Show I 1 1 8 j u t 1 s 1 MOM amm braam q I 1 11 chebi T he 0 UT waa roun U P 0 by WILLIAM MAC LEOD RAINE X copyright by william macleod raine 1 mal RM v 1 11 MOST A MAN it SYNOPSIS A foreword tells oils this motoring through arizona a party of easterners father and daughter and nd a male companion top stop to wit ness a cattle round up the girl leaves the car and la is attacked by a wild steer A masterpiece of riding on the part of one of the cowboy cowboys saves her life then the story begins clay lindsay range rider on an arizona ranch an bounces his I 1 to visit the big town new york on the train lindsay becomes interested Inte rented in a young woman kitty mason on her way to new york to become a motion picture actress she Is marked as fair prey by a fellow traveler jerry jarry durand gang clan and ex prize lighter fighter perceiving his intentions lindsay provokes a quarrel and throws thrown durand from the train on his first day in new york lindsay Is splashed with wa ter by a janitor that individual the range rider punishes summarily and leaves tied to a fire hydrant A young woman who sees the oc currence invites clay into her house and hides him from the po lice clay a rescuer introduces herself as beatrice whitford lind ay say meets her father colln colin whit ford and Is invited to visit them again he meets kitty mason by accident she has been disappointed in her tage stage aspirations and to support herself Is selling cigarettes in a cabaret clay visits her there kitty Is insulted by a customer clay punishes the annoyer after a lively lindsay escapes outside he Is attacked by jerry durand and a companion and beaten insensible lindsay a ac with beatrice whitford ripens through her he Is intro deuced into society his side partner on the arizona ranch johnnie green cornea comes to the big town the two take an apartment together word cornea comes that kitty mason Is in in trouble clay goes to the rescue and is helped by annie millikan he comes on a party of gunmen obviously waiting tor for his appearance lendsay gets the drop on the thugs locks them in a room and escapes CHAPTER IX continued I 1 but miracles are made possible by miracle workers the westerner was a it sixty horse pow pom er dynamo of energy he lie felt responsible tor for I kitty otty and he gave himself with single minded devotion to the job of discovering her wl WI en clay met kitty at last it was quite by chance As it happened bea trice was present at the time he ile had bad been giving a box party at the empire the gay little group was gathered under the awning outside the foyer oyer while the limousine that was to take them to shanley s for supper was being called colin hatford looking out into the rain that pelted down ut an exclamatory by JON jervel e I 1 clay turned to him inquiringly A woman was looking out of that doorway at us he said if she s not in deep water I 1 im in a bad guesser I 1 thought for a moment she knew me or some one of us she started to reach out her hands and then shrank back young or old asked the cattle man young a girl excuse me the host was off in en an instant almost on the run but the woman had gone swallowed lovi ed in the semidarkness of a side street clay followed beatrice turned to her father eye brows lifted there was a moments awkward ard silence mr air lindaay will be back pres antly whitford said we well 11 get in n nd of wait vial t for him out of the way a lit e farther up the street f when clay rejoined them he talked I 1 a low voice with beatrices father I 1 he mining man nodded agreement nd lindsay turned to the others I 1 im in called away he explained aloud mr IN hatford has kindly prom ased to play host in my place I 1 im in right sorry to leave but it s urgent his grave smile asked beatrice to be charitable in her findings the eyes ehe gave him were coldly hostile he ile knew beatrice did not and would not understand the girl was vms waiting where clay had left her crouched against a base ment milliner s door under the st sl eiter elter of tl e steps I 1 ive 1 ve looked for you everyn everywhere here op doaner the girl its been awful I 1 know but it s gain to be all right now kitty he comforted you re coln home with me tonight tomor row we 11 II talk tt it all over he tucked an arm under hers end and led her along the wet shining cstreet to a taxicab she crouched in a cor a ter of tl e cab her body shaken a ith gobs sobs hythe the oung man moved closer and put a strong arm arcoui d her tiers ders don dont t you worry kitty ritty yore big brother Is on tt e job now non he ile knew story now in its essen bials as well as he did later nhan she wept it out to him in confession and because she was as wl 0 she was m as born to tan pan on a stronger will viii he acquitted t vr r of blame t CHAPTER X I 1 johnnie makes a joke As kitty futty stepped from tl e cab she was trembling violently dont don t you be III pard per pet you 8 e come home there won wont t anybody Finy bOdy buit huit you vu here h 4 the arizonan Arlzo ran her up to his floor in the automatic elevator I 1 ve got a friend from home v with ith me hes lies the best hearted fellow you ever saw you 11 sure like him he told her without stress as he fitted his key to the lock in another moment lindsay was introducing her casually to the embarrassed and as toni