Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

90 and part of the forencon he had tramped, stopping only occasionally for a bite to eat or to drink at wild streams. Again he was in a fearful state of mind, torn of bédy and frayed of nerves. He stood on the railroad, doubtful as to which way Hackett lay and with the hot sun burning down upon his weary head. | He guessed right and started off down the track toward Hackett, too reckless now even to seek the shade of the forest on either hand. There were telegraph lines into Hackett and before he came te the town’s edge he roused from his stumbling lethargy suffi- ciently to make plans to avoid the houses. He would circle the town and come to his friend’s cabin on the other side. He would lurk in the near-by woods watil nightfall. He arrived almost at the town and then swung off into the woods. But he had been Marshal Freeland was a very suspicious marshal. Had Roper gone straight into ' town maybe the official, who was driving a horse and buggy on a near-by road, would have given him but scant attention. But Freeland saw him skulking into the woods, and he tied his horse and followed. He trailed Roper through the woods and clear around the town, and saw the fugi- tive fling off his pack and his hat, and sink to the ground. In a moment Roper lay flat on his back, with a grassy hummock fer a CUPID’S THE ARGOSY. pillow. His face—and forehead—were in Then Marshal Freeland dropped his gun lessly obeyed, stretching his hands upward. The marshal came close and intently scruti- nized the fugitive’s forehead. The gaze shet’a fresh rush of terror through Roper. “Youre Dan Roper,” Freeland an- nounced, positively. “Yes,” said Roper. ‘“T thought so. They said to look out for a ‘man with a scar on his forehead.” “Sure, a scar,” said the marshal. “You don’t expect to swipe a red-hot poker across your face and get away without a scar, do you? ” “A red-hot poker—a scar,” breathed the bewildered R&per. 3 ‘“Come now—don’t try to crawl out of it! The woman told the whole story. I know how that poker scraped your face when you was tryin’ to burn his eyes out.” ‘IT don’t remember—I don’t see—” “I guess you're still loony,” interjected Marshal Freeland. “She said you looked like a crazy man when you was leanin’ over her—and her makin’ out as if she’d fainted. She saw that burn on your forehead—and said you didn’t seem to pay no attention to it. I guess you had too much on your mind to think about a burn. It’s a nice red blister now, al] right! Come on.” DOUBLE ND it’s Cupid that has a fine doubk, “ Sure he must be an imp or an elf; Could the little blind god be a seeing, Then he wouldn’t knew which were himself, When wee Cupid wounds hearts with his arrow, It is love-tipped and causes sweet pain. And the victim just spends the time wishing That the small god would shoot him again. But alas, and alack, for his double! Of his blarney he means not a thing. By this secret, the spalpeen, you’ know him. Whist ! He hasn’t the sign of a wing. Cora Lapham Hazard. DOOLK C@