The Argosy, December 1905 — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

> BLOCK TOWER SEVEN. For she knew about Dan Crompton’s trouble with Jase and Ike Howard at the railroad hotel, and about Sade later riding into town to obtain the pistols of the cowardly mountaineers. “Oh, no, ma’am! Oh, no, ma’am!” volunteered Sade volubly. “I been ter see *Skeet Merritt, what’s goin’ ter buy some o’ Uncle Jase’s shotes — ’deed that’s so, ma’am.” Belle knew that the child was a more accomplished liar even than her mother, and she was curious as to what Sade had really been about. But while she was hesitating whether to probe deeper into the matter, Captain Payne himself stepped into the kitchen. “Jeffers pelters!” ejaculated the captain, his eyes gleaming under his shaggy brows, and at once lashing him- self into a passion, as he did forty times a day. “ Jeffers pelters, what d’ye mean, "Tilda, by havin’ that bare laiged loon here again ? Ain’t I told you ter keep em away from here? Ain’t I told her Vd skin her alive if she come ter th’ house ag’in?” He advanced on the Armets, shaking his stick, his voice fairly rattling the window sashes. Sade crouched behind her mother’s limp skirt, her face expres- sive of a mixture of fright and impish- ness quite indescribable. “Naow, Cap’n Payne!” whined ’Tilda, standing before her offspring like a wet and bedraggled hen defend- ing a lone chick, “don’t yeou be too ha’sh. She ain’t meanin’ of no ha’m s “No harm!” snorted the old man, pointing his stick at Sade’s brown and scratched shanks. “ Ain’t you ashamed of havin’ such a lookin’ critter comin’ inter town this ’er way?” “Waal, cap’n, they wears ’em out so fast———” “ Ain’t she’ got no shoes an’ stock- in’s? ” roared Cap’n Payne. “No, she ain’t; ’ceptin’ her Sunday ones,” declared her mother desperately. “Then you put on your bunnit an’ take her “long to Massey’s shop an’ git her a pair of evry day shoes. Tell Massey ter charge ’*em to my account. Start, now! ” *Tilda already had her sunbonnet off, 137 the nail behind the door and was hiding a pleased grin behind the voluminous ~ folds of cambric. “You git her copper-toed ones with leather laces!” said Captain Payne, as the two fled out of the kitchen door. “And,” he shouted after them, “ if I see that gal round here ag’in with bore laigs, Vll take er horsewhip an’ skin ?em for her! ” Belle said nothing, but finally led the old man back to the front of the house. What was the use? He was likely to fly into just as great a passion over whether he should have a soft boiled egg or a poached one for breakfast. His daughter was disturbed over Sade’s presence in town, however. She could not fail to have some inter- est in Dan Crompton after the expe- rience both had undergone when the I'ly-by-Night was wrecked; and happen- ing to see Silly Billy later in the eve- ning, she learned something which further set her thoughts upon the sig- nalman at Block Tower Seven. Billy came ‘to deliver certain of the household wash which, careful house- wife that she was, Belle would not trust to "Tilda Armet. Mrs. Corrigan was an excellent laundress, and “ took in” fine work from several of her richer neigh- bors. “ J—I seen you in Dr. Lester’s auto- mobile, Miss Belle,” said Billy in his hesitating way, lingering at the door. “My, but you all come near gettin’ smashed, didn’t ye?” “Sh!” whispered the girl. want father to know about it.” “Oh, I won’t say a word,” Billy re- turned hoarsely. “ But if it hadn’t been for him a-stoppin’ of that train, it *ud gone plumb inter ye! ” “Who stopped it—the flagman at the crossing ? ” “Oh, no, Miss Belle! Mr. Crompton.” “ Did he do that?” nel the girl. “Yes, Miss Belle. An’ he’s goin’ ter eit inter trouble for it. “The flagman to? me so. That fast freight had Tight of way. I guess there ain’t many folks likes that Mr. Crompton.” “Why not, Billy?” she asked cu- riously. “1 don’t Our boarder, COmiclboookX (C@