shed joint proprietor of the apart ment the runt was vas coatless and tn in his feet he had been playing a doleful ditty on a mou mouth thorgan organ caught so unexpectedly he blushed a beautiful brick red to his neck heat some water nater johnnie and make a good stiff toddy miss bliss kitty has been out in the rain he ile lit the gas log and from his bed room brought towels a bathrobe pa jamas a sN sweater eater and woolen slippers on a lounge before the fire he dumped the clothes he had bad gathered he drew up the easiest armchair in the room I 1 in goin to the kitchen to jack up johnnie so he won t lay I 1 down on his I 1 the hunt runt was coatless and in his stock ased feet job he told her cheerily you take ore time and get into these dry clothes we 11 II not disturb you till you knock when her timid knock came her host brought in a steaming cup you drink this it 11 u warm arm you good what Is it she asked shyly medicine he smiled doctors doctor s or ders while she sipped the toddy johnnie brought from the kitchen a tray upon which were tea tried fried potatoes ham eggs and buttered toast the girl ate ravenously it was wag an RU easy guess that she had not before tasted food that day clay kept up a flow of talk mostly about johnnie s culinary triumphs meanwhile he made up a bed on the couch once she looked up at him her throat swollen with emotion you re good sho she I 1 we been a III slater to brace up our manners for us its it s lucky for us I 1 found you now I 1 ex hect you re tired and sleepy we fixed up yore bed in here because it s warm er you 11 be able to make out with it all right the springs are good clay left her with a cheerful smile turn out the light before you go to bed miss bliss colorado sleep tight and dont don t you worry you re back with N ith old home folks again now you know tired out from tramping the streets without food and drowsy from the toddy he had taken kitty hitty tell fell into deep sleep undisturbed by troubled tiou bled dreams the cattleman knew he had found I 1 er in the nick of time she had told him that she I 1 ad no money no room in which to sleep no prospect of work everything she hid had except the clothes on her back had been pawned to buy food and hodg but she x w as young and resi liel t NN heri hen sl e got back home to the country where she be longed time would obliterate from her mind the experiences of which she had been the v let it was nas past in aday w when en bitty ritty woke she found her clothes dry after sl e dressed she opened the door that led to the kitchen jol nnie began to bubble about in preparation for her breakfast please dont trouble til III eat what chat you ve got cooked she begged it its S no ho trouble ina inaam am if the thes s a thing on earth I 1 enjoy don do n its it s sure cookin coolin do vou like yore aggs sunny side up or turned eitl er waa whid ever e ev ver er you like mr bir green IN while hile ehe she ate he waited on her so inside he was a river of tears for her but with it went ment a good deal of awe even no v wan eyed and hollow cl she was attract attractive iNe in n johnnie johnnies s lonesome life he had never before felt so close to a girl as tie he did to this one I 1 I 1 don t like to be so much bothe bother to you sl e said maybe I 1 can go aa iway ay tl alis is afternoon f no inaam ma am we wont have that a tall broke in the range rider in alarm were plumb tickled to have you here clay he feels th ataway too I 1 could beep keep house for you while I 1 stay she suggested timidly I 1 know how to cook and the place does need cleaning sure it does say wha s the matter ni with ith you bein clays sister jes got in last night on the train 7 the thas s the story well nell put up to the landlord it if you 11 giennie the word johnnie told the story of the search for her with special emphasis on the night clay broke into three houses in answer to her advertisement I 1 never wrote it I 1 never thought of that it must have been it was that scalawag durand y batcha iaan I 1 aint t still my pin feathers none lie ile was nag sore because clay had fixed his clock proper I 1 ve got no place to go except back home and I 1 ve got no folks there but a second cousin she doesn doean t gamt me I 1 don t know what to do it if I 1 had a woman friend some one to tell me what was best johnnie slapped his hand on ba his knee struck by a sudden inspiration say I 1 beheba Y by jollies joll les I 1 ve got er the very one I 1 sou you re d n youre you re sure whistling whist lin we got a lady friend clay and me the finest little pilgrim in new york ashes sure there when the gong strikes loud I 1 ou d love her III fix it for you right away I 1 got to go to her house this afternoon an ail do some chores III bet she comes right over to see you kitty was as doubtful maybe we ve bet ter wait valt and speak to mr lindsay about it she said no maam you dont know miss beatrice she s the best friend why I 1 t wonder but that she and clay might get married one 0 these das he ile thinks a lot of her oh ohl 1 kitty knew just a little more of human nature than the puncher then I 1 wouldn t tell her about me if I 1 was you she wouldn t like my bein here sho I 1 you don t know miss beatrice she grades way may up III bet she likes you fine when johnnie left to go to work that afternoon he took