Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

260 “Those other times have gone. I have forgiven you. You did what you thought was right; you were defending yourself. But if you deliberately follow those men, and kill them, you will be doing murder. And I think—I—I—know, I shall never want to see you again.” He drew a deep breath. Then he crossed the floor and stood close to her in the door- way. She turned to permit him to pass her and the moonlight shone full upon her face, showing him how white she was and revealing the firmness of her lips and the resolute light in her eyes. He bowed to her, his hat dangling from a hand, his hair almost touching her cheen. “T’m sorry, ma’am,” he said; “I was hopin’ it would be different. Ill say good- by to you.” ; He held out a hand to her, but she stood very erect and affected not to see it. She was looking him straight in the eyes, and she saw his face whiten. Then he had stepped down from the bunk house door. She stood, looking at him while he unhitched the horse. Her lips opened when he mounted and urged the animal down along the corral fence, but no sound came. He did not look around. And presently, when horse and rider grew dim in her vision she sank down in the doorway, covered her face with her hands and cried: “Larry! Larry! Larry!” CHAPTER XX. {4 Now! 9 HANNING rode northwestward, the moon at his back. He had not gone into the house to take a last look at Vallon because he wanted to remember his friend as he had known him in the old days when he had been full of life and vitality. Heading toward Laskar, the ghostly land stretching before him and regret for the grim necessity of his going making his heart heavy, he was aware that it was not upon Eve that his thoughts were centering, but upon Ned Vallon. Because he had never really hoped to win Eve he was not afflicted with a very great ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. sensation of loss. She had practically ad- mitted that she loved him, and yet he could not understand why she should. He had never been attractive to women; had never tried to be. He had done no posing; he had never pretended; he had been him- self. He felt right now that Eve was mis- taken. She had liked him. That was well enough. But it was strange that knowing him all these years she had not until a few minutes ago discovered that she loved him. The thing that had really persuaded Eve to make that confession was, be believed, nothing more than a horror of bloodshed, concern for him as a friend. She didn’t want any more killing; she didn’t want him to be killed. More than once she had warned him to be careful. Even while en- gaged to Warren she had warned him. But even if she did love him he would have to go on. It was just like life to serve him a mean trick like that, though; to bring him within sight of happiness and then roughly drag him away from it. It was right in line with everything that hap- pened to him. He had always just missed things that amounted to something. No ful- fillment, no complete satisfaction. Never, from the beginning. A glimpse, nothing more. He was wrong there, though. There had been complete satisfaction in his regard for Ned Vallon. Their friendship had been close. They knew each other. There had never been any need of words between them. He understood Vallon; Vallon understood him. Could any woman comprehend the com- pleteness of the friendship that had existed between himself and Vallon? He thought not. Eve did not or she would not have suggested forebearance on his part. She would not have even mentioned an alter- native. If she had understood how things were between himself and Vallon she would have said nothing; she would have known that what she had asked was impossible. He told himself that the sacrifice wasn’t hurting him any. And yet as he rode the dim trail northwestward his face was white with emotion and deep, new lines had come into it. GOMIIGoOO S CO nn