Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

THE AV VENGING ‘SHEPHERD. prettily. | You—might name—”’ se Joseph found her very alluring as-her give. me your eyes dared him to answer while he hesi- tated, torn between the desire to tell her and the fear of cutting himself off from her forever if he did. To tell her that his father had not killed hers would be only to invite questions—to prove his words— and the time for that was not yet. And then, wisdom whispered to him that this girl must find out the truth for herself. So- he fo only: z Just—Joseph?” Necia iaeoced He did not reply, nor did he catch the wistful light that crept into her eyes. He knew she was waiting for him to answer, and he nodded his head unhappily. ““ Just—Joseph,” he said, repeating her words, and his voice was strange to his own ears. “That sounds very mysterious,” she went on after a moment; “ almost as if— as if it explained your presence in Nevada.” “You mean that I withhold my name from you because there is a blot on it?” Joseph asked, mienndest aes Necia’s in- _ ference. ‘“No—no; not that,” she hastened to answer. She. felt his eyes searching her own, and she colored as she struggled for words with which to express her thought. She stiffened as the boy. said flatly: “But this is my reason.’ Necia stared at Joseph, trying. to read “his secret. She shook her head at last and smiled faintly. “An injustice—a wrong! Something you are going to avenge—”’ she murmured, and then: “T think that is exactly what I meant —not that you had come here to hide.” Joseph glanced at her shrewdly. == es do you think that?” he asked SS sensed it the moment you came in. Your speech is strange; you are hardly one of us—and yet, as you faced Senor Trosabal, I saw revenge flash im your eyes for 2 brief second. Your face was cruel. T even thought he cowered. Heisa power ee es man; ; and ae has made many enemies.” = ~ a - = =O = — —— a = rs = => Thoroughly disturbed = Necia’s train a = = thought, the boy turned away, his eyes: = veiled. = See—your face is hard now,” she mur Be mured. “TIT have guessed the truth. 2 Joseph did not reply. Unconsciously, = Necia placed her hand upon his arm. asked. “Does it mean so much to you?” she “Everything,” Joseph nodded quietly. = ; / Wy NRDAAS DY bia 10 ge WAN) a a ae NAT) + MH a Nag ; % SPAN 1aay “TI might have known you would say. —— that. I am sorry—truly. Revenge is so — == hopeless. It can bring you no happiness.” Her voice suddenly sounded sad. Joseph = glanced up quickly, but Necia was looking ; beyond him at the great moon floating so — — lazily above the dim crest of distant Buck- _ <= skin, Necia_ nodded. “My own life has proved it,” she mur- mured, her voice trailing off into a whisper. _ ‘““My grandfather never forgets or forgives a wrong. From childhood, I seem to see him as always having been bent on righting “You say that very positively,” he said. —= the wrongs men had done him. He has = = thas no friends. Hardly any one comes here. = —— We are never Men say that no one has — It is very lonely—tI feel it. asked about. ever got the best of ee wonder: sees what else they say of him.” — thoughts wandered for a moment. “li he had only forgiven one or two,” she went on, “ he would have had friends. to- == day. He needs them. But he'll not change. That you find a Basque in his home, after _ all his years of hating them, does not mean ee that he has changed. Angel Irosabal — brings him a profit. Grandfather has aa = = his life to hating sheep and sheepmen— _ = the Basques in particular—and he will go — to his grave dreaming of avenging some wrong they did him. And yet, to my knowledge, it has been twelve years since a herder has infringed on him. My own _ father was killed in a fence fight—a_ victim = of this very spirit of revenge.” ~“ Your father—Kit Dorr?” asked. Joseph = Necia’s eyes came back to the bere “You knew him?” she questioned. — SS = z= sae beard men cee = ‘name. = = amicbo