Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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286 “ Found her myself in Brazil, and had her cut two years ago in Frisco. Haven’t seen a girl yet I’d give it to until now, but if you say the word, it’s yours.” He squared himself with an air of com- ing triumph, and Jane smiled. ‘T don’t want it. Please take it off the counter; it might get lost,” she said. ‘““ Diamonds are a little out of place up here in Alaska, and if you want my friendship, . you will have to be a little more respectful than you’ve been in the past, my good man.” The note of disdainful patronage was a momentary and wholly unconscious rever- sion to the Jane of the past, but Malison’s face darkened evilly as he swept up his re- jected peace offering and dropped it into his pocket. “All right!” he muttered savagely. “ But don’t try any of your fine-lady airs on me! I know your kind, and I’ll make you sorry for this before I’m through with you!” For an instant he lowered threateningly at her; then his expression changed swiftly, and, turning, he strode from the store. Jane gasped with relief, and then smiled rather tremulously as Jud appeared in the door. Malison’s ear must have _ been quicker than her own to detect the ap- proach of her ally. “Say, was that there Malison in here again, Miss Jane?” demanded Jud. ‘“ He’s about the worst feller hangs around this town, besides being a Unatika man.” “T told him to go, but I couldn’t very well put him out, could I?” Jane asked. ‘“T don’t see how he dares come in here in ' broad daylight with all your people about; but I didn’t let him know that I knew he wasn’t one of our own men.” “Well, you can the next time he shows his sneakin’ face in here, and mighty quick, too!”’ Jud growled in unaccustomed wrath. “Orders is orders, but I ain’t goin’ to have a feller like him pesterin’ you, Miss Jane! That there gat behind the counter ain’t any more use to you than it would be to a kit- ten, and if I wasn’t a born fool I might ’ve knowed it; but I’m goin’ to get you a watchman’s whistle, and if he or anybody else bothers you, just you blow it. I'll tell THE ARGOSY. the boys that if I ain’t around and they hear it, they are to come in and just nater- ally clean up the store.” ‘IT guess I—I’d like to have it.” Jane heard herself reply, to her own consterna- tion, and she mentally berated her weak- ness. Had she not boasted that she could take care of herself? What had she to fear from that man’s idle threats? The whole thing seemed absurdly melodramatic and unreal, now that he had gone; and rough as the town was, she had met with no molesta- tion elsewhere, save in the store, where ane scream would have brought practically the whole outfit swarming to her aid. She put away the stock, told Jud of her single sale of the razor, and started home to supper with her little chin held very high. She would not be a miserable coward! As she left the store, she paused for a moment to look down toward the water- front where the wharf, deserted now by the hive of workmen who had swarmed over it only a week before, lay steaming in the sun- light after the recent rain. The ore-pockeis which lined its outer edge cast sharp, deep shadows backward, and as Jane looked it. seemed to her that a man darted from one to the other of the pockets. -She could not be sure, the sun was so dazzling and the thick-set figure seemed to have moved so quickly. Her first impulse was to call to Jud, but she reflected that it might be one of the watchmen on guard, and she did not want to appear officious. Jane decided to re- connoiter herself. } She walked slowly. down to the wharf, her feet making no sound on the mud which had sloughed up between the loose boards of the sidewalk, and made her way around the ore-pocket at the end. No one was in sight, and she was on the point of conclud- ing that her eyes must have deceived her when, as she neared the third pocket, a man came hastily around its corner and met her face to face. | For a moment they stood staring, then the man nodded surlily, and, putting his hands in his pockets, strolled past her with an elaborate assumption of nonchalance. Jane stood motionless, watching until his shambling figure had crossed the wharf and cComicbooks.com