The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1921-06-30

poser
"Just prospecttn' IKE. Then stAsa
two guys went OF somewhere else. an
- ! had easy sailin'. csulda't get
nsxt the girl At all. reckon che
never left the shack; but got look
at her, an 1t wasn't no trouble to pick
up an Acquaintance With Old Dad. He
was tight-mouthed, though. drunk Of
sober. an finally had to throw the
spill"
you mean you threatened himr
yep! never supposed It would
shake the CUTS out Of him the way It
did. though. The old fool went plum
batty when I told him what knowed.
He thought was after him-a detec-
tive. or something-nn' he Just crum-
bled mp, without maxim NO light at all.
reckon he'd been hidin' her 10 long.
he just naturally got 1t into his nut
he was guilty Of some crime. Enyhow,
the next thing knowed. he'd gone out
back Of the dance hall an shot him
self"
He stopped. shaken BY 4 paroxysm
Of coughing. Shelby held him tightly.
and finally this passed away. the man
resting weakly on his arms. but with
mind evidently wandering.
II used to talk all right" he whis-
pered hoarsely. gaspins for breath.
AN could MARBLE some. too. Say.
did you ever hear me singr'
"Yes. Kid, I've heard you.'
"Sure. you did. Everybody said l
had . wonderful voice Trouble with
me IL never amt had no show. II
could'er got started in opera, I'd
never been out yere getting plugged
by NO Mex woman. It's hell. amt 1T
But. say; where was I. enyhowr'
you Just explained why Calkins
killed himself"
"Oh. yes, that's 1t. Well. O. course
I felt bad about the Oh man. but It
wasn't no fault O. mine. Then 1t
seemed like his shunlin' OF put the
cards right In my hands. 1t sure
proved she was the girl an now she
was left plum alone, 1t didn't look no
awful hard Job for me to shine up an
marry her. before enybody else got
wise. Say, had it all figured out when
you an Dan Mccarthy horned in on
that fool stunt Of yours, an knocked
my game galley.west. Then cottoned
onto that job with you. didn't aim
to stay out there punchin' steers. but
just thought I'd see how things turned
out. sorter figured It this way-the
girl she didn't care nothin' for you;
she just married yer ter get out er
there, an hav' some place ter live; an
maybe, out there on the Cottonwood. I
could make love to her. an some day
we'd skip out together. That's ~ far
a. I went at furst, an goin' out over
them prairies, got It into my head
that she didn't have no objection to
little Irritation. I was feelin' quite
foxy about II when We got to the
,Eansh."
The lashes drooped low over Olga's
eyes. and her cheeks burned.
"Then I reckon the devil must er
took charge O. the game, fer the min
ute was left alone out there run
into q bunch o Indian cattle thieves.
I knew two Of EN- for they were out
Of the Hole here, an all At onct, 1t
struck me I might Just a. well have
the job over with. took It she didn't
care about you. an that little strong
arm stuff would pan out all right. 1t
works with most women. didn't
have no notion then Of humping You
on. Shelby. but the buck who took that
Job cracked you good an hard. Well.
that makes the whole story. don't III"
He shut his eyes. his head falling
back in complete exhaustion. Only his
labOred breathing proved that Mack.
lin still lived. Olga held him motion.
less in her lap. bending over and soft
iy smoothing back his hair with one
hand. Shelby left them there. creep
ing out through the entrance onto the
|. rock platform without.
II had ceased snowing. but enough
had fallen to cover the bluff with Q
white mantle. celebrating the trail.
and leaving the valley below covered
The sky arched over all dull and fray.
Shelby hung out over the ledge.
watchfully studying the view out.
spread beneath. II Was . peaceful
scene enough. with scarcely q moving
figure visible. He could hardly real.
ise that this was the haunt Of out.
laws, where only q few hours before
he had bsen desperately struggling for
life. The daylight revealed no sign
Of disorder or pursuit. the only re-
minder Of what had occurred being
the blackened ruins Of the burned
cabin almost directly below. Yet
this was deserted and the SNOW
about appeared untrampled. The
sight gave him hope. yet he felt
strangely depressed and unnerved.
The remembrance Of the scene Just
witnessed could not be cast Oh.
lie had no reason to question the
truth Of that occasion and II had
impressed him strongly. Macklin was
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