Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

504 - “ A little befo’ quahtuh to nine?” “‘ Must have been -near that.”’ - Blalock looked around him; the congre- gation eagerly corroborated. “We found the money gone ‘Just as the town clock was a-strikin’ nine,” cut in old Palley with decision. The colonel stepped over to the svall and lifted down the almanac, turning to the July, ’19, page. “Last night the moon set about eight thuhty, Washin’ton time. To us heah, we being only fifteen minutes or so from the point cent’al time begins, she sets therefo’ about eight fo’ty-five; possibly a few sec- onds befo’ or aftuh eight fo’ty-five. But” —and he smiled whimsically—“ a full half- houh soonuh she ducks down behind my trees to the west, and we see huh no mo’. The moon couldn’t have cast a shadow heah in Callabee aftuh eight fifteen last night!”’ There was none to question the figures; almanacs were next to sacred truth in Cal- labee. And this particular almanac still adhered to the old-fashioned time, same as they did, and so came quite near to agree- ing with celestial phenomena. The moon had been behind the timber, and Tom Palley had lied. Consequently, how was his story of the colonel entering ‘ the Palley dwelling to be believed? As Colonel Blalock sat down again, Nancy Blalock got up—to make one step toward the man in the witness-chair, a man whose face was livid with shame; perhaps some anger, too, was there. _ “ Thought you couldn’t bear to fight your own Caroliny folks,” the girl began intense- ly, “‘and a man who doesn’t lie; you said you were! Oh, what a cheap revenge! Why, dad begged my pardon the other night for what he’d said to you, before he could sleep. And I was ready to marry you, Tom Palley, in spite of him,’”’ she hurried on, ignoring the open eyes and mouths around: her. “I might have stood a moonshiner, but I won’t stand a liar. I’m done was you!” Tom seemed to be trying to speak —but as Nancy sat down, the colonel got ‘up; the House of Blalock appeared to have as- sumed the brunt of the proceedings. And the working countenance of the fine old ARGOSY-ALLSTORY -WEEKLY. Southerner told of a- hard struggle in the man of him. ‘““No, Nancy, deah, no! . Mustn’t abuse Tom. - It—it’s all my fault making yo’ young folks wait so long; but I—I just couldn’t beah to think of losing yo’, deah— that’s all I’ve held off my consenting fo’. And Tom is no liah—he did see my shadow, | I reckon.” New buzzings now; the constable rapped for order. “Yes, I went to the ho’se. next doah, so’th, last night,” Blalock continued. “Folks heah remembuh the Fo’th? Then yo’ recall that old Palley shot fuhst last? I thank yo’. So I went, judge, but not in liquoh—I nevuh was that, suh. Why, the estimable lady I talked with last at the pahty could tell yo’ I was puhfectly—but unfohtunately she is dead. I—I might have been a little nuhvous; prob’ly was, or I wouldn’t have walked outside—must have done it quite unconsciously, suh. So young Thomas Palley could have seen my shadow, hat and haih and cigah; must have seen my nose, too—couldn’t miss that.” “But, dad! The moon?” Nancy had picked up the almanac. “Qh, she was down, back of the trees. Venus was up yet, howevuh, fo’ty minutes or so behind the moon—Venus was ovuh the timbuh till nine.” _ | But, oh, how come? Nobody could be- lieve that Venus cast shadows! Really the colonel was worse than Tom Palley. “If I could git to my gun on that table, I’d show him a Venus shaduh!” snapped old ‘Homer. “Yo’-all can prove it to Palley, | can’t yo’, ‘col’nel ’—a close friend suggested— “ t?-night?” ““ No, suh,” Blalock answered. “‘ T° “night the moon will be alongside of Venus—or even a bit latuh. I know, suh, fo’ she is in the Lion, too.” Incredulous heads were wagging; the col- onel looked annoyed. “‘ But I might prove it in ten days or-so,’ he.offered, “‘ when the moon gets out of the sky again—Venus should still’ be bright enough then.” ‘¢ Anything a man can prove ten days from now ought ta prove t’-night just the ee RGM CLOO SS CO