All-Story Weekly, Vol. 112, No. 1 — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

90 the Mexican spectators of the scene had talked it about, gossip-wise; Barnum and his discovery that the dirt on the bar mir- ror was akin to that on Maltrane’s badly fouled gun. At the first claim by Greasewood Kate that she knew of a will, Barney had writ- - ten to his father’s attorneys in Vernon, Blackwell and Storton, advising them duly of his father’s death and of his temporary assumption of full heirship. He had asked them if a will had been drawn, and to make Inquiries of any of his father’s old-time friends among retired cattlemen there who would be apt to know of such a document. So it was with relief that three days after the exploit in the Chaparral Cock Barney received a letter informing him that so far as Blackwell and Storton knew, no will had_. - been made out by the dead man. And the firm did not know of a will; had drawn none for Barnquist at any time, they re- ported. Armed with this definite information, Barney decided to have done with one of his worries. If Maretta Esquiemala were to be installed as nominal housekeeper at Ox Bow, his then plan, the rugged decency and honesty of Greasewood Kate would have to be dispensed with. So it happened, on a morning a few days afterward, that the half-breeqd woman, busy with her duties of overseeing. the Mexican servants, received a call to attend in the room that did for the ranch’s office. She hastened there, her somewhat heavy face anxious, for she felt that the call pre- saged friction of some sort, as Barney had taken of late to hectoring and oversetting long-established household customs in the new fervor of his majority. Kate came inta the room to find Barney seated before the rough desk. On chairs at the rear of the room were Barnum and Maltrane. The grim gunman and Kate exchanged crisp nods, for she, like him, had been so long at Ox Bow that they were part of the fixtures of the place. Barnum, the newcomer to the big ranch, she did not deign to notice. The breed woman, who before the death of Barn- quist the elder had kept the ranch hands’ time in a rough and just way, and attend- ALL-STORY WEEKLY, ed to other like duties, resented the bring- ing of Barnum to the ranch for no other purpose than to do the slight tasks that to her mind were mere routine, unworthy of a man’s attention. ‘“‘ Kate,” Bamey began with disconcer- ting suddenness, ‘“ I wanta know ’bout that will.” The breed woman started back, glancing at each hostile face in turn. Her gaze lin- gered on that of Maltrane, and in it she found a flicker of yielding. ‘““T’ve told the men here,” Barney con- tinued, “‘ that you claimed to know of a will. Now, I’ve proof there is none; never was one.” The woman plainly was confused by this direct attack. She hung her head, then raised it and shot angry glances at Barney, who grinned wolfishly. Kate fingered the folds of her coarse lin- sey-woolsey work dress. Again she studied the faces of the two spectators. That of Barnum was set, hostile. That of Mal- ‘trane was less hostile, yet his agate eyes had a glint of deeper meaning in them. ‘““Come, speak out,. Kate,” Barney’s voice came, commanding, ringing with as- surance. | Maltrane stirred and snapped erect. He waved his hand toward his vacated chair, “Sit down—here.” She shot him a glance of mingled grati- tude and puzzlement, for never before had Maltrane made even an attempt toward courtesy to a woman on the ranch. Barn- quist frowned and nursed his upper lip, where some day areal hirsute adornment would ,be. Now. it was but a promise of what would come when the fuller tide of Barnquist life should burgeon in him. _ “No stage plays,. Mal,” Barnquist gra- ted; then to Kate again: ‘““Come, what about th’ wilk. Is there one, or no?” She remained silent. She did not sit .down. ‘“Y’m makin’ one guess and tha’s all,” Barnquist persisted; ‘“ you were usin’ th’ will, thinkin’ I’d be scared? You used it, like, to try to keep me in line with Ess- Way? Was that it? Playin’ to make you’ girl safe?” comiclboolk C©