Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-08-25
CHILD OF EVIL
.'s; =s : :ss s:-- By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN

Between you and that Hamilton
guy?"
what difference does it maker"
None. I just asked"
His eyes did not leave the broad
ribbon of road which unwound un-
der their wheels.
Kay said, 81 like him-a lot"
$50 imagined"
"What made you think so?"
"Your expression when we passed
him." That faint, mocking smile
passed briefly across Kinks lips.
HAS he gone for you?"
81 don't know"
"Okay. But he has,"
Kay's body felt uncomfortably
warm. 'Id rather not talk about
Barney"
ITO me, you mean?"
Eyes" Her own voice had be-
come edged. "And I might as well
tell you something else, Kirk. This
is my last ride with you"
THAT so?"
eyes. People are talking :"
His voice was sharp. ''Who?"
Everybody. My family and"
what are they saying?"
"That you're not the sort of per-
son a nice girl should be going
with"
He laughed mirthlessly. "I'm
not" Then, after a brief pause,
"Are they saying anything else?"
81 don't know"
II mean about the last time we
were out together" -.-.
She shrank away from him.
please, Kirk :"
"They WILL" he remarked acidly,
"sooner or later"
She said, 81 know it. That's why
I'm not going out with you any
more"
He didn't answer that. His foot
depressed the accelerator ever so
slightly and the speedometer moved
ahead to forty-five. The road was
broad and smooth, cars buzzed by,
farm cars and trucks and several
big sedans headed toward Beverly
and Cathedral Gardens. Kirk said
dryly, "Your boy friends mother
has done quite job"
please, Kirk :"
"She has, really. The town was
dead until she came into the pic
ture." Ssh
'Td rather not Why did you
send for me?"
Reasons.
Nothing wrong, is there?"
Eyes"
"You mean ?"
you'll find out"
She pressed her lips together.
please take me back"
''Not now"
'But it's getting late"
mot noon yet"
'Where are you taking me?"
"Springdale."
''To Springdale? But Kirk-I
can't!"
eyes, you can. You can do ex-
actly what I say"
She glanced at his face. 1t was
like granite. Hard. Unconsciona-
bly, hard and dangerous. She asked,
''Why are you taking me there?"
There was no emotion in his
voice. He made a fiat statement.
He said, you and l are going to
get married"
Kirk Reynolds drove on in silence.
He might have said, 1.-THE weather
is pleasant. He might have said,
We're going to Springdale for
lunch" Instead, in just SO casual
manner, he had stated that they
were about to be married.
Kay's hazel eyes were wide and
frightened. Unconscious of the ges-
ture, she pressed one hand against
her lips. She didn't even ask wheth-
er he was serious. Kirk was not
addicted to making statements
which he did not mean. But she
did say, 81 don't love you and he
answered, tersely, THAT has moth
ing to do with it,
Words were a relief. cts impos-
sible," she declared and he smiled
again; that mirthless, knocking
smile. He said, II don't think So"
Then she asked, "But why? Do
you think that you care for me?"
mo"
"And vet Oh. Kirk. You're
Joking, sL.ely."
mot exactly. Here's the license"
He tossed it into her lap. It had
been issued in Springdale. that pros
porous agricultural county which ad-
joined Beauregard on the north. The
names stared up at her: Kirk Rey-
nolds, age %; Katherine Forrest,
age 10. We'll be married by
magistrate or preacher. It's your
wedding. Take your choice"
The thing was too startling, too
bewildering. She said, without con.
viction: II won't do i'll"
Eyes, you will
"But why?"
Because / say So"