Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

THE SINGLE anything to you or—or just looks, you let me know. I’m pretty generally on the job.” ‘Thank you!” There was a little catch in Jane’s voice, and as he departed she watched his lanky figure disappear in the rain with a new warmth about her heart. She had made ‘a possible enemy of the man with the queer, light eyes, but she felt that at least she had made one friend in this hulking, kindly fellow, and the first tenta- tive move in the task she had set for her- self was accomplished. CHAPTER X. JANE ROLLS UP HER SLEEVES, *"F“HERE ain’t a might of use talkin’ to me, deary,”’ Ma Heaney observed as she seated herself heavily on Jane’s groan- ing bed. ‘“ I knew from the minute I laid eyes on you that you wasn’t fit for this kind of life, and woman to woman, I think your pa was an old fool to bring you up here.” ‘But, Mrs. Heaney, I like the store, and Mr. Pittinger is so nice!” Jane pro- tested, looking up from the bag which she was unpacking before the other’s frankly curious gaze. Ma Heaney shook her head. “They ain’t all like Jud,” she respond- ed. ‘The Unatika outfit’s the worst, but the Northern Star ain’t exactly a celestial choir, and as for the miners and hands from the cannery— I come from a big city my- self — Chicago — and I’ve traveled some since, but this town "Il have ’em all backed off the map for trouble when the real ruc- tion starts.” “ What—er—ruction?” asked Jane. “When them two outfits comes to grips,” the other explained. ‘“ I was think- in’ some of sellin’ out myself and mushin’ down to Seattle, but I ain’t never been run out of any town yet, and I don’t propose to vamose now just because there’s liable to be a battle. It’s no place for a little soft thing like you, though. Now, if you was to go down to Tacoma, and get in a nice, pretty millinery store, or open an _ ice- cream parlor—”’ TRACK. 277 Jane laughed. “Tm not going to run away, either!” she declared. ‘“ But do you really think it will come to an open fight, Mrs. Hea- ney?” “It’s fixin’,” predicted her iandlady. “ There’s been no gun-play yet, but when the work starts on the road next week the Unatika people ‘Il likely come out in the open. My!” she broke off to exclaim. “Those are sure pretty things! But what in time you brought ’em up here to work in for—”’ ao Jane looked in some dismay at the plain but fine lingerie which billowed out of the bag. ‘It’s all very simple,” she protested. ‘* So are them toilet things, but not for Katalak,” retorted Ma Heaney. ‘“ Them dresses, too, that I took out of your trunk this morning to keep from gettin’ rumpled —if I was you, and you're lookin’ to make some real money, I’d sell ’em to the girls. You'll get three times what you paid for = ‘What girls?” interrupted Jane. Ma Heaney’s voluminous bulk twisted somewhat uncomfortably, and her face reddened. “Well, them that do what you’d call kind of a vaudeville act at the dance halls. I could sell ’em for you. There’s Etta and May and Pearl—” “Ts one of them young and thin and tired-looking, with rather pretty eyes?” queried Jane suddenly. “I saw her at the restaurant last night.” Ma Heaney nodded. ‘““That’s Etta Carney. She’s stuck on Hugh Malison, and he used to meet her in there reg’lar, but he’s kinder given her the cold shoulder now. He’s got the same job with the Unatika outfit that big Jim Bow- ers has with the Northern Star, and I sus- picion that he knows somethin’, one way or another, about them ‘accidents’ that have been happenin’. But here I sit gos- sipin’ when I got a hull floor to clean!” She rose and waddled reluctantly to the door. ‘You let me know, deary, if you decide to sell any of your things, and I'll fix it for you.” Left alone, Jane sat still on the floor in Gomichbooks >