Show R 0 R lz A romance the e roundup oun p of arizona arim a 4 0 1 from edmund VW r melodrama by JOHN MURRAY AND MILLS MILL millar copyright 1908 1008 by G W dillingham co r fttie I 1 fit bud had passed bitile 1 marring marriage of echo jack on olt fin her return from the honeymoon la the little hunting e cibin in ill the ranse range the aire afo bit to work and already great clit hinge had been made in the ranch house on the sweetwater rooms nere repa re pa and painted the big center room was altered into il 11 fhlug room on tho the long low window alv tax an outlook on fields of alfalfa fit cor and the silver ribbon of the Irrig Irrl gatto atto ditches dainty muslin curtains now nou hung potted geraniums filled the sit 1110 and in the unused fireplace echo bid placed a jar of ferns A A clock ticking on an the mantelpiece added to the vie cheer faini Is and Lar of or the house on the walls horns of mountain sheep and antlers of antelope and deer alternated with the mounted heads of puma and nod buffalo through the open window caught of the artra of or a windmill and the outbuilding outbuildings in 9 of tho the borne home ranch navajo blankets were scattered over oer the doors ard seats echo hud find taken tuo vie souvenirs souren irs of the hunt and trail which jack bad had collected and with a womans touch of refinement flA ement bad had used them for decora tire effects she bad had in truth made the room her very own the grace and charm of her personality were d upon the environment tho the men of the ranch fairly worship ed echo sending to kansas city they tied a piano her as a ut morning ornIng when tho the wagon brought it over rom hor ace oco station little work was done about the place the instrument had been beef unpacked and placed in the ing room tn ta echo absence mrs alien allen polly roar and jim rode over to be present at tie the presentation the donors gathered in the room to admire the rift gift which shone bravely under tinder the energetic polishing of marq alien allen thavis nu an elegant instrument was her observation ad as she flicked an imaginary kocl of dust from froni the case polly opened the lid baying saying just what echo u wanted anted jin cocked his head as it if ho he wre examining Lim ming a now pinto pony sent all the way up to klissas city fer it ch oil right uncle jim chorused the punchers punch cra new the rooms complete an polly echoe made a big 1 change a around here 11 the group gravely followed roily pollys approving app glat ices that aho she has I 1 assented ted sirs mrs alien allen Loo looked kiml like a barn when jack was a bachelor this certainly la s the finest und lind of a birthday present ou all could hao hake thought of josephine ill 11 cry ry in a minute joys alien allen you neah upa up I 1 snapped his wife glaring aa at the grinning ranchman FaVl oruill poured pil on tho the rough p waters by changing tho the conver nation mation Sin laking ail as it if making a dare to ba challenged INN aint ii it I 1 ant to know ow anybody here present as can a tano tane out of that there here tox t ox 1 no ono one came forward maln thare none of you boym that atia en play ota r he demanded I 1 ITO ivo played on the big square one town down at the lone star gravely piped tip show low what lid aou a play asked the in ill polly roily poker answered show low se ilou sly his hi face shon allowing ing no trace of humor Pok rr polly repeated in disgust all they ever pin pina vs on it show lav low indignantly polly grew impatient thia this presen ithon WAS a serious affair and tio bol to i ae turned into an audience tor for the a cs plot tation of show lows adventure gore moreover over she he did not like to bo be need used even indirectly ns as a target for although she delighted in making some one else a feeder for her ideas of fan fun fresno modestly announced lie fie was something omet hinc of n musical 1 I low I 1 can shake a tuno out of that he declared i let lets a heir you arlel polly ant rather h er j tuitui if fresnos nos ability r step up p cried alien allen heartily alp slapping ang him on the ti bick acl fresno freano grinned and find solemnly rolled up bla his sleeves ills comrades eyed bis his ethry move closely lie ile spit on chiq baciu the piano plano and glared fiercely reely at the cy cyb oani board my air ma had one of them there thing things when I 1 was a yearl ln 1 he be of ob sen ed fresno spun the mat at of ills tits piano plano stool until it almost twirled off the seren ill actions created the greatest interest especially to parenthesis who peered tinder the seat to see the wheels go round areano threw bin hla leg over cie seat ns as if mounting a i horse well boas ou oil ahne he bp naked glancing from one to the other in imitation of the manner of his friend the in tho the i lionly tonk toul on a lively evening the usual poison absently anav er cd ed show low sagebrush Sage brugh struck blin la ill the breast with the back of his tits hand shut up he gron led turning to fanno he bald said giro gire us the arthe er irlie maidens prayer I 1 fresno whisked hi about so quickly bickly that he lie almost lost bis his balance hazing gazing at the petitioner in blank mazy maze ment he shouted I 1 tho the what sagebrush blushed under bla his tan in a moat most apologetic oice he said well the