The Raymer enterprise., 1921-05-05
CHAPTER ~.
The Proposal.


The Proposal.
He stared back at the closed door.
still dazed but capable Of swearing at
himself for being such q blame fool.
He felt vague suspicion that he had
acted foollshly 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
tined young lady, be had found her
filled with merriment over the affair
and quite Indifferent a. to its outcome.
She was different from anything he
had previously conceived. He had
confidently expected to encounter q "a.
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 concsived. She had been
smiling and self-possessed, mocking
him with her good humor and treating
the whole affair a. q Joke. he was
the victim. rather than she, evidently,
In her estimation and he had actually
felt like a nav 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. Ea saw again the
picture Of her, sitting there facing him.
her eyes meeting him frankly. Yss,
she had made a fool Of him. al right,
and he turned and strobe up ths path,
oblivious to oil else but his gieomy
thoughts.
There were numerous pseple 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 be ugly and insult
ing. The first stared into his face
with q sneer.
H, Red II 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.
~ don't hold that to be any Of your
business" he replied coldly.
"Well. by thunder. 1t is. just the
same. You butted into this game with
out no warrant. an yer playin' rs
fer a parcel Of fools. Fer one. !
don't stand fer 1t. II was a put-up
job. You an her are In cahoots for
that money. She didn't never look at
one o. US. Your pretendln' to be sur
prlsed was too darn thin. Hi bet
yer Just come over from bein' with her
an laughIn' at us-yer d-n skunk |"
Shelby's face hardened and his teeth
set grimly.
Don't 60 too far. Cowan." he warn.
ed sternly. II got some reputation as
a fghtin' man myself an I 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, I wouldn't
touch that money, not a cent Of II,
even II was to marry her-she amt
that kind. ner ! amt
Gosh. you must think I'm q sucker,
Tom Shelby. What the HI you got
to GIT married ONT 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 meanr
"Why. sneB nOmely as hedge fence.
Red was Just sayin' that II she'd q
picked him. he'd have Jumped the re-
servation, money or no money. Yer
can't string mel"
"You say she's homelyr
n sure do. an 40 damn mean a. she
looks, l reckon"
Shelby's face was like nint and bis
right flst crashed square into Cowan's
sneering lips. The fellow went top
plins over and before be even knew
what had happened the ranchman was
upon him, holding him dat to the
earth and pommeling with both hands.
II was soon over with. Shelby giving
his opponent no chance to break away,
interspersing his blows with Z thank