Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

3238 “ There is something comforting and re- assuring about that red coat of yours,”’ she said. Kemp promised that he would, and left with two new thoughts in his mind—one that Alice Carter could not-be a lawbreaker, otherwise his red coat would not ‘be a wel- come sight, the other that he was in real danger of falling in love with her if he did not keep away. Nevertheless on the morrow Kemp was at her humble dwelling again. Alice wel- comed him heartily. For a moment he fancied that her obvious pleasure when he appeared might be due to a personal in- terest in him that might parallel his rapidly increasing interest in her; then sober com- mon sense came to the fore, and he con- cluded that company of aimost any lawful kind would be welcome to a city woman who had marooned herself—for reasons un- known—in what was practically a wilder- ness. He tried to make some reasonable excuse for his visit. “Do you know, Mrs. Carter, that the town is becoming interested in you,” he said. ‘No one can figure out why a wom- an of your refinement and apparently high station in life should choose to file on any kind of a homestead, let alone one that is absolutely worthless. You are a puzzle; a human question mark. Folks keep asking me more and more questions regarding you. So naturally I have to drop in now and then to get the latest news regarding our mysterious homesteader.” Mrs. Carter looked chagrined. “Is that your only reason for coming to see me?” she queried. “No,” answered Kemp. He wanted to tell her that it was principally because he enjoyed her company, but prudence put a brake on his tongue. ‘‘ I’m interested in the mystery myself,” he added. “ Some day I hope to solve it.” She evaded that topic. ‘Tell me,” she said, ‘‘ is the news of my taking up an apparently worthless home- stead likely to spread all over northern Al-. berta?”’ The question was as surprising as every- thing else pertaining to her. “Why, yes—I guess it is—over a good ARGOSY-ALLSTORY ‘WEEKLY, part of it anyhow,’ Kemp answered. “That’s a peculiar thing about northern Alberta. News travels by word of mouth, and if it is odd news it travels faster and faster and gets more and more strange the farther it gets from its source.” “Thanks,” said Alice with a peculiar smile. ‘I’m glad to hear that.” ““'Why?” questioned Kemp. want to be talked about?” There was just the tiniest hint of severity in his tone. It prompted increased severity in hers. “Yes!” she said. Kemp did not wish to exchange antago- nistic remarks with her, so he spoke more gently. “If there is anything I can do for you T’ll be glad to,” he suggested. “There may be some day.” Alice laughed in a manner that seemed a bit forced, and then, as on the previous day, she steered the conversation away from personal matters into the less hazardous topic of music and books. When Kemp left he was again invited to call. He accepted the invitation. In fact, he continued to call regularly every day during the remainder of the week, and as he did so his infatuation for this strange, unknown woman grew in a manner that amazed and frightened him. | His amazement was due to the fact that never had he dreamed that love came to a man im that wild, exotic, uninvited way. He “Do you ‘had thought that it was a slow growth, founded mainly upon a thorough knowledge of the character of its object. He was frightened because the woman who inspired it was still as much of an un- known to him as she had been when she first entered the land office. Come to think of it, he did not even know that she was unmarried. He resolved to question her on that score. His opportunity came on the day he was ordered downstream to bring back Calvin Hubbard, the degraded sot who was re- garded with such contempt that even Justice was loath to inconvenience herself on his account. Kemp stopped off at Hopeless Homestead—as. Mrs. Carter’s place had been christened by the townspeople—and comicloool C©