first tune my sister learned lo 10 play an she played it contiguous continuous which Is why I 1 loft home I 1 id sure like to oblige you but maidens prayers aint in my rep etory eipl wilned the mollified musician must clau are aitio raised his finger uncertainly 0 01 cr er the hea a board searching for a key frum from which to make a start the group watched him expectantly As ho he struck a noto note each cacti member of his audience jumped back ih th surprise at the sound fresno scratched bis tits head and ging cily fingered another key ley after several false starts backing and filling over the keyboard he began to pick out with one fanger the air the suwanee 11 I 1 it now were nere started lu fit cried tried exultant lj ills led him to str strike ike a false note ex I 1 c use me he apologized got tho the copper on the wron chip once more he essayed playing the old in milody clody but became hopelessly confused ID dim irn the tune I 1 e mumbled sagebrush ever ready to cheer up lie the falling failing courage of a performer shuffle lle em in up gln nn in begin it nou dec deal I 1 fresno spat oi his bands hands and 1 hh hn liar ill e a musical genius agala again lif tho the rhythm among the keye keys he ile tried to whistle the air that detic tice e failed him will you all whistle that tune im rm forgetting for gettin it was his plaintive request sure let her go boys I 1 cried sagebrush falteringly with many funny stops and sudden starts they tried to accompany greenoe rree noe halting pursuit over the key board after the tune that was dodging about in his mind all at once the player struck bla his gait and introduced a variation on the bass notes that aint in it shouted show low indignantly shut cupl bellowed sagebrush with both handia hammering the keys indiscriminately fresno made a noisy if not artistic finish and whirled about on the tile stool to be greeted by hearty applause vp lause wel well I 1 reckon coln home he boa boasted steil when the hand dapping clapping subsided bowing low to polly and mrs alien allen Go coin ln laughed polly limpin li id what I 1 call it it if you dont learn to sIt switch cli oft off get a callous on that one fanger of bourn ourn fresno looked at that member dubiously aint music suggested show sho w low to jim alien allen you beal the ranchman agreed take a planny an enough tero nn an you can callizo he lie hull bull of china i firno Fre Hito could kill hill more with hh bli planny play than bs hn gun play 11 suggested show low mrs alien allen tt bethought hought herself that there was uns a it lot if work to be done in preparation for the pirty even if everything ery thing haq ready the dear old soul would tind find to do or worry about come conle new now opar out of here I 1 the hull kit on an bolln of youl your ebe she ordered the tile men hastily aroi crowded ded out on the pezza I 1 take rake that backlu case out jut of sight eight if it aou ou mean this planny to be a our prise to echo shell be b trott tr ottin ln back ap k fAt sAt aou now cere fc cV he lie arted exultantly here in no time filie he added fresno bad had lingered to assure jlia this here birthdays coln to be a success cess would you like another se lection 1 he lie eagerly asked I 1 not 3 unless you wash your our finger suapi 4 mrs allon busy polishing tb keys fresno had bad struck you left a greaso spot on oil every ley 3 ou e touch ed she explained fresno held up his finger for aliens allens inspection ive been gre dreisin gr eisin the wason wagon wis vis his ills explanation get out ailta lih the rest of them she conini comin ill te e got enough to do to look 1001 after that cake mra mrs alien allen darted into lilt the lie kitchen jim saoul tilled filled ills pine wid hunted up ill the most coin for fordable ort alile chair after two or three trips lie found one to suit mutt him and sank b bick acl with a sign of conten pick aint back bet et polly put the que quenion tion I 1 no lie rudi rod over fur for the in mill ill polly rl the chairs in the room picking up tip find replacing the nelll articles on the tile table to milt her own nr cone conceptions eption she straightened out a war vur bonnet on the wall she was eilf liln kalns oft off a spot of dust on the gilt chair that jack hid sot got na a wed ned ding din nt for echo on the tile da of the station agents a murder and being reminded of the tragedy sho she ached that cicca the ali parties partle 4 tint thit killed terrill did they not that I 1 hear on oil slim hoover he took the tile boas that night nn an tried to pick up the trail it entered the arher but they ind flud where it come out one of f them fellers the wan trian that left the station alone and probably done doue the tho job rode it horse florae answered jim act cen ell pulls puffs of his ills pipe then hes n stranger to these parta parts jack jacks pinto onto paces its his big regular gnit I 1 its the only hobs around here IM so 30 lie fie assented but made no further comment the full forre ot 0 the tile did not strike him at tho the time ron polly began to pump colonel jim thero there bere ero recent happen happenings ingi which she did not fully comprehend at hie the inquisitive ase age and a girl she wanted to know nil that was going on jacks q been act in mighty queer of late she like hes lies got on his mind allu at