The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-06-09

4
did l mention soft soapT
Il heard some one most killed Jerry
Durand last night" said Annie abrupt
~, staring at Lindsay's bruised face
WAS 1t your
YES" said the Arizonan simply.
did you get the girl?"
They dropped ner to save them.
selves. My friend found her with q
man and took her from him."
Il hope you did up Jerry right y
cried Annie, vindlctIve flash in her
dark eyes.
II haven't called him up this mon
in to see how he's feelln'." said Clay
whimslcally. 'Aliss Annie. we're wor-
ried some about you. Mrs. Muldoon
Is right anxious for us TO get you TO
come and stay awhile with her. She's
honin' to have a III girl to mother.
Don't you reckon you can go?"
IL wish yuh'd come, Annie"
blurted out Tim, looking down his
| nose.
I'm an alley cat you're offerin' to
take In and feed, Tim Muldoon," she
charged suspiciously.
"Yuh're the girl-my mother loves"
He choked on the impulslve avowal he
had almost made and finished the SEN
tence awkwardly.
The girls face softened. Inside,
she was a river Of tenderness flowing
toward the Irishman. "Ill go to your
mother, Tim, If she really wants me-"
she said almost In a murmur.
you're shoutin' now, Miss Annie"
said Clay, smiling. "She sure wants
you. I'll hit the trail to have that talk
with Jim Collins"
He found "Slim" Jim at his stand.
That fiashily dressed young crook eyed
him with a logged and wary defiance.
He had just come from call at the
bedside of Jerry Durand and he felt
healthy respect for the man who
could do what this housekeeping
young fellow had done to the cham
pion rough-houser of New York. The
stcry Jerry had told was of an assault
Inns did not accept at par. There were
too many bruises on his sides and cuts
on his face to be accounted for in any
way except by hard toe-to-toe fight.
'Mo'nin', Mr.. Collins. left you in
a hurry last night and forgot to pay
my bill. What's the DAMAGE" asked
Clay in his gently ironic drawl.
"Slim" Jim growled something the
meaning of which was drowned in an
oath.
'You say 1t was free ride? Much
obliged. That's sure fair enough"
Clay went on easily. "Well, l didn't
come to talk to you about that. I've
got other business with you this mon
In"
The chauffeur looked at him sullen-
ly and silently.
Suppose we get inside the cab.
where we can talk comfortably" Clay
proposed.
"Slm" Jim stepped into the cab and
sat down. Clay followed him, closing |
the door.
"Have you seen Jerry Durand this
sunny monin'?" asked Lindsay, with !
surface amiability.
"Wot's it to you?" demanded Col
Inns.
mot a thing. Nothin' a-tall," agreed
Clay. But It may be somethin to you.
I'm kinda wonderin' whether I'll have
to do TO you what | did to him."
"Slim" Jim reached for the door
hastily.
A strong, sinewy hand fell on his
arm and tightened, slightly twisting
the flesh as the fingers sank deeper.
Collins let out yell. "Gawd Don't
do that. You're KILN me-"
beg yore pardon. An accident If
l get annoyed I'm liable to hurt with
out meanin' to-" apologized Clay,
suavely. "I'lI come right down to brass
tacks. Mr.. Collins. You're through
with Annie Millikan. Understand"
"Say. wot tells this stuff you're pip
in? Who d you tink youse are?'
'Never you mind who am. You'll
keep away from Annie from now on
absolutely. If you bother her-if any
thing happens to her-well, you go
and take a good long look at Durand
before you make any mistakes"
"You touch me an I'll croak you.
See!" Kissed Collins.
"A gun-play?" asked Clay pleasant
". Say, there's a shootin'-gallery
round the corner. Come along.
yantta show you somethin'."
Jaw, go TO h--l,"
The sinewy hand moved again to-
ward the aching muscles of the gun
nan. Collins changed his mind hur-
'iedly.
"All right. I'll come" he growled.
Clay tossed a dollar down on the
counter, took ID and aimed at the
'ow of ducks sailing across the gal
cry pool. Each duck went down as it
Ippeared. He picked up n second rifle
md knocked over seven or eight mice
IS they scampered across the target
Green. With a third gun he snuffed :
he flaming eye from the right TO the {
eft side of the face that grinned at J
i'm, then with another shot sent it
ack again. He smashed few clay h
ipes by way of variety. To finish off +
With, he scored six center shots in a