Show of Sleepy Cat By FRANK H. H SPEARMAN r Copyright Chirk Chines Scribner S Son by oo S fi 1 CHAPTER XV XV-Conti XV Continued r 18 18 What Is It Bob Z he be asked at nt I length ii Scott lifting his eyes answered d Ii and another broader smile tf with a money question Got any fi f. f fr r No Inquiry could have surprised t Selwood more Not a whole lot lot he tie tieI hes' hes s' s abating Interest How I confessed with much do you want wanti Two thousand dollars r Selwood took It for tor a Joke Well Im I'm broke Just nt at present but If It Its It's coming to you you'll get I It IL What do you w want nt with two thousand dollars Ive got a man down below the time barn you been wanting to see the man I 1 mant to see sec asked Selwood with only moderate od rate Interest J v 0 W The old padre K F t r Carpy was stowing his Instruments t. t away In his bag H He l jip up with an exclamation of ot astonishment Selwood Sel- Sel Scott se 1 I w wood d regarded ff You Yon mean the the old padre I 1 wanted to see Scott nodded Selwood wh who had taken a chair F. F r rose rose se to his feet teet and with one hand handpicked handpicked picked up his coat to throw over O his shoulders Scott helped him hm Where WhereIn In thunder did the theold old padre turn up asked Carpy McAlpin passed him on the Ealar eala- eala b basas trail about an hour ago when 17 r he be was bringing In Dave He had hind a couple of ot Gunlocks with him Scott the Indians from Gunlock Gun Gun- r BO so o designated r i lock reservation told me he met a robe black and that he was wason X on his way up here and going to Jo camp along the river So I rode d down wn there and talked with his hla guides r r They told me they had a very old robe black along So I I. I talked to toJ J him They're heading for the Black- Black feet country I saw the big the fire In the h IQ he told me and I s. s said d to my men the new town Is burning many manyK i K people are In distress We will go gothere gothere there before we wc start up the river l' l I held my ray lantern Into his face rf t continued Scott He lIe Is the same man whose picture you had In n your room f up at the tae hall nail And Ana I 1 told toms him mm mere there i was a It white man here wante wanted to see him him And to go to the horse barn If j it It wasn't burned But he said he t would camp down by the rl river er Hes He's there If It there was a surprise for Carpy r- r In the recital l there was a greater one awaiting him In n Selwood's reception of It For a moment did Selwood-did not speak When he did Carpy stood k i open eyed Well said Selwood deliberately If youve you've got the man the money Is coming to you when you when I Ican Ican can dig It up But dont don't hold him hm ons on s my may account I I dont don't care about seeIng seeing seeing see- see Ing him Carpy was well nigh speechless I J with amazement What he exclaImed exclaimed ex- ex claimed recovering his breath I l Dont Don't care about seeing him 7 Man Ian l 1 he cried Dont want to see seethe p the man man man-It If It Is the man that's man that's got n your our M whole hole story Have you lost your yourY Y p. p pI Y I 1 Senses Selwood standing unmoved parried I. I the attack with stubborn Indifference rence ft He felt that Chrls Christie e had cast him hm off oil what what did a It name ntIne good goad or bad mean mean- M i to him now But nut h he would say not 1 one word and Doctor Carpy unable r. r I. I to stir him with eloquent reproach in n the time end lost his own temper Hereafter Here Hereafter att after r all these years ears he protested r t that blamed old martinet Roper Hoper has been running over you and you jou get r r a n chance to nail him by Ting you f V wont won't take the trouble to do It It I All right Ill I'll do It t myself the f- f is doctor exclaimed I wont won't let that I y old buck run over me any and longer f 1 c Bob Doh continued the Incensed ed surgeon t r pointing his finger at Scott hold on ont t to your black robe black and his red redskins If i we wc cant can't find an anything el else e for t breakfast bring em em up here for a cup Ii o 0 coffee roffee anyway And with Selwood staring at nt the wall walt and the halfbreed half half- breed grinning perplexed Cirp r flung lung out of ot the ro room Iu In In the gloom of ot the hall Carpy still exasperated by Selwood's obstinacy ob ob- 7 and and- talking resentfully to hm himself almost ran Into Christie a f pathetic figure he e thought waiting wafting for a chance to speak to somebody As he stopped with an apology she seemed encouraged for she stepped close to him Doctor 1 she exclaimed exclaimed ex- ex claimed clamed In n a frightened whisper is Mr Mr Ir Selwood terribly hurt 7 Carpy laughed as he looked ed Into her appe appealing eyes one eyes one of those reassuring reassuring re re- assuring lau laughs hs that would bring brn life and hope to a dying man Christie he murmured theres more the matter matter mat mat- ter w with that fellow bucks buck's than Just Starbuck's Star- Star slashing I think think- think continued continued the dot doctor r eyeing her with a scant rant expression that If you'd oud talk r r you ou could tell tell better better than Else what's else what's matter a anybody with him Christie youre you're a u fine girl good enough for the time best or I wouldn't t talk