Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

SO THIS IS WEDLOCK! body is supposed to testify. That is, all believers are.” “Then whyn’t they swear me in?” he heatedly asked, testifying having but one connotation for him. ‘I don’t want to tes- tify to nothing, anyhow. You didn’t tip me off they was gonna pull anything like that.” Letty laughed, her easy good nature quickly restored. ‘““T didn’t know the minister would call on you,” she said, “‘ or I would have helped you make up something nice to say. We will be prepared next time.” He secretly assured himself that he would be prepared by being absent; but said noth- ing further about it. At the general store he noted that four or five of the hangers-on still clustered about its darkened portals, among them the tall figure of Micah Shelby. As they passed, he remarked audibly that “ any city dude that tries to steal my girl is go- ing to git whopped some fine day!” The Slapper stopped, but the girl seized his arm and whispered: ‘‘ Please! Don’t stop here. I hate brawls. Come along, for my sake!” He yielded reluctantly. ‘‘ What’s he mean, anyhow? Are you his jane, huh?” ‘““ He’s less than nothing tome! He calls sometimes; I can’t refuse to see him. I dislike him; but he comes of awful nice folks; his father is a deacon in our church.” “TI should worry if his father is a boot- legger and drives his own Rolls-Royce!” threatened the Slapper. ‘‘ He don’t want to get gay with me, or I'll crown him! No rube desperado is gonna bawl me out.” “He isn’t worth your notice,” she in- sisted. “Just a loafer. No, that’s not quite fair, either. He doesn’t loaf. He has more’n a hundred lobster pots set, and owns two fine dories he built himself. Put he is a bully. Everybody will respect you more if you just ignore him.” The Slapper grunted. He wasn’t crazy about being respected, he mumbled; but from where he came, little back talk was taken, and he wasn’t going to begin up here in the bushes. Then he felt that Letty might reasonably take this as a reflection 835 upon her home town, and changed the sub- ject. ‘“Some scenery you got on to-night, girly,” he hazarded. It was always safe to praise them. They all fell for it. Indeed, Letty did smile, partly at his manner of expressing himself. ““Y made it myself,” she admitted. ‘““ From a pattern in a New York fashion magazine.” “Tt mighta come off’n Fift’ Avenoo,” he asserted. ‘‘ Got class to it. Made the other girls look like they was wearing each Other’s things, on a bet.” The days dragged on, not too tediously now that he had Letty to talk to nights, and the kids to play around with daytimes. Sometimes, in emergencies, he helped old man Tucker. As when, rain threatening, and the first crop of hay out, he found how hard it was to pitch it up into the bays of of the big barn; and again during a dry spell, he tugged numberless pails of water to the vegetable patch. He made himself useful to Mrs. Tucker and Letty whenever they would tolerate him about the kitchen, which wasn’t often. Once or twice there were motion pictures at the church vestry; a session in town meeting confirmed his belief in the efficacy of graft and ring rule. Everything was on a much smaller scale than in the city; the rewards were infinitesimal, most of the town officials served without salary. But to his experienced observation, there were little deals being put through, secret agreements carried out. An _ undesirable lot was dumped onto the town for a public im- improvement. A piece of road mending was scamped, leaving somebody a fat profit. Rum running from the Canada line fat- tened certain pockets. These hicks, he reasoned, were as crooked as they dared to be, or the condi- tions permitted. Not all of them, of course; not even most of them. But then, there were straight-shooters even in the big burg! He didn’t come in contact with Micah Shelby, though he saw him nearly every dav. Soon after the experience meeting at the church, Micah called one night upon Letty. She received him, and even sat COMmiclooe S (©