Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

268 Her lips were very straight and white and her eyes were alight with scorn and con- tempt. He could even hear her voice as she spoke to him; the words he would never forget: “You killed Krell, the gunfighter Bassett brought over here from Red Mesa. You killed Bassett. Both of them deserved to be killed. But the thought that you killed them is always with me. I have often wondered what your thoughts are. And then I see your other self; when you are gentle, considerate, kindly. That, I think, is the man I am in love with—the Channing who wears no guns. “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.” As when she had actually spoken the words, he drew a deep breath. Well, he had killed one of Vallon’s mur- derers. He was irrevocably committed to ‘go on; he had definitely destroyed his last chance to win Eve. That he had had a chance was at this moment crushingly brought home to him. He had had a chance right along, only he hadn’t known it. He had been too slow witted to discover it. Well; he wasn’t too slow witted to stick to his friends. His lips curved into a slow smile as he dropped off to sleep. Once, in his dreams, he whispered: “Shucks! I was only foolin’, Vallon. Why, I meant all along to take you with me.” CHAPTER XXII. TOWARD LASKAR! OR more than an hour after she had watched Channing ride away, Eve sat motionless on the step leading into the bunk house. She did not know what was going on around her; she did not care. Not once did she look up or change position. She huddled there, no sound coming from her. She had not cried long, for she knew ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the futility of that. But over her had settled a dismaying consciousness of com- plete loss. Not until this moment had she realized how deeply she loved Channing. And she knew that she had loved him all along. She had loved him from the moment, ten years before, when she had first seen him sitting on the post of the corral fence in Red Mesa. She had loved him through the days of her girlhood right on down to the present. And now that she had sent him away from her she loved him more than ever She didn’t in the least care for Wayne Warren. She could think of him dispassion- ately, just as she thought of strange men. She didn’t know him; she didn’t want to. She had no interest in him whatever. But there was an ache in her heart when she thought of Channing. She knew him; she revered him, honored him, worshiped him! She had idealized him from the minute she had first seen him, and now, through an impulse of repulsion for his determination to use his guns to avenge Vallon, she had sent him from her. And she knew he would never come back to her. She was chastened, strangely calm when she finally rose from the step’ She stood for some time in the moonlit space between the bunk house and the corral fence. She was oppressed with a sense of complete isolation. For the first time in her life she had no friend upon whom she might depend. There was no Channing near her to give her a feeling of security. He had always loomed behind her, valiant, trustworthy, eager to defend her, to serve her. Every time any- thing had happened to her she had but to tell Channing about it to be certain that no harm would come to her. Her calmness at this minute was the calm- ness of unconcern. She didn’t care what happened to her; she had no interest in anybody or anything. When she walked along the path that led to the front veranda and saw Betty and Warren sitting close to- gether in a patch of moonlight she was aware of no twinge of jealousy. She had no feeling whatever toward them. Yes, she was conscious of a pulse of contempt for Warren as she observed that he moved slightly away from Betty at her approach. EO LOOO CO) nn