Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

134 enough about gold, but there could be no doubting its presence in that fragment of strata. Grant had been a prospector, he knew. “ Gold, ma!” Jimmie said solemnly. “Gold right here in the valley where we thought there wasn’t nothin’ but alkali!” At the very incongruity of the thing he threw back his head and laughed, the tones carrying much the same note as those which had characterized the laugh of Brant; a note of mild hysteria; a note that has rung out on the mountain fastness a thousand times as some prospector, alone in the hills, has stumbled upon the end of the great quest, and fingers the fortune for which he gave his all. Betty raised the rock and gazed upon it in fascination. Still Jennie Mason stood quiet. But the appearance of Brant had gerved to rouse in Mason all the hatred of which he was capable. He towered above the man now: “You fiend o’ hell!” he screamed. “ You come here to this place! You! First you show yourself a thief; then you teach this young fool to drink an’ gamble an’ shoot —then you show your face here among decent people? “ You come to rob us—that’s what you done! You was hidin’ out in the hills to make a robber o’ my own son! You!— God help me. Git out! Git out afore I lay hands on ye an’ break your dirty bones into powder—”’ Mason had lost all control. He seized the rock and raised it in his mighty fist as though to dash Brant’s head to a pulp. Jennie Mason again faced him, reached up and caught his elbow, and took the stone from him. She laid it on the table and pressed her husband toward his chair. Once again, as he had years before when the second herd died off, Mason became as clay in her hands. His emotions under- mined his courage. “ Set down, Mr. Brant,’’ Jennie Mason said. ‘ Ever’body set down an’ listen to me. I’ve waited many a long, weary year for this hour. Now I’ll be havin’ my say: “ First off, pa, you ain’t yourself. You’re talkin’ foolish! Alkali has killed yore a eae. pla Seok ere ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “ Damn gold!” Mason mumbled from his chair. ‘‘ Miles offered that!” “You'll be listenin’,”’ Jennie Mason or- dered, and the man quieted. After a mo- ment ‘she went on: ‘* Alkali ruined the valley all ’cept enough land to live off’n. Pa’s fought the greatest fight I ever know a man to fight, but he was blinded to sense ‘cause he had so much courage! “T feel that way ‘bout things. Weak- nesses never hurts a man half so much as strengths! It was pa’s strength that kept us all here—his courage! If he’d been weaker he’d have quit an’ we’d have got out an’ mebbe found a better place. It wasn’t only alkali in the valley—it was alkali in pa! ‘The same way with Jimmie. He run away from the alkali in the valley an’ he found alkali in himself just like pa’s. It took the turn o’ drink an’ gun-shootin’— but it’s alkali just the same. Jimmie beat his alkali ‘cause he had the love o’ Betty to help him! ‘“Now comes Brant. Brant had alkali when he tried to steal. I reckon you ain’t never had much love in yore life, Mr. Brant! You let the alkali run wild in you, an’ it made you try to steal!”’ She looked at Brant a moment, and the man nodded dumbly. There was real mis- ery in his eyes. He mumbled something about trying to make up for the time he had attempted to rob them. Jennie Mason went on: ‘“ Now, pa,” she said, ‘‘ you gotta think a mite straighter. If Brant an’ Jimmie had come here to rob us, would Brant have come arunnin’ in here to show us when he found gold? QO’ course not! He’d have hid it an’ dug it out an’ lugged it off, an’ you’d never have knowed it! ‘Know what I’m gettin’ at, pa? Brant likes Jimmie! He’s got somethin’ in his heart that’s stronger’n alkali now! It’s love—love o’ a friend! ‘That’ll make Brant a fine man!” “By Gawd, it will!” Brant avowed earnestly. “I never even thought 0’ hidin’ the gold. I was only thinkin’ how glad Jimmie’d be ’cause he could take ome all out’n ae ee 6 Mronicbooke cone En,