Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-04


II I'm right. there's more fame and more cash
for you than you'd make in these mountains in
ten thousand years. Want to talk turkey with
me?"
Marshall turned to eye him.
NO." he made answer. II don't want to
talk turkey or anything else with yo6 man
down in Alton put that same kind of PROPOSE
ton up to me only a month or two ago; when
he saw me push over truck driver that made
chirpy noises at Miss Kent, when took her
TO the movies there. Miss Kent says gentle
men don't fight fer money. I'm a gentleman.
That's ALL"
Miss Kent?"
She took the school, last Fall. Miss Avis
Kent. I'm going to marry her. haven't told
her yet. I was waiting to see If I could get
my price for the strip Of mountain foot land
on my farm that the railroad wants. Well,
closed the deal, this trip I'm just back from.
With what the farm gives me this moneyM be
enough for me to marry on. Think I'm going
to throw all that away, to be a fighter and to
stop being gentleman? Why, she'd never
look at a man that wasn't gentleman She
said So"
But come with me, and when you make
your pile you can come back here again and
be gentleman" urged Denning, trying to
keep his face straight. you've got a natural
hitting power that not one slugger in a thou
sand can learn in a lifetime"
"That'll be ALL" quietly interrupted Marshall.
I'm not interested in listening to any more"
With no word Of good-by. he got into action
again, this time with swift stride wholly diff
ferent from his earlier mountaineer slouch
Denning stared after him and saw he was
trying to overtake a slim young woman who
had just come out of the school house at the
far end of the square. Then with a grunt,
the manager made his way gloomily back to
the Eagle Hotel
Before the girl had traversed half the length
OF the squares far border, JEFF Marshall had
ranged alongside her.
Hello Avis!" he hailed her, his face shining
I'm back. Lord, but it's grand to see you
again! The deals went - gone - through,
and I"
II heard you were back" answered the girl
shortly, not checking her rapid pace nor SO
much as looking at the eager face that bent SO
close to her own. Jimmy Cottrell just told
me as was leaving school. 1 had sent him
out for some new pen points He told me you
were back. And he told me about the dis
graceful exhibition out there. He"
"Disgraceful?" suffered JEFF. DIS? Oh,
you mean me having to lay out those two
hairy-ears? That wasn't my fault. They had
to be licked. They were fighting about"
You needn't go on" said Avis Jimmy
told me. They were fighting about me and
making no secret OF it. Then you thrashed
them, and you told every one in hearing that
I was-that was"
THAT you're my girl. and everybody else has
got to leave you be?" finished Marshall. "I
sure did. And you are. And they have. Be-
oh" blazed Avis Kent, white with fury.
ooh! And you are the-the creature I've tried
so hard to humanize! And all for thisl I
never want TO see you again as long as live.
You've Inundated me, and you've shamed me
publicly as I never dreamed any one"
~ A VIS!" gasped the man. dumfounded.
avis! You've gone crazy! Just because
I said you're my girl? But you are my girl.
I s'posed you knowed-knew that. Every one
else does Hereabouts, If lady lets a man
take her to shows and buggy riding and fuz
walks and all that, it doesn't mean but one
thing. She's his girl. They're aiming to set
married to each other. I"
Here in this barbarous back woods hole!"
she flashed $50 that's what is supposed to be
meant If a girl takes pity on a natives loneli-
ness and on his yearnings for educationi
II she lets him walk or drive with her, or II
she goes to motion pictures with him, she lie
his grill She has bound herself to marry
him She has no right to complain If he
shouts her name at the top of his lungs in the
square and tells every one she belongs to him!
Oh, never thought could feel so degraded,
SO angry! This comes Of helping an ignorant
mountaineer! I've had my lesson. I've"
I've had mine, too reckon" drawled the
man, his face bone-gray. tt understand,
now. You're city girl and I'm Am igno-
rant mountaineer,' like you said. I'm fit to
pass the time with up here, but I'm not At
to be married to you. If was rich and had
a big name, I'll bet it'd be different Thatd
be another tune to sing, I reckon. And
maybe well sing that tune one Of these days.
I-IU-"
His voice cracked ludicrously. Wheeling
about, he broke into q rum heading across the
square.
For an instant, Avis Kent watched him, in
white wrath. Then her eyes misted, unac-