with him a res alution to lay the whole case before beatrice IN whitford she would fix things all right if there was one per son on earth johnnie could bank on without fall it was mas his little boss it was not no until johnnie had laid the case before miss whitford and destat ed it under the impression that she could not ha han e understood that his con flrence ebbed he had expected an eager interest a quick enthusiasm instead he found in his young mis tress a spirit beyond his understand ing her manner had a touch of cool disdain almost of contempt while she listened to his tale she asked no questions and made no comments what he had to tell met with chill silence johnnie s guileless narrative had made clear to her that clay had brought kitty hitty home about midnight had mixed a drink tor for her and had given her his own clothes to replace her wet ones somehow the cattleman s robe pajamas and bedroom slippers obtruded unduly from his friends friend s story even the runt felt tills this he ile began to perceive himself a helpless medium of wrong impressions I 1 suppose you know that when the manager of your apartment house finds out ashes she s there hell bell send her pack ing so beathice Beati Beat ice ilce summed up when she spoke at last no ma maam am I 1 reckon not you see we vie done told him she Is clays sister jes got in from the west the punch er explained oh I 1 see the girl s lip curled and her clean cut chin lifted a trifle you dont seem to have overlooked any thing no I 1 don t think I 1 care to have anything to do with your arrange ments beatrice turned and walked swiftly nto into the house A pulse of anger was beating in her soft throat she felt a sense of outrage to clay lindsay she had given herself generously in spirit she had risked something in introduce intro Int duc ing him to her friends they might I 1 ave a e laughed at him for his slight so cial lapses they might have i ejected him for his lack of background they had done neither he was vas so genuine ly a man that he had won his way in scantly I 1 acing up and down her room little fists clenched alenci clen cled ed ler 1 er soul in passionate turmoil beatrice went over it all again as she I 1 id done through a sleepless night it qz e had given hip h so much and he bid bad seemed to give her even more I 1 ours filled with a keen edged delight del jumped to her memory hours that I 1 ad carried her away from the falseness of social to clean wind winds s dept open spaces of the mind and nd after this after he had tacitly recognized her claim on him he had insulted her before her friends by deserting his big guests to go off with this hussy bussy he had bad been spending weeks to search for not tor for a moment did sl e admit I 1 perhaps she did not know that an in ane jealousy was flooding her being I 1 I 1 at her indignation was based on per onal as well as moral grounos some thing primitive stirred her a flare of feminine ferocity she felt hot to the touch an active volcano ready tor for eruption if only she could get a chance to strike back in a way that would hurt to wound him as deeply as he had heri herl pat to her desire came the clays card was brought in to her by jenkins tell mr lindsay ill rii see him in a few minutes she told the man the few minutes stretched to a long quarter of an hour before she descend ed As soon as his eyes tell fell on her clay knew that this pale slim girl in the close fitting gown was a stranger to him her eyes star bright and burn ing like live coals warned him that the friend whose youth had run out so eagerly to meet his was hidden deep in her today I 1 reckon I 1 owe you and mr whit ford an apology he said no need to tell you how I 1 happened to leave last night I 1 expect you know why take the trouble I 1 think I 1 understand she spoke in an even schooled voice that set him at a dis tance tour your friend mr green has carefully brought me the details I 1 dida t know clay flushed her clear voice carried an edge of scorn you austn t judge by appearances I 1 know you wouldn t be unfair I 1 had to take her home and look after her I 1 dont quite see why unless of course you wanted to the girl an tapping the arm of her chair A ith impatient fingertips finger tips eyes on the clock but of course it isn t feces sary I 1 should see her cavalier treatment of him did not affect the gentle imperturbability of the westerner me because im a white man because she ashes s a little girl who came from my country and can t hold her own here because she was sick and chilled and st sta iving do you see now no but it doesn doean t matter I 1 in not I 1 the keeper of your conscience mr lindsay she countered with hard lightness you re judging me just the same if you of d let me bring her here to see you no thanks you re unjust you think so and unkind that s not like the little friend ive come to like so much youre you re kind enough for two mr lindsay she really doesn doean t need an other friend so long as she has you she retorted with a flash of ous ong eyes in new york we were re not used to being so kind to people of her sort clay lifted a hand stop right there miss beatrice you don t want to say anything you 11 be sorry tor for say this she cut back the men I 1 know wouldn t invite a nroman ornan to their rooms at midnight and pass her |