The Argosy, April 1916 — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

372 collar, but the late occupant had vanished out of the thick smoke into the thin air absolute and complete. It is astonishing how quickly a man can remove himself from unpleasant surroundings once he takes the notion. Zeke turned the coat over and noticed some papers sticking out of the inside pocket. He pulled them out and we all gathered around to examine them. One was a warrant for Bud’s arrest on the charge of horse stealing, but the other seemed to be a sort of contract, which read as follows: In consideration of certain agreements | made between John Mallory, party of the first part, and Robert Morris, party of the second part, the said Robert Morris hereby relinquishes, transfers and releases to said John Mallory, all interests in the estate of their late uncle, the late Phineas Morris—and so on and so on. “These two documents don’t hitch up worth a whoop!” exclaimed Zeke. ‘Looks like we’d overlooked a bet somewhere. Scatter around, boys, and see if you can find that deputy.” We found him after a long hunt, hiding in an empty freight car on the siding, and Zeke took him into the seclusion of the back room at the Red Front for an inter- view. Pretty soon he called Bud in, and _ after another confab they all came out, two of them smiling and the other looking sicker than ever. “T’m going home with Cousin John, after all,’ Bud announced. “We leave on the midnight.” “And what do you know about it!” cried Zeke. ‘This pie-biter didn’t have any THE ARGOSY, criminal charge against Bud at all! That warrant was a fake, and Johnny is, too, so far as his being a deputy sheriff is con- cerned. It seems that Uncle Phineas got religion before he died, and that his one pet sob from then on was that he had so mis- used his nephew, Bud. “He plumb forgave him for stealing that horse, and to partly square himself with the next world he willed Bud three-fourths of his fortune, and put it up to Johnny to see that he got it. In other words, Johnny was to get the other quarter when he lo- cated Bud and turned his share’over, and if he didn’t find him within a reasonable time the whole fortune was to go to a college. “Well, Johnny locates Bud. At first he intended to do the square thing and take his little quarter of the estate, but he gath- ered a point or two from the telegrams that passed between him and Spud, and hatches the cute little idea that mebbe he can grab the. whole works by throwing a scare into Bud. So he frames up this little horse- stealing’ stunt, appoints himself deputy sheriff and comes romping out here with the notion that he will get Bud to sign over his interest in the estate in consideration that he drop the horse-stealing charge. He’d have done it, too, if we hadn’t pulled off our little wild and woolly and scared him out of his senses. Bud was plumb averse to go- ing back to face that charge.” “T ain’t averse to going home now,” grinned Bud. ‘But I’m coming back, boys. I belong to the West, I do. I’m collecting a little matter of sixty thousand dollars and when I: get back here I'll square accounts with all of you for helping me into it. You sure done your shootingest!”’ TWILIGHT IS candle time, when lights are lit, The happiest hour? How exquisite The ladies look, in bright brocade— A lovely feminine brigade— With puff and powder, wealth and wit! In the dim room, where shadows flit, They drink their tea and cordials; sit In state and splendor. Rightly made Is candle time. Ah! it is meet, supremely fit That life should move like this. They quit The garden when the cloth is laid, Pull up their chairs, and draw the shade, Whisper, with nodding heads; for it Is scandal time! Charles Hanson Towne. MICLOOOK C@