The Argosy, Vol. 82, No. 3 — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

» 550 “That’s the idea, my boy,’ said the judge. “Make them believe you think it was a joke, even if you know to the con- trary.” Sing Lee made ready a substantial din- ner, to which Reeves did full justice. Lady Ann and Ma Bobbett came to the adobe just as the judge and Reeves were getting up from the table. “Marty!” exclaimed the girl, running for- ward. ‘‘We were so worried about you!” “La, sakes,” bubbled Ma Bobbett, “I tried to tell Liddy Ann all the time it was just a joke of some sort. I couldn’t think for a minute you was in real trouble, Mar- tin.” “How is Ezra?” asked the judge. The face of the older woman clouded. “Somethin’ powerful heavy weighs on Ezra’s mind, judge,” she answered. “He ain’t so bad as he was since he got that word from you, but he just mopes around like nearly the hull time. You'll look to him before: long, judge, won’t you?” she finished anxiously. “Be sure of that. Ezra will soon be out of his troubles, and he’ll be rewarded in a way that will surprise him. Now, don’t ask any questions, please. I’m about to start for Penyan, and I’m in a tearing hurry. When I get back I am going to tell Bobbett a story that will take a load off his mind and make him feel twenty years younger.” Reeves was surprised at the change in Mrs. Bobbett. She was along in years, but had held her age well until coming to Nug- get Notch. Now she had grown old in a few days, and her face was gray and hag- gard. Her husband’s troubles weighed upon her, of course, but it did not seem possible that these alone had wrought that fearful change in Ma Bobbett. Reeves guessed that something else—something that had to do with Lady Ann—was helping to destroy the older woman’s peace of mind. The callers remained only a few minutes, and when they went away the judge looked after them with sympathy glowing in his eyes. “The Bobbets are in a bad way,” he re- marked, “but they’ll soon weather the storm and come into pleasanter waters. Ill know before long whether Lady Ann has the fine, high spirit you talk about or whether she is just common clay. She is going to be tested, Reeves.” THE ARGOSY, “She is pure gold,” declared Reeves, earnestly, “‘and will stand any test. Her anxiety to help Ezra Bobbett, at any cost to herself, ought to make her character plain.” “Tt is a straw in the wind,” admitted Judge Brand. That afternoon the judge started for Pen- yan. He went in the democrat wagon with Robbins, however, and did not call upon Catamount Cal, the stage and the mules. ‘“What’s the judge up to now, Reeves?” Castle inquired. The Tenderfoot pleaded ignorance. “This show seems to have been staged for his especial benefit,’’ Castle went on, “and it’s a good thing for us while it lasts. I can’t pry anything out of Robbins, though, and whenever I mention the judge he shuts up like a clam. ‘Everything around the camp is moving nicely except at the Bazar. I went in there for some tobacco this morning, and Mrs. Bobbett had her head on the counter and was crying in her apron. Mighty unusual for the old lady to shed tears. What in blazes is the matter?” Reeves had nothing to say. “I wanted to put on the stage hold-up,” continued Castle, ‘‘along with the Vigilance Committee, the gun fight and the fake lynching, but Robbins is afraid the judge would become too active and clean up the committee and every one else. About all the Forty-niners have to do is to loaf along and make their grub-stakes grow in the hope of winning a prize. Can you beat this for a lay-out? Did you ever hear of any- thing like it?” Reeves answered that it was a most re- markable situation, and got away from Castle and went back to the judge’s adobe. It was four days before Judge Brand and Robbins returned to Nugget Notch. Noth- ing worthy of record had happened in the camp. . Jim Rayner and Don Quesada had de- veloped a sudden fondness for horseback rides, and hardly a day passed that they were not abroad somewhere in the saddle. Reeves watched them coming or going, and he wondered a little as to what they might be up to. The judge brought a number of blank — “location” notices from Penyan, and before supper, on the day of his return, he filled out one of them. When he had finished with the notice he made a copy, and the duplicate he handed to Reeves. EOPMIELOOOL< (C@)