Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

308 After a morrent of staring, during which Mamie and Jerry kept sitence, he broke out: “ You’re crazy, girl.” Mamie said nothing. There was a far- away look in her eyes. Her mind seemed to be back home with the mother she had lost. She scarcely seemed to see the blustering little man before her. Manners turned to Jerry. ‘““ She’s took leave of her senses,” he told Jerry, “‘ but maybe you got a grain of yours left. You can’t do nothin’ to me. This girl’s mother lays sick at home. If I get arrested and tell everything about myself, it ‘ll kill Mrs. McBride. You goin’ to let her death lay at your door because you are bound and determined to have your own way?” A great light broke for Jerry. He saw that somehow or other Mamie had been successfully threatened by this man_be- cause she had sought to protect the mother who was ill. That explained a great many things. It explained why Mamie refused to marry him. He turned to her. “TI begin to see things straight a little, honey,” he said. “ But didn’t you think my shoulders would be broad enough to carry any load that was dumped down be- fore you? Why didn’t you marry me when I asked you to a couple of times?” “Oh, Jerry, I couldn’t. This man came to me and told me he killed a man years ago when he and another man named Andy Gregg got into a row down in the—the Jungle. He threatened to give himself up to the police if I didn’t take care of him. He had learned that my mother had in- herited my grandfather’s property. He de- manded that I give him most of my salary while my mother lived and all of mother’s estate when she died. “T had to promise, Jerry, because mother cculd not stand the least shock, Any ex- citement, the doctor said, would kill her. I had to protect mother, Jerry, and so I promised him, It was disgraceful, dishon- est, and I felt that I couldn’t marry you, Jerry, till I was free of it, till IT could at least come to you and tell you the truth. I was to give him thirty dollars a month out of my salary, and he would have about four thousand dollars when mother died.” ae THE ARGOSY. ‘He'll not have it,’ Jerry said. ‘“ He'll spend a good many years behind the bars on one charge and another.” He wheeled on Manners. “ Come on, you, and get out of here,” he said. ‘It’s the police-station for you.” But Manners only laughed harshly, scornfully. “Ts that so?” he demanded. “It’s so,” said Jerry. ‘ Why not?” Manners looked at Jerry insolently. His expression was like that of the sneering gambler who plays the high card at the last. ‘ Because,” he said, ‘“ you poor fish, I’m the girl’s father.” CHAPTER ‘XIII. JERRY FLAGS A TRAIN, G TUPIFIED, Jerry turned to Mamie. Mamie was pale, but she returned Jerry’s gaze with steady eyes. * [t’s true,” she nodded. ‘““And he’s a murderer!” Jerry said. “Yes,” the man broke in, “I helped Andy Gregg kill Black Jack Thompson years ago. We got into a fight with him and we put him out of business. O’ course, we had to run-away from here. In time Gregg died and I went along by my lone- some. I got picked up in Denver five years ago and they hooked a robbery onto me, But I didn’t commit it. They sent me to prison. I just got out a bit ago. I come back here because I was gettin’ old and I wasn’t clever nor strong any more. I had to find a place to light. ‘“So I Come back here, sure that nobody would recognize me. I laid low for a while and then I looked up Mamie and see that she had a good forty-dollar-a-month job and that her mother had come into some property. i don’t see why a girl ain’t got a perfect right to help her old father, and I guess I’m entitled to a share in my wife’s property. I don’t see it no other way.” There was a triumphant note in the old renegade’s voice, and there was triumphant insolence in his eyes as he looked at Jerry. “And after you had browbeaten your own daughter, you went down to Sven Jen- ee Gomichdoo C (C@