The Bozeman courier., 1927-11-04

"Oh, don't believe have!" cried
Lily. Her thoughts were diverted she
turned quickly-her blance, her little
soft, shy, sleeve-stroking gesture, were
like caress. "But don't need to just
say things, do I, Mr.. Ducane? Won't
you come, too, and look at the mare?
Maybe she wants to see you, and you
can get across the yard, easy enough.
You'll let me really ride her, some day,
won't you? Come along. And tell him
bother that old appointment, Uncle
Dave!' She ran out. Ducane got un-
steadily upon his feet.
"rd like to see the mare all right.
1t won't take but a few minutes, and
it's past sundown, anyway" he began.
Hallard looked round.
Speaking o. that ppointment-"
he drawled again. Ducane, strengthening,
turned upon him.
I'm keeping it," he retorted brusque-
ly. IF you think because-because Of
anything,-I'm squealing, backing down
any more than you would"
Hallard waved huge hand.
me having raised you," he said re-
monstratingly, 81 opinion that there
don't appear much call for that remark.
The boy that was the spunkiest little
cuss in Texas before he was twelve amt
going to pan out any different when he's
six an twenty. Speaking o. that, and
the little game o. cards, was going to
1
take the last hand as a sort Of a kind
Of draw, so to speak. Leaving us equal
an no favor, either way. Such meeting
my views if it should meet yours" Du-
cane made quick step forward and
stopped, reddening to his hair and paling
again. He cleared his throat.
Reckon we might" he said slowly.
IF you say so, Dave"
Hallard nodded Absent-mindedly, it
seemed, he held out his left hand. Du-
cane placed the revolver in it. Hallard
laid it on the table. With the same air
Of detached abstraction he held out his
right hand-both WINGED under the force
OF a grip equally crushing. Lily spoke
from outside the door.
You coming, Mr.. Ducane?" she called
Ducane, turning towards it, turned back
I want to say" he said trif1e husk-
lily, that if i've years ago there was q
quarrel because young fool that reck-
oned he was almighty smart riled up q
man he thought as much of, with rea-
son, as if he'd been his own father, he
could have kicked himself five minutes
after, and would have felt the same il
things hadn't gone the way they did go
And that he's only been sorry once, eno
that's all the time. If I'd carried my
gun this morning and been quicker pull
ing 1T than you, I'd likely have put an
and been glad to do it."
: Hallard stared at the window.
"Supposing," he said ref1ectively-"sup'
: posing there had been such as you men,
, ton, because through getting strucl
{ mention, because through getting STRUCK
foolish over widder that shook hin
e after, thanks be, and have heard makes
her second venture hustle around might,
7, livelyl-suppostng on account of that,
8 sixteen stone man o. hfty-two didn'
y know any better than to get rigging him
t self up in 1ay-blue suit an pink shir
:, an yaller shoes, and boy that was al
the son he'd ever had or wanted laughe'
u mt to kill ands reckoned he took him
= self for a cross between q Broadwa
dude an fancy poll-parrot, seems to m
d his rarin' up an cI3sin' an spittin
u like a tarnatton wild cat made him tn
d biggest fool o. the two. BY several miles
Supposing 1t was So" He rumbled
Is deep-chested chuckle, turning:
t ''I got that set O. duds now, Jimi"
d THAT SOP" asked Ducane.
t Sure. Haven's wore 'em since, though.
With hands on the others shoulders b
!" swayed him gently to and fro. "An' 20
k an me cuttin' up, cuttin' loose over en
: Us, that was as good as father an sol
t let alone bein' pardners. Lordy, Lore
g That reminds mel reckon 1t takes tw