pretendin' 70 he sur
priSed was too darn thin. ii! bet
yer just come over from helm with her
an laughin' at us--yer d--n skunk! '"
Shelby's face hardened and his teeth
set grimly,
Don't so too far, Cowau," he warn
ed Sternly, Il got some reputation as
fightiR' man myself an don't take
everything peaceahly, Now. listen 70
me, you drunken brute, and keen a
civil tongue In your head. I have seen
the girl, hut we didn't talk none ahopr
marriage and, what's more, I woubln't
touch that money, not cent of IT,
even If I was To marry her-she amt
that kind, ner amt
Gosh, you must think I'm a sucker
Tom Shelby. What the HI Won ror
to git married on? IN het yer never
seed rwo thousand before in all vour
life Tell that 10 the mariRes-there
amt nobody goin' to marry her ex-
cer't for the cash"
What do you meanT"
Why, she's homely as a hedge fence.
Red was just sayIn' that II she'd a
picked him, he'd have jumped the n.
servation, money or NO money. Yer
can't string mel"
~Yeu say she's homelyy.
Il sure do. an as damn mean as she
looks. I reckon"
Shelhy's face was Ike Clint and his
right fist crashed square into Cowan's
sneering lips, The fellow went TON
pling over and before he even knew
what had happened the ranchman was
upon him. holding him fat 10 the
earth and pommeiing with both hands
1t was soon over with, Shelby giving
his opponent no chance 10 break away.
interspersing his blows with a frank
expression Of feeling.