Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

ro _ Blandell—after THE STRAY-MAN. “look around ” the stable, Knable gazed at the girl with narrowed, humorous eyes. “You know a gay named Blandell, ma’am?”’ “ Yes,’’ said Helen. She sat erect, watch- ing Knable “intently, her eyes steady, though glinting with wonder.. She thought at first that Knable had lied; that he was a friend of Blandell—until she saw one cor- ner of his mouth droop in an unmistakable sneer. ‘‘I reckon we all know men that ain’t worth knowin’, ma’am,” he continued. “ You ain’t allowin’ Blandell is a friend of yours?” | “No,” said Helen shortly — and Kna- ble’s eyes quickened at the sharpness of her voice. For.a space he silently regarded her; then he said, grinning: “Your Mr. Nelson ain’t no friend of his, either. Mr. Nelson,” he repeated, watch- ing the girl closely. ‘‘ Seems to me a regu- lar guy like him ought to have a handle that a man could use without stiffenin’ his tongue up.” “He has—it is ‘ Shorty.’ ” ‘“‘ Shorty—eh?” Knable grinned wide- ly. He had heard Shorty tell Blandell his name. “ Well, I reckon his friends would call him that. Friend of yours, eh?” ‘“‘ Well — yes,” hesitating and dropping her gaze from Knable’s, while she blushed furiously. “*T was wonderin’. When you said he was ridin’ a red hoss it sort of struck me that you was the girl I heard him men- tionin’.” 6 ‘*¢ Mentionin’?’ Do you -mean that he was talking about me—in town?” Knable grinned at the resentful flash of her eyes. = “Well, I reckon he couldn’t help it. You see, he was explainin’ some things to he’d knocked Blandell down for tryin’ to pull a gun on him.” “Qh!” she said. For an instant she had feared that Shorty had violated the rules of conduct that prevent men from discussing those of the opposite sex; and there. had been sheer relief in her exclama- tion; followed by a quick regret that she had doubted him. 669 “T reckon I ain’t got no business shoot- ‘in’ off my gab about it,” went on Knable. ‘* But it won’t hurt you none to know. An’ it sure was mighty neat work—neat and complete.” ; “Tell me about it, please.” Knable related what had occurred. He did not refer to the part he had played in the drama, devoting his talents to a de- scription of Shorty’s actions, and conclud- ing with a eulogy: “That guy is sure a he-wolf when he gets goin’. He’s big, an’ there’s more man to every inch of him than any guy I’ve ever seen.”’ , Helen was silent for an instant; then she. looked quickly at Knable, “You said you saw him riding east— afterward. Did he leave town?”’ Knable was aware of the breathless in- terest with which she regarded him during a silence. He deliberately lengthened it; looking gravely beyond her as though he were estimating the size of a picture on the wall behind her. And then he answered slowly, with some- thing of the drawl he had used when speak- ing to the crowd of men while holding up the group in Loma: | -“ Did I say he’d left town, ma’am? I reckon not. Lookin’ back, I saw him ride the red hoss into the livery stable. If he’s. got as much sense. as I think he has, he’ll—”’ He paused, then continued eat- ing. _ 8 “You were saying,” prompted the girl. She was leaning forward, eagerly watching him. | Knable grinned at_ her. ma’am, was I sayin’ somethin’?” “Yes,” said Helen. ‘ You were saying: ‘if he’s got as much sense as I think he has, he’ll’— You did not finish.” “IT reckon I’m a box-head, ma’am; I’ve plumb forgot what I was thinkin’ about!” declared Knable. “Qh,” said Helen. Perhaps Knable thought he had mysti- fied the girl with the uncompleted sentence. She could have completed it for him— after a while, when she had mentally re- peated what had immediately preceded it. But that was when she was alone in the “ Shucks, ‘ (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)©) S (C(O) nn