Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

878 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. “‘ Enemies here!” “Yes, Who would be delighted to see me lie where that dead man-lies, and are apparently determined to effect it.’ He touched her sleeve with a finger. “ But you will speak of this to no one.” “No, oh, no! Not a word!” Steele gazed at her steadily. He already repented disclosing even sé little of his pri- vate concerns, an impulse altogether at vari- ance with his close-mouthed habit, but he had for some vague reason felt it necessary ito explain his coursé, to justify himself, to this clear-eyed, fine-spirited girl. He could not let her rest under a misapprehension that he was a brute who reveled in blood- spilling. And as he regarded her,!a con- viction that she was absolutely to be trusted settled firmly into his mind. She would be stanch; oxen and ropes could not drag information from her once she had determined not to speak. Yes, she would be loyal to her given word—and to her friends. Weir’s eyes glanced at the dia- mond on her finger. It would be a girl like her with whom he would have chosen to mate if fate had not directed his feet on ~a road which seemingly left him no choice but incessant and solitary struggle. “T hate it all; I have nothing but crusts and nettles!” he exclaimed, with sudden, fierce passion. And with a quick movement of his hand he beckoned her on. Submissively she accompanied him, her bosom rising and: falling with a quickened rhythm. Too much had happened, one thing piling on another, for her to sort her thoughts or to attempt to understand things yet; and in her tossing state of mind she went at his gesture as one follows a guide, or as a simple matter of course. In her mental turmoil that last passion- ate utterance of the man’s played like a lambent flame. ‘Tense, violent, spontane-— ous, it had come ‘from the heart. What harsh lot he had lived and sufferings borne she could not even guess; but no man spoke with such unconscious bitterness who had not undergone pain and travail of spirit. His head was now turned a little toward her as they walked: she perceived him star- ing at the moonlit street, his lips com- pressed, his brows knit. Then he glanced about at her, his face clearing. : “Pay no attention to what I said,’ he remarked. “I shouldn’t have let loose that way. Hello, what’s on now?” Before them, and in front of the court- house, was a packed crowd, people who had run forth at the sound of shots, augmented by those who had since arrived upon the scene. It was motionless. “ Stand back, stand back; don’t trample the body!”’ came Sheriff Madden’s voice in an angry order. The crowd' surged a little apart in the center. : “How do you. know this dead man fired the first shot?” asked some one, vehemently. The voices went lower, so that Steele Weir and Janet Hosmer, who had paused at the edge of the throng, were able only to catch the tones. “Who was that that questioned the sheriff?” Weir whispered. ‘Mr. Burkhardt, I think. Sounded like him.” So intent were the Mexicans upon the oc- currence in their midst that those close by remained with backs toward the pair, fail- ing to notice their presence. All craned eagerly to miss nothing of the controversy. “How do you know this engineer didn’t start it?” came Burkhardt’s voice again. “Don’t be a fool; there were witnesses.” ‘Td like to talk to those witnesses. I doubt if they really saw anything. It looks to me as if there’s another side to this shoot- ing.” “Well, of course you know—you, sitting there in the bank, as you say,’ was the ironical refort. : At this juncture another voice interposed. ‘“Madden, we want no mistake here. This Weir doesn’t bear a_very good reputa- tion for peacefulness, from what I’ve learned. If this Mexican has simply been shot down—” “Who is: that?” Steele demanded of the girl. “‘TI can’t see him.” “That ’—Janet Hosmer’s speech fal- tered—“ that is Mr. Sorenson. Oh, they misunderstand! Let me push in there and tell them how it happened.” The engineer’s hand closed on her arm. iy comicbooks-com