The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-11-14

ana = ZEN !. Brand
That's funny commented Tur-
ley. Looks like il may have been
one Of his own men bumped him.
They got into quarrel, maybe"
The story Is that II wasn't one Of
the Flying v C men did It," Afford
said. They are all accounted for.
And the man was tracked for sew
eral miles,"
Something queer about thisy'
Turley cut in, frowning. II don't
get it. If the fellow who did it was
one of our friends, say-he wouldn't
OF shot 1t out in the open hathaway.
He would of waited to get crack
at him from the brush"
"Would he?" Brand asked. ''May-
be not. Maybe he wanted to show
the big outfits that we had the nerve
to do our killing in the OPEN"
Ellen felt a fluttering heart beat
against her ribs. She was watching
jeff. He had spoken carelessly, but
in his slurring drawl she had read
an undertone implacable and dead
ly. She knew, as well as one could
know without evidence to back it,
that he had been the other party to
that duel.
"The way you talk sounds dumb
to me, jeff" snarled Lee Hart.
"What you expect fellow to do?
Buck didn't have any chance, did
he? Not on yore tintype. They
rubbed him out when he wasn't ex-
pecting it. Why shouldn't I do the
same with one of them?"
Hard-eyed, Brand looked at Hart.
"I'm not telling you what you ought
to do. I don't give damn. What
I'm pointing out is how white
man would want to settle a diff
ficulty."
Dark blood mantled Harris fat
featured face. IF you claim I'm
not white man." he clustered.
A faint expression of contempt
iindled in the narrowed eyes Of JEFF.
II wouldn't be interested" he said,
his voice insolent and dry.
Ellen had work to do at the house,
and as soon as she had turned over
the Office to her father she left.
JEFF Brand was waiting outside. He
rose to join her, reaching his feet in
one swift movement Of ripping ease.
you're certainly the workingest
| girl ever saw" he told her.
"There's a proverb about that. All
work and no play makes JEFF dull
boy"
$50 you think I'm dull" she said.
''No, no, I'm dull when you work
| too long. Have you ever thought
that maybe in sixty or seventy years
we may be too old to play? We have
to leave some time for love and
kisses, you know"
She was not UP to nonsense today.
It was not worth trying, not while
she had this queer feeling Of suffo-
cation in her breast.
why do you go out Of your way
| to insult men who are dangerous
men like Lee Hart?" she asked.
He looked at her, surprised. $50
you heard?"
II couldn't help hearing"
"You pack a lot in one little ques-
tion," he said. First off, l didn't
60 out of my way to insult Lee
Hart. ! wasn't thinking about him
when spoke, though he is sure well
come to take it personal If he likes.
For the fact is, can't stand the
fellow. He's low-down mean. As to
his being dangerous, / don't reckon
he is-long as he is in front Of
you"
He spoke carelessly, as if the mat
ter were not important.
"You look to me like a man who
il booming himself" she said So
berly, with a kind of proud def
ance. "You brighten me, as if-as
II you were walking on your own
grave" "a '.'e
would you feel badly if you knew
! were?" he asked in low voice.
She did not look at him. But the
blood was beating stormily through
her heart.
IT would feel sorry for any young
man condemned to DEATH, she said.
81 see," he said dryly. "Yore
| Christian duty. Iwould want girl
to give me more than that
She turned on him, courage in her
| eyes like q banner. what would
you expect to give her in RETURN"
she demanded.
''If she was the right girl might
give her Q lover"
"a lover" she said scornfully.
He surprised himself in his an
swer. "a husband, them" It was
the last thing he had expected to
say.
''That would be fine gift" she
told him. ''What kind Of girl could
keep step with you? Do you think a
wife would be happy waiting at
home in terror for fear you were
being shot or hanged?"
aren't men supposed to settle
down when they marry?"
"You aren't even thinking Of it.