tutI to you ou so plain But youre you're In love lo with John Selwood and hes he's In n lov love with you rou There there 1 I didn't me n to make you cry child She be Je looked u up What can I dot do f. f tor she pleaded leaded I thought the world of ot Mm why rim why shouldn't 1 J Cor co ers it to fo vou von You wouldn't b be be- tny ry me i t do 00 yet Now he hc has sa saved ted rj life Liy Ly life Ufe und g more thuD than my life lite But r r 0 how do you think I felt when I was told by that T vile le man man and and by him that that he was a n gambler The doctor looked perplexed I knotted It Christie 1 I that was what made mad the trouble tween veen you he said I couldn't blame you so m much ch n neither r he added regretfully regretfully regretfully regret regret- fully even If It rm Fm nothing b but bat t a a n poor drunken doctor myself You shant shan't say that I she she- exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed Indignantly Youre nothIng nothing noth noth- ing of ot the kind I Youre You're the kindest best doctor In the whole world l i He sh shook shook- olt- olt his head tread Tell the truth girl a and td shame the thc devil If It I 1 wasn't I wouldn't be wasting out my life Jfe In this he hell l But I want to sn say only this I wisht somehow It could be fixed up I may not be able to speak It In words but I know know- what goes Into the malting making or of or a man m my girl and whatever It Is Its It's In John Selwood And It If he ever quits the business hes he's In you'll see a man all nil through him A flood of ot words broke through Christies Christie's pent up feeling Oh I 1 believe every word of ot It Doctor Youve You've no need need to tell me that lies lie's Just the he finest man In the world If It hed he'd only only only- A timid suggestion occurred occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc to her You Doctor If It you'd ask him to give up that business bus busi n ness you ness ss oU you have more Influence with him hm than any one oni else else else- Carpy cut her off otTo Christie ChrIstle he said sad emphasizing every deliberate word yord with a shake of ot the head youve got more Influence over him hm himin himin in n 3 your one little finger than I 1 have nil all over me But Christie rye Ive noticed this It ft aint so go good d when somebody coaxes a man t to quit anything even anything even If It he lie does quit it It-as It as when he lie quits a thing himself out t of Just his own free will Now if It Jo John m Selwood ever quits the game of his own accord bet accord bet on him I IThe IThe The look 1001 Christie gave him as she went back bad to her room made him ten years younger He strode toward th the stairs only to encounter Margaret 1 Hyde hurr hurrying ng to meet him Why yes the time boys boy's chipped up a little grumbled Carpy In n answer to Margarets Margaret's m manifest anxiety for anxiety for he was thinking of his own perplexities nothing to hurt much he added You look qu queer er what's matter a-matter with you yoU Aint shot are me you The drawn face and the sunken anxious eyes of his housekeeper housel made his question almost an nn involuntary one She answered to reassure him but she could not hide her distress Im not wounded Doctor But might I I wonder she managed to say in her low restrained voice voice voice-a a voice that no matter how often It broke never wholly lost a note of once gentle genile gentie gen gen- tie tle breeding ml might hf I she added repeating her plea speak to John Selwood right away just away just for a few minutes sZ Doctor Carpy lifted his eyebrows with a a grating laugh and as If It things were getting too complicated So that's what youre you're oure hanging M So I 1 Talked to Him around for Why didn't you say so Well now Ill I'll ll tell you If youre you're worrying about John dont don't do dolt It it That bo boy aint ant courted none to speak of Shucks I I never neer thought thought- She caught her breath Its not about him she exclaimed In distress far from It I But Dut I must must speak with him Frad Its It's too late to ket ketch h him i n now now nv v objected the time d doctor still mys rays titled by her strange Interest The boys are waiting to set up up- another telegraph pole party And the they're le waiting for John to come down to the live station before they b begin gln See hint him when he lie comes back Meg Her liet lips could scarcely frame words I 1 must see John Selwood she repeated with a supreme effort at self self control I r must see him now Who Is In there with him Bill BUI and lob liob Scott Doctor she exclaimed stepping closer In her almost frantic appeal help me I 1 Ask them to step stel out a It moment I moment I tell you Ou I must talk to him alone alone now now It was Impossible not to acknowledge acknowledge edge tier her extremity Carpy reopened Selwood's door He Rc spoke to Parda- Parda loe be and Scott Look here bo boys s 's he said beckoning with his head both bothof of ot you ou Step out here a minute Meg wants to talk to John private Selwood cleaned up and brushed up as decently as ns he could be with his bandaged arm and hands stood before the lie table table preparIng preparing to go to the barn lIe He was buckling on his cartridge e belt his coat cont was thrown ov over r his shoulder Hearing Mar Margarets