The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

LADIES DON’T COUNT. “ Look at him! Don’t it make you sick to see a feller what uses perfume onto himself? Course you can’t dance with some women ’thout gettin’ all smelled up with perfume; but you know what I mean —a man who puts the stuff on hisself.” “ Yes, I know,” Bigger answered softly. ‘“ Bright says the reason he uses perfume isso he won’t smell the hemlock and bal- sam and spruce that woodsmen has on their clothes.” ' “ He said that!’’ Red blurted out. Then, becoming conscious of the pair of glittering eyes directed at him from the face of the lady on his left, he subsided. ‘As the figure ended, he plowed his way across the hall to the doorway, followed by Jim. “T see Bright got yer gal, Red,” Pete Lansley grinned. “ That ain’t all he’s goin’ to get,” Red snarled. For a minute it seemed as if Red would go charging across the dance-hall and start something right there, but on second thought, having learned that the time was only 2.15 A.M., he retired down-stairs. Most of his camp-mates followed him, for they had little or no interest in the danc- ing. “Did he bluff you out?” some one asked unwisely. Red, perturbed by his inward uneasi- ness, welcomed the diversion which the question offered. He turned on the man and, after a futile effort to control his tongue, burst into a profusion of wilder- ness vituperation. It was a welcome relief to Red. It made him feel better. He had had his feelings pent in for so long that he hadn’t been able to think straight. He had been laboring under some kind of emotion which prevented his seeing what to do and how to do it. He now swaggered up to the bar and called all hands. He had a manner of holding his head which indicated much to those who knew Red Hamblin. It was plain to be seen that he had stood just about all that he was going to stand from 281 anybody, let alone from Bill Bright. Red Hamblin didn’t have anything much against Bill Bright, but he didn’t have to take anything he didn’t want to take from any man. ‘“Tve always treated Bill Bright like a man,” Red said in a calm voice to Jim Bigger. ‘“‘ You know that. But when he goes around insinuatin’ that I smell like balsam, an’ takin’ my girl away from me, an’ puttin’ on airs, pretendin’ he can wear a white collar to dances where I go to just as well as not, things is just about gone far enough.” Red stalked toward the door and then — made his way up-stairs. He did not hurry; he stopped and talked to two or three people he knew, just to show how cool he was. He met Dora Hearn on the second floor and asked her if she wouldn’t dance the next set with him. ‘‘ Just a minute, Red!” she exclaimed as she patted her coiffure and replaced a hairpin or two. In another minute she was returning eagerly to the ballroom, where a set was forming. There were plenty of vacant places around the outer sets, but Red passed them by until he came to the head set opposite the music. This set was full. At the foot stood a stranger with a long arm and broad shoulders. Red looked at the head, where there was a little rosy-cheeked young man with a white collar and bright-blue neck- tie. The little young man was smoking a cigarette. . Red crossed the opening as if he was going to speak to the fiddler. As he passed the little man he stepped on the other’s patent-leather shoes so hard that the youth sat upon the platform with much violence. The young man, seeing the woodsman and his large female ally, stepped quickly back and disappeared. ‘Two more couples this way!” Bill Bright called from the second set over. “One more couple this way!” “He didn’t see you!” giggled Dora as COMMICLOOOKS (C@