White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-10-22
"HICKORY PETE"
BY DOUGLAS MACK

man of personality, this leader, but
not of personality which would
draw to him either humankind or
beast. He was dish-faced, with
jutting chin and overhanging brow
under which blazed two buttonlike
eyes. They were set nearer to each
other than eyes should be in mans
countenance. His arms hung far
down, and what with the forward |
thrust of his head and a padding
SLOUGH, he gave the feeling of some
thing not quite human.
1t was in the nature Of Hickory |
Pete that he should look the men over
first, and measure them. His glance
ranged to tall lugubrious fellow be-
hind the leader; a bony man with
sandy stubble on his chin and the
eye of a mean horse. Behind his awk-
ward shuttle walked the third of the
trio; thickset, black-haired, and half |
smiling with kind of fixed trucu-
lence. He carried himself jauntily.
Three of kind, thought Pete, and |
by the end of the moment mt took for
his inspection he had placed the
leader. He was JACKIE Prime, proprie
tor of dingy roadhouse known, and |
not pleasantly, as the Broken Finger |
More than one of the boys had been
beaten up there; and never did vic
tim of fists or bootleg regain con-
seriousness with anything in his
pockets.
1t was at this point of recognition,
| and as the three men lined up at the
counter, that Pete had fair look at
the girl. She stood waiting, little
self-consciously, near the door. She
had turned to answer the greeting of
Lem Thurston, who knitted his brows
sharply at her, but now she faced in
the direction of Hickory Pete. Their
| glances met and flowed together as
when two rivers meet and become in
distinguishable.
A young and slender sapling, we'll
under twenty, with skin as fair and
unblemished as a newly fallen field
| of snow! She was of French Cana
dian type that Pete knew we'll; deep
eyes of living blue and hair so black
that it would have made the wing of
crow seem rusty in comparison
This girl had the fresh pink of health
/ in Iinc ond nhnnlyc nd i
untarnished look which said palmer
than any words that she did not be-
long in the company of JACKIE Prime.
"And five plugs of Sweet Locust
chewin' tobacker," Prime was say
ing. Il guess that's all, Thurston.
Well pack this stuff home; we amt
got no horse with u.s."
He paid and went out, with nod
to the girl that served to herd her
before him. That neither Prime nor
the others had entered into any dis
cussion of traps or weather or hunt
ing was in itself strange. Hickory
Pete had pulled himself up straight
in his chair as he loked at the girl.
He had felt something stir through
all his veins; yes, and she had opened
er lips and drawn in a quick breath.
| He felt danger to her from these
silent men; even strangers talked
when they came to the store
WHO was that girl?" he demanded
sharply of Thurston.
Lem Thurston came deliberately
out from behind the counter, with fin.
gers combing meditatively through
MS Wh1skers. Behind steel-bowed
spectacles his eyes were stern.
1T amt right" he said with some
trace OF agitation. II aim to be some
thing of a sinner myself, but it amt
right for that gal to go up to Jacko's
place."
Now 1t might be expected that Lem
Thurston would be somewhat unso-
phisticated, although he had been
known to play seven-up for money,
but Buffalo Hall was one of the young
bloods of the Corners, and friend
TO Hickory upon occasion. To him
Grimble turned inquiringly. He
would make answer as a man and
brother, and one who know.
who is she?"
Della Marceau." replied Buffalo,
and upon his face was a look of gray
1ty. She's the Widow Marceau's
Oldest girl. They's lot of kids, and
guess they don't have any too much
to eat. Notice her clothes? Patched
twice over, and most likely the best
she's got. It's shame for her to 20
to Jacko's place!"
(To be Continued)