Margaret's Margaret's Margarets Marga Marga- aret's a- a ret's footsteps he hc looked around One glance revealed rc time the agony In her face He Re laid lad unlighted on the table tablea a cigarette that Scott had rolled for him and spoke What Is It Margaret Marga Marga- ret He Lie pointed to a chair Youre not hurt Looking at him like one dumb with emotion she sat down When she spoke she had hind already forgotten the question he had just asked Mr l Selwood Selwood Sel Sel- wood woodlie wood wood-It lIe He Interrupted her He ITe had taken his revolver up from the table and was slowly slipping cartridges back hack Into the cylinder Since when he demanded with natured good-natured cern did I 1 stop being Just plain I John Never to me never me-never never she said brokenly But tonight I 1 come to beg my life at your hands hoping hands hoping pra praying praying pray pray- ing you wont won't deny me Let me tell you what I mean mean tell tell you my story I was married ten years ago when I 1 was el eighteen Oh yes she said to cut off his surprise I r know Imo how old I 1 look trouble look trouble has done that For three years I 1 had the best husband husband husband hus hus- band in the world world kind kind considerate devoted Ills His friends persuaded him him to go Into politics They elected him city tre treasurer surer of the little town where we lived In Michigan That was his undoing It meant being out nights being a good fellow drinking spending spending spend spend- ing ng wasting It lasted two years And during that time I fell sick I was very sick a long time and he did everything the h hp could In n the time world to care for me meto meto meto to to relieve me I cost him so much oh so much for doctors more doctors more than thrum I wanted hl him l to spend but he would try ever everything that gave gat us the least hope He said I should have the best care and he gave It t liberally extravagantly extravagantly extras extras' to fo me Then Then one one night he come home He had been drinking She stopped an Instant It was the first time In my life John I had seen him In n drink she went on He told me that night his accounts were wee short that that the next day his books would be examined that he must face time the penitentiary penitentiary-or penitentiary penitentiary-or or run a away In her agony she sat now twisting ng and clasping her fingers now her Imer hands now looking at the time floor now looking at Selwood Imploringly imploringly her h her r words wrung from her reluctant lips When he told me that that she faltered on I was frightened I 1 was so weak that night 1 And I was wicked I told him to go zo John John to to go at once But Butto Butto ut to write me And that when he found some safe place far away In the West I would join him S Selwood l only looked at her not her not unfeelingly but as one who could say nothing because he knew of nothing noth noth- nothing ing ng to say M Margaret rgaret moistened her parched lips He never wrote me she said In a low hard voice If he did I never got the letter I 1 made up up my ray mind he must have been hurt or or killed and that I would find out or or- find him myself And after weary wear weary months of search I did find my husband husband here here In Sleepy Sleep Cat Her lIeI e eyes es had hind dropped from her listeners listener's lis lis- listeners listener's tener's e esHer es Her head hung Her I voice fell still lower ower He was not not Hurt nor dead But Rut worse for me mime his hits feeling feeling tor for me was me-was was dead lie Ile cared nothing for nie tae nothing nothing But Out you interposed ed Selwood cold I. I ly you cared for him Its It's an old story Well Vell what then I stayed staged here while he lie was here her I then I went to Thief River Inver to to-be to be near him not him not chasing him not bothering him hoping him hoping sometime to o repay him for his old goodness to me But nut he had chosen bad company and through h drink was going from bad to worse I cant can't excuse him for the time evil But I know there Is s good In n my hu husband band Ive I've come corne to you to plead fo for fon his life To me ale echoed Selwood mildly astonished Why to me What's his name It took all her courage to speak Tie lIe doesn't use his Ills real name here she said in In n strained broken tones You wouldn't klow It t If 1 I mentioned It He lIe Is s known here here here-as as Cliff ClifT Star Star- buck Starbuck 1 She heard the name blurted out In hateful amazement With dry de de- despairing de- de sparrIng eyes she watched the passionless pas pas- features before her imer harden Into Inti the time cold refusal that she t saw uw was coming coining Leann Leaning against the table with his back to It the time gambler shifted from one foot to the other his eyes that he lie might avoid her eyes eye fixed on the he floor Hoor he flattened his left humid hand at his 61 side bide e on the time table and his right ha hand d rested the Uie on mm grip of the ver er he had slung In the scabbard at ct his hip nip he said eald urn Ill tell you yon Margaret Margare unconcern unconcern unconcern un un- with VItti apparent at lost speaking last speaking concern but with deadly point pont lm Im with that tel fel youre you're mixed up sorry for tor thing do low how But nut I couldn't a n you you I |