The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

280 looks the way some men does when they gets married.” “You wait ‘ll you see him next time,” Red growled. Then, beseechingly: ‘““What’s got into you, anyhow, Dory? You never paid much attention to them smarty, dancin’-master kind of fellers.”’ ‘““Oh, I was jes’ foolin’, Red. I was talkin’ to Jim Bigger, and he told me you was tearin’ around about Bill there. He ain’t done a day of work in five years— his wife’s got a little money, they say.” ‘““T knowed she must have somethin’ to kind of make up what she lacks in heft,” Red nodded. “She’s got an awful temper, I heard say,” Dora resumed after a promenade and a swing. ‘“‘ When she gets mad, she flies all to pieces, just like a cat. She’s awful!” “Fer a woman, I s’pose,’’ Red admitted. * But ladies don’t count in a fight—you know what I mean?” “ Oh, I know all right,” Dora simpered. ~ * But; of course, ladies don’t count.” “You know what I mean. What you rubbin’ it in for, anyhow?” ‘Because ladies don’t count.” smiled ironically. Red stormed away on grand-right-and- left. Dora’s tongue had tamed more than one logger up West Creek. Moreover, she had refused forty offers of marriage, pre- ferring to be a cook in a log-camp, with forty “ fellows” to living in a lonesome cabin in the woods clearing as the wife of one woodsman. ‘When I begin to get homely, like’s not I'll up and git married,” she told some. But Red Hamblin bragged that he had never asked her, nor any other woman, to marry him. Some one had told Dora of Red’s boast since she had met him, and now Red was undergoing the strange sen- sation of being absorbed without knowing just how it happened. He took Dora to supper with him, and danced with her the first set afterward. When she went away with Bill Bright for the second set after supper, Red had a Dora THE ARGOSY. curious feeling of having been rebuked for something he hadn’t done, but which he had been accused of doing. Not that Red knew what it was. Not in the least. But Dora did. Red, thus suddenly left alone when he had been enjoying clever and entertaining company for two hours, backed away from the sets that had been formed, and took refuge against the wall near the music. He became conscious of a very small wo- man sitting very erect in the chair next to him. Her eyes were like some gray pre- cious stone, they shone so brightly. She was watching every move of Bill Bright and Dora Hearn. Red observed the direction of her gaze. He also noticed that while Dora was as fond as ever, Bill Bright, at intervals, glanced nervously in the direction of the tart little woman next to Red, who was Mrs. Bright. “Ain’t she disgustin’!’’ Red heard the little woman mutter under her breath. Red grinned as he watched Bright. ‘Why, that man’s scared of a woman,”’ Red said to himself. ‘‘ Take a man that’s nervous er kind of shook up an’ he’s easy to beat up.”’ When Red’s gaze roamed around the room he saw that most of the Black Creek camp boys had come up from below. They were scattered around the hall watching the dancing without much ob- vious interest. Their real expectations were centered around Red, as Red soon realized. : Somehow, it had got around that Red Hamblin and Bill Bright had it in for each other. Red had not heard much about it till Jim Bigger came around and sat down beside him. | ‘“ Bill Bright told the boys he was goin’ to steal your girl, Red,” Bigger whispered. “T kind of thought you’d ought to know he was talkin’.” “1 ain’t talkin’, Red whispered back. “Tf that feller’s lookin’ for somethin’ to happen, it ‘Il sure happen, Jim. You know I ain’t never looked for no trouble, but I don’t let any man abuse me. COmmiCooOolks (C@