Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

680 and whinnied recognition. But the second figure did not approach Red King; it was met by the first figure, who had seemingly deserted the horse. “‘ Shorty,” said the second figure, some- what breathlessly, “‘ you are not going for a ride at this time of night!” “T was thinkin’ of it, ma’am,”’ said Shorty. ‘“‘ You see, I ain’t done any ridin’ lately, an’ I’m gettin’ kind of lonesome.” “But your wound! Why, you wouldn’t ride very far until you had a relapse.” Shorty laughed. “I reckon it wouldn't hurt me a heap, ma’am.” “‘ Shorty,” she said, severely, her voice very low; “ you were not going for a ride —you were going away.” Shorty did not answer. “Weren’t you? Tell me the truth!” “TI reckon I was, ma’am.”’ “And without saying a word to me—to any one?” Shorty was silent. “‘ Shorty,” she said, ‘‘ why were you go- ing away?” To-night there was a moon, and by its light Shorty could look into the girl’s eyes. What he saw there puzzled him, as he had been puzzled that day. “Well, I’ve sort of give it up, ma’am,” he said, smiling. “‘'You’ve given what up?” ne voice was very gentle. “T’ve sort of give up the idea of findin’ the man who killed Larry, ma’am. What you said about it not bein’ lawful accordin’ to God an’ man to kill anybody has sort of got me to thinkin’ that mebbe God knows what he’s doin’ in lettin’ a man live who has killed another. You see, I come here to kill a man, if I found him. But since I’ve got here I’m seein’ things some differ- ent. doin’ it. That was not entirely Shorty’s reason. He knew that Helen Kelton knew her father was Larry’s murderer; and he suspected - that in time—perhaps not through her tell- ing him, but in some mysterious way which time and the sequence of events would provide—Kelton would discover that his An I’m intendin’ to go back, “without . ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. daughter knew. And the mental punish- ment that would follow would be worse than any physical punishment that Shorty could administer. And if he had been mis- taken; if Helen did not know—which was entirely possible despite the emotion she had betrayed that day—he had decided that he would never tell her. He was now sorry that he had come at all; he regretted causing the girl the mental agony she must have endured for the two weeks following his return to consciousness. Had he known what he knew at this minute he would have wished Blandell’s bullet had finished him. He had had serious thoughts toward Helen; he had drawn mental pictures of her gracing a house he would build for her. But, of course, that had been: merely a dream, depending upon his success in pay- ing court to her. The dream, of course, had been shat- tered; he had awakened to find that cir-. cumstances had conspired to make a mar- riage with her impossible. He might for- give Kelton for the killing of Larry, but there could be no genuine happiness be- tween the three of them with them all pos- sessing knowledge of Kelton’s guilt. Such a situation could not endure—could not be. And so he intended to return to the Circle L, to take up the old life where he had left it, and make the best of the incident. To be sure, he would never forget that had things been different he might have been able to make those vague dreams come true. He might even have— ‘“Shorty!’’ Helen’s voice interrupted his — thoughts. “Yes, ma’am.” “Do you mean that you have found Larry’s murderer and are deliberately go- ing away without punishing him?” ‘““T reckon that’s about it, ma’am.”’ “Shorty,” she said, her voice leaping, “who killed Larry?” “I ain’t reckonin’ to mention it, ma’am. " “You must! I want to know—I will know!” ““T reckon you won’t, ma ’am—not by me tellin’ you.” This story will be continued in next week’s issue of the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, the consolidated title under which both magazines will appear hereafter as one. 6)(0)©) mG (C(O) S