Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-11-10
ened dry lips. "Your boy friend Ger.
tainly can't be bluffed."

GAAG0 ups Wy Ut
tainly can't be bluffed."
Then they were inside. Mrs. Ham,
ilton joined them and spoke gently
to Babe Henkel. She was infinitely
sorry for this woman who had lost
everything that made life worth
while for her. Mrs. Hamilton said.
''The Sheriff is on the way out"
The half-hour which followed was
difficult for its very lack Of tense
ness. The reaction was violent.
1t rendered them all inarticulate.
Twice jeff Butler tried to plead with
them then stopped because he
saw that they were not listening to
him.
Sheriff Floyd Griffin arrived with
two deputies. He slapped handouts
on jeff Buffers bony wrists. He
said, with forced heartiness, st
must of been swell party. And
this guy-he'n git plenty"
Dan Creedon rested Jeff's shot
gun against a chair. He asked,
"Driving into town, Sheriff."
"Yeh. Right away"
SCOT room for Miss Henkel and
me?"
"Sure."
Babe rose. Her dark eyes swept
the room. She opened her lips to
speak and closed them again. But
at the door she turned. Then she
said, simply, ''I'm awful sorry ;"
and she was gone. And Dan and
the Sheriff and his deputies and JEFF
Butler had gone, too. And with them
went doubt and fear and suspicion
and uncertainty. The three women
and Barney turned and looked at one
another.
And because Mrs. Hamilton and
Margaret wanted to stay close to
Barney-to touch him and to do lit
tie things for him because they knew
that they had come perilously close
to losing him-because they wanted
to do and say so many things
they actually said nothing and did
the one thing which they knew he
most wanted. They left him alone
with Kay.
The room was quiet. Barney's
gun and the gun that had belonged
to JEFF Butler were the only ugly
reminders of something which al
ready seemed unreal. Barney
reached out and took Kay's cold
hand. .....'
Lets 60 outside" He laughed
awkwardly, attempting to hide his
own emotion. "I'd like to see how
things look without a firing-squad
before me-"
Kay went with him. She under
stood the reaction he was experienc.
ing and realized that he was trying
to get himself under control. For
his sake, she fought against the in
stinct to break down and cry-as a
little girl who has been badly fright
ened might cry. And for his sake,
she tried to speak lightly once they
were on the veranda together.
Looks natural, doesn't it, Bar
ney?"
Eyes :" He stared off into
the shadows, and at the silver re-
Election of stars in the black wa
tiers of the lagoon. 81 wish l felt
natural" .
She forced herself to be gay, She
was gay. And if there was a faint
touch of hysteria in that gaiety, it
was not to be wondered at. She
said, "You talked about your plans,
Barney. It's too bad they have to
be changed"
He tried to respond as she wished
him to. Changed? Howl"
For one thing-you mentioned
going places, and then coming back
for me some day when you got
around to it." She faced him and
her arms went about his neck and
chung tightly. The lightness of her
words was belied by the sob in her
voice. "Oh, Barney!" she cried,
''Try and leave this town without
me. Just try!"
He held her desperately close.
You're a stubborn wench," he
said gently, $50 I won't even try"