Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-12-31
Gagged
CHAPTER |
y Courtney Ryley Cooper
e0PyTShf By Courtney Ryey Ooov


heard He felt different palpitation
Of fear as he lodged from the low
curbing and hid for moment against
scaly iron pillar while a truck rum
bIed past. Then with double glance,
up and down the tunnel gray recesses,
ne ran to the protection of another
pillar. huddled there, glanced swiftly
again and leaped for the curblng. Joe
Barry hated New York.
There were reasons. OF course. One
Of them made itself apparent in his
clothing. much lighter in color and
weight at the elbows and knees than
In the rest of its texture. His suit
was that peculiarly colorless gray so
often selected by those who purchase
with the idea OF durability paramount.
His hat had been out of shape long
His shoes were unshined. Just as his
suit long had been impressed.
There was, however, different bag
xiness about 1t from that Of the cloth
h
This was out OF shape merely from
lack of the iron. Joe Barry's clothing
possessed deep creases and manifold
wrinkles; such imprints as could only
result from having dried on the body
after a thorough soaking In the
young mans lapel buttonhole was the
limp, dIscolored remains of a field
flower. Crossing East Seventeenth
street before the traffic, he noticed the
withered bloom and with a quick GEES
ture, threw 1t away.
The movement was impulsive. The
one which followed was equally SO;
Joe Barry turned his head for an In
slant and looked back to where the
dead flower lay In the path of truck
and taxi. 1t was only glance, like
some one saying good-by too awkward
" to show emotion. Then the young
fellow hurried on again, dark eyes
conferred upon an objective halfway
down the block.
A misshapen. three-story frame
building stood there. It's ill-painted,
clapboard front comforting d queer
sort Of comparative dignity TO the red
brick tenements which squeezed 1t
from each side. A secondhand store
on the street level added to its air Of
dishabille; warped door at one side
announced family the word. "L0dg-
ings.' Into this doorway. Joe Barry
turned and moved swiftly up the
creaking stairway, hating however at
the first landing. A dim figure had
shown itself, cropping about the dusky
hallway.
"Where've You been7' the lodger
complained. "A HI OF note this Is
six o'clock and no beds made.
Where'ye you been? You wasn't here
all night, now. was yon?"
Joe Barry's features took on
deeper tone Of harassed grImness.
"Oh. dry upl" he said In tired
voice.
Then he went to the third floor and
unlocked the door leading to his mock
cry OF room-a frayed piece OF dirty
Chinese mating on the wide cracked
floor. q bed. such as 1t was. a wash
stand and its accoutrements bearing
the black checkmarks OF age. There
was chair, also. Once In the room.
Joe Barry slumped to the bed, his
features flaccid except for one par
ticularlty, his eyes.
Dark, deep, wistfully alert, they sur
veyed the dim room, the every shred
Of the old mating, the one extra neck
tie hanging over the mirror support,
his "other" suit on the back OF the
chair. q crumpled newspaper In
corner. There seemed to be pain In
the inventory, certain appearance OF
wincing. Then gradually, the express
sion changed, TO one of abstract hap
piness. Joe Barry's eyes were staring
now beyond the tawdry things about
him, as If looking upon vistas of glori-
Gus contentment But after a time
the look vanished. An old, set express
sion, grimly thin. returned to his fine
" drawn lips. The eyes hardened. as
II with protective intent. His hands.
peculiarly fine-fingered for the breadth
Of them, went upward to an awkward
smoothing OF his dark hair. Youth
had departed In sudden, maturing
process which made even twenty-five
an inadequate estimate OF his age.
Finally he rose.
They'll all be squawking pretty |
soon." he mumbled. I'D better SNAP |
INTO It."
He went down the steps then, after
locking his room-mainly a gesture,
since 1t contained SO little. Soon, to |
he complaints OF the early arrivals.
le was at his work-the cleaning up
II the box-like rooms, a dab at sweep
ng, the making OF cot-like beds. II
meant free lodging for him to look
ifter the twelve rooms which the
'ickety building contained, and to be
n fact, a sort OF agent, chambermaid.
'crubman and general person OF all
york for shiftless owner who never
roubled himself to appear unless Joe
hould be late with his weekly collec-
Ions. But II the scrawny building
leeded repairs, or the meagerly paid