Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

THE TRAIL HORDE. get. foot notions about hisseli—why, it ’d make it pretty hard for the girl to get along with him.” He grinned. ‘“ But accordin’ to what I hear, Kane ain't goin’ to marry no ignora- mus exactly, for he’s took a shine to Ruth Hamlin, Willets’s school teacher. She’s. got a heap of brains, that girl, an’ I reckon she’d lope alongside of Kane, wherever he went.” ) Fhe woman frowned. “Is Mr. Lawler going to marry Ruth Hamlin?”’ Corwin looked sharply at her. “ What do you suppose he’s fannin’ up to. her for?” he demanded. ‘ Neither of them is a heap flighty, Ereckon. An’ Kane will marry her if shell have ee ee to the way things generally go.”’ ‘Fhe woman smiled as she left Cozwin and: jomed the older woman at the front of the store. She smiled as she talked with the other woman, and she smiled as they both walked out of the store and climbed into @ buckboard. The smile was one that would have puzzled Corwin, for it was im- scrutable, baffling. Only one thing Corwm might have seen in it—determination. And that might have puzzled him, also. CHAPTER VI. CONVICTION. AY SIMMONS, the freight agent; was - tilted comfortably im a chair near a win- dow, looking out upon the railroad platform wher Lawler stepped into the office. The office was om the second floor, and from a side window the agent had seen Lawler coming toward the station from Warden’s office. He had previously been sitting near the side window, but when he saw Lawler ap- proaching the station he drew his chair to one of the front windows. - And now, apparently, he was surprised to: see Lawler, for when the latter opened the door of the office Simmons exclaimed, with © Well, if it ain’t Kane Lawler!” Simmons. was a rotund man, bald, with red hair that had a faded, washed-out ap- pearance. His eyes were large, pale blue 499 in color, with a singularly ingratiating ex- pression which was made almost yearning by light, colorless lashes. Simmons’s eyes, however, were unreliable as an index to his character. One could not examine very far into them. They seemed to be shallow, baffling. Simmons did not permit his eyes to betray his thoughts. He used them as masks to hide from prying eyes the things that he did not wish others to see. ‘“Come a visitin’, Lawler?” asked Sim- mons as Lawler halted midway in the recom amd smiled faintly at the greeting he re- ‘““ Not exactly, Simmons.” ‘* Not exactly, eh? I reckon that means you've got. some business. I’ll be glad to help you out—if I can.” ‘“T’m gomg to ship my beef cattle, East, Simmons, and I’m waiting cars for then— eight thousand head.” Simmons stil sat in the chair beside’ the window. He now pursed his lips, drew his brows. together, and surveyed Lawler medi- tatively. “Fight thousand head, eh? Sort of whooped ’em up this season, didn’t you? Vreckon Gary Warden took ’em all?” “Warden and I couldn’t get together. _ I'm shipping them East, myself.” “ Consignin’ ’em to who?” “They’ll go to Legget and Mellert.”’ “ H-m; they’re an independent concern, ain’t they?” ‘Yes; that’s the firm my father shipped ta before jim Lefingwell opened an office here. wT Simmions squinted his eyes at Lawler. - “H-m,” he said. Then he was silent, seemingly meditating. Then he shook his head slowly from side to side. Apparently he was gravely considering a problem and could find no solution for it. He cleared his throat, looked at Lawler, then away from him. “T reckon it’s goin’ to be a lot bother- some to ship that bunch of stock, Lawler— a heap bothersome. There’s been half a dozen other owners in to see me within the last week or so, an’ I couldn’t give then no encouragement. There ain’t an empty car in the State.” JOO > a (CO) SS (C(O)