The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-07-02


cat, this marshal, and eyes that
could burn through a brick wall.
1t gave Hack Breathitt moments
self-affront to think Rusey had come
on him thus unawares, but he stood
fast, not saying anything. The mar
shal's hand reached out and hit Hack
Breathitt's flank, where the gun was.
Afterwards Rusey, no man to ask
questions, made turning circle on
his heels, looking the whole street
through. He said then, 'tBe careful,
Hack" and stepped back into the
shadows.
Parr Gentry called for a schot-
tische. Lige White came over to
claim Ann McGarrah, leaving his
wife with Clay. They went wheeling
and dipping around the floor, Mrs.
White very graceful in his arms,
and very pretty; but her glance kept
following her husband with that
calm indrawn attention Morgan had
noticed so often.
Herendeen had kept Catherine
Grant to himself After the schot-
tische Morgan returned Mrs. White
to Lige and stood awhile, idly talk
ing. The stag line thickened. Gurd
Grant was over there and Gurd's
glance was directly on him, and
stayed on him without recognition.
Parr Gentry said, "Pick your
partners for a waltz" and the fid-
dies began tuning-up again. Clay
remained in his tracks, head-down,
puzzled by Gurd Grants cut. Some
thing was in the wind He couldn't
catch it with his mind, but he knew
Herendeen had somehow gotten at
Gurd. He debated it coolly, trying
to make up his mind, until he heard
Ann say. what is it, Clay?"
Nothing" he said. Nothing at
ALL" Herendeen and Catherine were
only a few feet away GATHERINGS
glance touched him, brief and in
terested, and then he forgot Gurd
and put his hand to Ann McGar-
rah's elbow and moved her toward
Herendeen. 1t amused him to see
Herendeen's ruddy face show in
slant intolerance. He said to Cath
crime, "Should be ours, I think" and
moved away with her as the waltz
began.
Catherine said: ST wondered if
you would"
Zone more week - one more
dance. War Pass, the Burnt Ranch
school, the old hall at Chickman
Creek. This goes back a long way"
"Do you remember so many of
those dances, Clay?"
eyes," he said, IT guess I do
when I'm dancing with you" These
dance nights were like markers
leading into the back years. He
could visualize most of them; he
could remember the fun of most of
them. 1T is an odd thing" he said,
and was puzzled by his own senti-
ment in the matter, "but it seems to
be habit I'm afraid to stop. Like
a man that has done one thing so
long he can't quit without breaking
something that holds him together"
She nurmured: This dance, Clay
with me?"
"Ten years of it," he said. "We
were pretty young and all our
friends were young, and we had
fine time. AS long as we keep on
we've still got something left, of
those times. Of everything that used
to be. 1t is way of keeping yes
terday alive, I guess"
''It will die sometime, Clay
81 hate to think of it."
They were all around the hall be-
fore she spoke. ''It isn't the good
times you want to remember, Clay.
1t is one person you never want to
forget. / know. / watched you
tonight when Janet spoke. / knew
what you were thinking. Not of JAN
ct, not of anything or anybody in
the hall. 1t was Lila, wasn't it?"
''Why, yes" he said, in some sur
prise. "How would you know that?"
Slowly turning with the swing of the
waltz, he saw Harry Jump come up
the stairs and move through the
lettering stays at the edge of the
floor. Harry Jump was here when
he should have been forty miles out
in the Moguls. Morgan wheeled
Catherine around, losing Harry
Jump, and catching him again.
Jump saw him and showed no ex-
preston Of any kind. 1t was sig
nal.
Morgan said: MAYBE you'd like
a drink of water"