The Argosy, Vol. 82, No. 3 — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

THE OLD WEST was plain that his spirit shrank from the statement he was to make, but equally plain that his will was driving him relent- lessly. “T said,” he continued, “that Liddy Ann ain’t of my blood. That was right. I said further that she came into our hands when a child wearin’ a certain nugget chain. Liddy took my word for that, and she be- lieved it because I said it was a fact. Well, it was a lie. I never saw that nugget chain until Jim Rayner gave it to me the day of the baile.” Lady Ann threw a surprised glance at Bobbett, amazed to hear of such duplic- ity. “T knew that the same as Ezra,” put in Ma Bobbett, ‘“‘but I let the lie pass—to my everlastin’ shame. I reckoned it would kill me, in the days that followed, but I had a duty to perform by Ezra. Had I told the truth about that chain, Jim Rayner swore he would send Ezra to prison. So I kept still,” sighed Ma Bobbett, “‘and Liddy Ann and the judge were deceived.” Ezra moved over and put an arm about his wife. Side by side they stood, ready to suffer in the eyes of men if spiritually they might be redeemed. “T lied again that night,” Ezra proceeded, “when I told the jedge that Liddy’s real name was Adams. It wasn’t Adams, but Weaver. Liddy was never in Moccasin, Utah, and no more was mother or me. Weaver was killed in New Mexico by an explosion of giant powder in the mines, and when he was dyin’ he asked us to take Liddy. I loved her—ma and I both loved - her—as our own; she knowed she didn’t belong to us, but she hadn’t an idea as to her right name.” Lady Ann, white and slender, stood against the wall of the office, staring with wide eyes at Ezra Bobbett. “Leave her.alone, Reeves,” whispered the judge to the Tenderfoot, laying a restrain- ing hand on his arm. ‘“Here’s the test— let’s see how she takes it.” -Reproach rose in the girl’s face, reproach tinged with horror at the false position in which she had been placed. That look went to Ezra Bobbett’s soul. Leaving his wife, he took a step toward Lady Ann and put out his hands appealingly. “Girl,” said he hoarsely, “‘you know the holt Jim Rayner had on me. It was his scheme. He knowed about Loreeny Adams, about Hugh Adams, about Judge Brand 12 A PER CONTRACT. 561 lookin’ for his old pardner’s child in the West. When he says what ma and me are to do, and when he backs it up with a threat, how was I to go ag’inst him? “Jim Rayner wanted fifty thousand dol- lars of the money that was comin’ to Lo- reeny Adams. If he could make the jedge think you was the daughter of his old pard- ner, you’d come in for a big fortun’. And Gentleman Jim would get his commission by holdin’ over me the shootin’ o’ Pecos, on the Purgatoire. “Don’t be lookin’ at me like that, Liddy. I know I should ’a’ told Rayner to do his worst, but—but I hadn’t the nerve. Now I’m tryin’ to set things right. You ain’t no right to the money comin’ to Loreeny Ad- ams. I’m—lI’m sorry, but that’s the fact. But there’s no cause for you to blush at bein’ a Weaver. A whole man your father was, and could hold up his head with the best of ’em. Liddy, ain’t you got a word to say to ma or me?” The old man’s voice trailed plaintively off into silence. Lady Ann turned from him to look at the judge. “T’ll have to tell you, Lady Ann,” said the judge, “‘that I knew all along there was underhand work in this. I did not say so before, as I wanted to find out who was re- sponsible for the crookedness. Jim Rayner was in Moccasin, Utah, when my old part- ner, Adams, died there. He secured the nugget chain at that time. He knew of Judge Brand’s search for Lorena Adams in the West, and he learned that Judge Brand was coming to the camp in Nugget Gulch. So he made his plans regarding you ac- cordingly. “There was just one thing Rayner did not know, however, and it was mighty import- ant to the success of his work. He did not recognize Judge Brand as ‘Pecos,’ and he had not learried that Lorena Adams was found, that her property had been restored to her, and that she is now living, married and happy in Denver.” There was a quiver in Lady Ann’s lips. Slowly she made her way to Ezra and Ma Bobbett, put an arm about each of them and drew their old, withered faces close to hers. “Then I won't have to leave you, after all,” said she; ‘‘we’ll be together just as we. have always been!” ‘““Reeves,’’ murmured the judge, in the silence that followed, “you were right. She COPMICLOOKS (E@)