The Pulaskian., 1921-01-06
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 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 con- fort and courage to an extremely mor- tified young lady, he had found her filled 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 con- 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 a 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 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 a fool of him, all right, and he turned and strode 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 MeCarthy'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.
 "H-l, Red if here ain't 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.
 q don't hold that to be any of your business" he replied coldly.
 "Well, by thunder, it is, just the int h out no warrant, an yer playin' us fer a parcel of fools. Fer one, I don't stand fer it. It was a put-up job. You an her are in cahoots for that money. She didn't never look at one O us. Your pretendin' to be sur prised was too darn thin. H-li bet yer just come over from bein' with her an laughin at us-yer d-n. skunk P
 Shelby's face hardened and his teeth set grimly.
 Don't go too far Cowan," he warm ed sternly. q got some reputation as a fghtin' man myself an 1 don't take everything peaeeably. Now, listen to nae, you drunken brute, and keep a civil tongue in your head. have seen the girl, but we didn't talk none about marriage and, what's more, wouldn't touch that money, not cent of 1t, even if I was to marry her-she ain't that kind, ner I ain't.'
 "Gosh, you must think I'm sucker, Tom Shelby. What the h-l you got to git married on? I'll bet yer never seed two thousand before in all your life Tell that to the marines-there ain't nobody goin to marry her ex- cept for the cash"
 "What do you mean?"
 'Why, she's homely as hedge fence. Red was just sayin that if she'd picked him, he'd have jumped the re- servation, money or no money. Yer can't string mel"
 "You say she's homely?"
 1T sure do, an as damn mean as she looks, 1 reckon"
 Shelby's face was like flint and his right fist crashed square into Cowan's sneering lips. The fellow went top bling over and before he even knew what had happened the ranchman was upon him, holding him flat to the earth and pommeling with both hands. It was soon over with, Shelby giving his opponent no chanceto break away, interspersing his blows with a frank expression of feelin0