Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAUGHING RIDER. ‘“Eef you had not been so stupid!” There was a certain monotony about this theme which was beginning to grate upon MacQuillan’s nerves. ‘Ve have remarked on that before,” he said grimly. “But you do not understan’. Eet ees not you, | mean. Eet ees Billee as well, and my fathair, and that police shereef in Texas. Eet ees that you are men. Men are all so stupid.” ‘“ Aye,” he said. “ But I’d remind ye that nothing has come from the woman’s ~side of this affair. | She tilted her head and looked upon him quizzically. “You theenk not, eh?” she smiled. Vaguely the sergeant suspected mockery. ‘J can recall nothing ye have done to solve it,” he admitted bluntly. She replied to that in soft and silken ac- cents which should have warned him. ‘But can you recall what my aunt has done to keep him riding free? Can you remember eef I have done som’theen to make heem hard for you to catch? The woman’s side of this affair, my friend, has been against you all the time.” But he did not heed the warning. ‘“ And a pretty mess you’ve made of it,” he remarked. So she made him regret it. “ A man’s mess, Sarjon MacQuillan. You weel never get thees Billee, because you are a stupid man. Only the woman can tell you what it is that will surely bring heem in.” “And what’s that?” ‘ X 919 “A woman!” She proudly tilted back her head and regarded him with brilliant eyes. ~“ Let it spread about the settlements that you seek a—w’at you call—warran’, for me to be arrest’. He will com’ here then!” Gradually, with a warmth that increased . as the rising sunlight spreads, MacQuillan smiled. : “Tis fine!” He almost whispered in his admiration. ‘‘ Fine, lassie!” he cried. ‘“‘ ’Tis fine. We'll aye do as ye suggest!” “As I tell you!” she corrected him. Magnanimity prompted the sergeant to submit to her commands without protest, but an honest doubt assailed him. ‘“T misdoubt the man will be aye timid of the settlements,” he warned her. “ There is a chance that he’ll not even hear of yer trick.” “You do not know how the gossip spreads,”’ she assured him. ‘“ None better. But the man will hear no gossip. I tell ye he’s run wild.” She tilted her head, regarding the muti- neer with a little frown that was half a smile, ‘You men cannot see these things,” she said hopelessly. . ‘‘ Have I not told you the thing that will bring him in. If the gossip does not reach him, you need not be afraid that he will not know—if I am in dan- ger!” “But how?” Her smile was the ancient smile which woman ever keeps to baffle man. ““T will send a letter to him,” she said. TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK U Lv} U REGRET NCE, to another, you gave your hand; Signal of kindly, courteous thought; But I, sitting by, allowed resentful, Jealous hurt to grip with glacial cold My heart. Then— You turned; in graceful, loving gesture Two seeking hands you offered me; and I— Now, sad regret is Give me your hands, Brute of the moment—held back. mine. Dear— Leslie Ramon. C@ CoOMmicoooks