Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

THE SINGLE TRACK. “This cut-a good,” he announced, and, slipping it into his pocket, he turned to go, yet lingered. “Wait a minute,” Jane said on an im- pulse. ‘“ What is your name?” The man hesitated, embarrassed. “Name Pietro.” He paused, and then came shyly toward her once more. ‘ You like-a see my bambino. Got-a de pict, came last-a boat. I never see heem yet, me.” He took a cheap, card-mounted photo- graph from his pocket and thruSt it into her hands. It was none too clean, and bore traces already of much handling; but Jane smiled warmly as she saw the face of a very young, very swarthy baby wrapped in a multitude of shawls. ‘Oh, your baby!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ And you’ve never seen it? It will be quite big when the road is finished and you go back.” The Italian’s smile faded, and he avert- ed his face as he took the little photograph from her. ‘“ Yes-a beeg,”’ he assented simply. “It is a lovely baby!” Jane was touched by the lonely man’s confidence. ‘“ You must tell me about it, and about your wife, some time, Pietro. Where are they?” But Pietro was cgsting uneasy glances over his shoulder and sidling toward the door. ‘““ Some-a time, mees, t’anks. late-a for de job.” He smiled -wistfully once more, nodded, and was gone, while Jane began contem- platively to pick up the remaining razors. The man must be one of the Unatika outfit; his apprehensive glances at the door; his palpable furtiveness and haste, all betrayed him as an interloper. Yet he had been there before more than once, and he had ventured again just to show her his baby’s picture, to gain a word of sympathy and friendliness in this strange, bleak land. If she, in turn, had succeeded in gaining his liking, his friendship, and personal con- fidence had come, could she not later win his confidence in other things, in the mach- inations, perhaps of the company which employed him? He had not looked like the sort of ruffian to be consciously engaged in the treacher- ous work afoot; yet he might be just stupid I go now; 285 enough to do blindly what he was told, and to reveal it with childlike candor later to any one whom he trusted. It might be that she had gained a foothold at last in the task which she had undertaken. So absorbed was she in her cogitations that Jane did not observe when a tall figure darkened the doorway, nor glance up until a hated, well-remembered drawl fell upon her ears. ‘Trade isn’t very brisk to-day, is it, little lady?” Malison lounged familiarly over the counter, his curiously light eyes leering at her. ‘* Brisk enough,” she responded shortly. ‘What do you want?” “Nothing you’ve got to sell.” He straightened and edged nearer. ‘ Just a word with you. Look here, you got sore with me the other day, but let’s forget it and be friends. I was only kidding, and you're the only girl around these diggings that I'd give a whoop for. I don’t mind telling you that you’ve got me going, and I’m some hard to please. There ain’t much a fellow can do to show a girl a good time up in a hole like this, but if you make up and shake hands on it, the next trip of the Queen will bring up for you from Seattle the prettiest—”’ “No, thank you.”’ Jane shook her head. ‘Tm not ‘ sore’ at you, as you say. I am here to sell goods, but not to take any in- solence, and I have no desire to shake hands with you. If you don’t want to buy any- thing, please go.” ‘What a little spitfire!”» He chuckled and made no move toward departure. ‘Mad still, are you? Danged if I don’t like your spirit; but what’s the talk of a kiss or two among friends? For we’re go- ing to be friends yet, little lady. I had my eye on you from the first day you landed, and if I started out wrong, why, I’m willing to admit it- Know what this is?” He had reached into his pocket and tossed out upon the counter a small object which glinted with a myriad darts of fire. ‘“A diamond!” Jane exclaimed, startled in spite of herself at the incongruity of the thing there among the sacks of tobacco and boxes of razors. “And a_ beauty!” Malison nodded. COMME _OOKS' com —