her and jou jokingly I 1 replied well hes married the retort exasperated poll she was wan not ti meeting altu ith the success abe devred rt red do imsho sho she cried la in her annoyance enough on any mana mind jim laughed us he out of the door Soro So ethin methin queer about jack jaci ob polly beating at the table he aint been tho the same man inan since the weddin hes iles all right when around but when hen be he thinks no one Is batchin wat chin him he sits around an dighe jack entered the room nt at this moment absentmindedly ho be hung hia his hat and spurs on a rack and leaned his rifle against the wall sighing deeply an he did so no so engrossed wae was he be in ills his thoughts ahat he did oot not notice roily until lio ile reached the tile table started in surprise when he saw her hello folly roily I 1 was his greeting where la is echor polly roue rose hastily at the bound sound of hta his voice 1 you meet her ebe she asked we got her to ride over toward tucson this to get her out of tho way toe bos to snake the planny in without ber her heeln it polly glided gilded over to the instrument aind touched the keys so softly f if Y with admiration jack gazed at the instrument 1 I rame nine around by florence 1 answered jack with a emile smile eagerly polly turned toward him see anything of bud lane ehe she queried IWO no I 1 again jack smiled thia this time at the girls impetuosity he ile 11 lose bis his job wl a me if he dont call more regular she said sald 6 say jack you aint what you promised to help aud with the money tint thit you said was vms comin in scon as dicks of a speculation you and him vas par duers in 1 im m powerful anxious to att him lim away from mckee mence jack had not forgotten the promise nise but alas under the goading of mj mrs alien allen that he lie should clear off tho thel mortgage on his home he had used dick lanes innes money for this purpose in what a me ill of lies iles and broken promises he its entangling himself 1 now be he was ins forc forred further to deceive trusting little polly in the twitter that was dearest to her heart no poll but the fact Is that speculation turning ut so well after all the disappointed girl girt rp til ed d sadly namy and went out to mrs alien allen in the kitchen jack removed his belt and gun and hung them on the rack by the door spying father at the corral be he called to him to come into the house Il lello 11 jackl was aliens allens greeting as ho he entered shaking shaling the younger mans land 1111 V hen caa cid you come over thih milti mornin alien allen told him birthday you know kno an the old lady allowed wed have to b here aint atut you bince since the weddin got things lookin fine here alien allen slowly surveyed the room aae jack 1 l agreed with him with n gesture of assent A more important topic to him than the furnishing of a room was nh whit nhit it had become of dick lane after the wedding eprem ony no oil chance ince had come to him to speak privately to alien allen the festivities of the Ned wedding ding had been shortened slim had gathered a posse and ihen t up the trail of the slayers jim alien allen had joined them the hazing of jack and the hasty departure of the bridal pair on horseback in a it shower of corn shelled and on the cob cot preheated the two tuo men front ine meeting eting alip older man had volunteered no eipl jack knew that in his hn heart alien allen did not approve te of his hn n ai colts but bul waa nas keeping silent bdeau be because eau of ills 1114 4 d jack could restrain himself no longer longor jim alint happened that night he be brokenly alien allen showed his 1114 embarrassment nt mcanin Me anin then he lie dick all jack could say gay 1 I seed it him I 1 in it if I 1 he lie basted busted up the Ned weddin din some was his hn laconic answer where Is s hati ho alien allen re lighted hia his pipe when he got the smoke drawing fr freely eely he be gazed at jack thoughtfully and anew acred crad lies iles gone back where the come from into the desert 11 jim puffed slowly and then added looks liko like you give dick a square leal deal alien allen liked his lits eon son inlaw in law and wa wil I 1 going to stand by him but in arizona the saying alls fair in love and war weir Is not accepted at ita its face value 1 I az acknowledged jack 1 I wat desperate it ithe thought of losing her she loved uw we and had forgotten him with kith me now 1 I reckon right was jims con consoling imling reply to clinch his ills argument and sooth his troublesome conscience jack continued tin tied she never would have been happy with him I 1 what I 1 told baru declared allen A urn up he knew it an nil why he went otray away an ama ark n matter what comes she must never know shed neer forgive you an nn fer that in mutter fLitter mo me neither jack looked long lung out of the wl window adow toward tile distant mountains the barrier behind which dick wa was 1 s wandering in tho the great desert c cut ut from the woman be he loved by a false fr Jeu now how I 1 have suffered for that itell lie uttered jack ln in tones fun full ot of anguish what hurt mo me most the thought that I 1 lied to her I 1 might have killed him that night pondered jack he ile shuddered at the thought that lie hail boon on oil the point of 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