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Show """ "' """ln " ' . j)M iff Tpjra Roiind- ;Ut :- 1 i WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE ; Copyright ty William MacLeod Raine her baud. "You got a good man, Kitty. I'm wlahln' you all the Joy la the world." Her eyes flashed softly. "Don't I know I've got a good man, and I'm going to be happier than I deserve." ' ' Ttui Muldoon, in his shirt-sleeve-was busy over a late breakfast when his mother opened the door of the flat to let In Clay Lindsay. The policeman took one look at the damaged face and forgot the plate of ham and eggs that had Just been pot before him. "Yuh've been at' It again!" he cried, his Irish eyes lighting up with autlcl-pator- y enjoyment. , "I had a little set-t- o with trlend Jerry last night," the westerner ' ex-plained. "Another? What's 'the trouble now?" "You heard about the girl abducted In an auto from the Bronx?" "Uh-hu- h I Was Jerry In that?" "He was. I'll tell you the whole story, Tim.", "Meet my mother first. Mother--Mr. Lindsay. Yuh've heard me talk av hlra." Mrs. Muldoon's blue Irish eyes twinkled. She was a olutuo and am- - ta Clay. "I'm goln' to see Collins and have a talk with him." "You can't salve )tm with soft soap." "Did I mention soft soap! "I heard some one most killed Jerry Durand last night," said Annie abrupt-ly, staring at Lindsay's bruised face. "Was It your "Yes," said the Arlzonan simply. ' "Did you get the girl?" "They dropped ner to Rave them-selves. My friend found her with a man and took tier from him." "I hope you did ud Jerry right J" cried Annie, a vindictive flush In her dark eyes. I haven't called him up this mo'n-l- n' to see how he's feelln'," said Clay whimsically. "Miss Annie, we're wor-ried some about you. Mrs. Muldoon Is right anxious for us to get you to come and stay awhile with her. She's honln' to have a 111 girl to mother. Don't you reckon you can" got" "I I wish yuh'd come, Annie," blurted out Tim, looking . down hts nose. . . "I'm an alley cat you're offerln' to take In and feed, Tim Muldoon," she charged suspiciously. "Yuh're the girl my mother loves." He choked on the Impulsive avowal he bod almost made and finished the sen-tence ' awkwardly. . ', The girl's face softened. Inside, she was a river of tenderness flowing toward the Irishman. "I'll, go to your mother, Tim, If she really wants me," she said almost In a murmur. "You're shoutln' now, Miss Annie," said Clay, smiling. "She sure wants you. I'll hit the trail to have that talk with Jim Collins." He found "Slim" Jim at his stand. That flashily dressed young crook eyed ihlm with a dogged and wary defiance. He had Just come from a call at the bedside of Jerry Durand and he felt a healthy respect for , the man who could do what this light-steppin- g young fellow had done to the cham-pion rougb-house- r of New York. The story Jerry had told was of an assault from behind with a club, but this Col-lins did not accept at par. There were too many bruises on his sides and cuts on his face to be accounted for In any way except by a hard toe-to-t- fight. "Mo'nlnY Mr. Collins. I left you tn a hurry last night and forgot to pay my bill. What's the damage T" asked Clay In his gently Ironic drawl. "Slim" Jim growled something the music and i the preacher, Ifebbeso. ' But It's liable to be for l,u if 7i monkey with the mug-sa- Tin no gun sharp, but no man who can't empty a ' revolver in a shade better than two, seconds and put every bullet Inside the rim of a cup at fifteen yards wants to -- throw lead ut me. Ym see, I bang up my hut In Arizona.. I grew tip with a six-gu- n by uiy side." "I should worry. This Is little old New York, not Arizona,", the gnngman answered. "That's what yore boss Durand tibousht. What bus It brought him nut trouble? I.eimue give you some-thing to chew on, New York's the big- - -- gest city of the biggest, freest country on God's green footstool. You little " '; sewer ruts pull wires and think you ' run It. Get wise, you poor locoed gink. You run It about as much as that fly on the wheel ef , yore taxi drives the engine. Durand's the whole works by his way of It, but when some one calls his bluff see where he gets off." ' vr. "He ain't through with you yet," growled "Slim" Jim, sulkily. "Mebbe not, but you you're through with Annie." Clay caught him by the shoulder and swung him round. His " eyes bored Chilly Into tho other man. - ' "Don't you forget to remember not to forget that. Let her alone. Don't go"..' near her or play any tricks to hurt v her. Lay off for good. If you don't , well, you'll pay heavy. I'll be on the Job personal to collect." Clay swung away and strode down the street, light-heele- d and lithe, the sap of vital youth In every rippling , muscle. . , . . . "Slim" Jim watched him, snarling , hatred. If ever he got a good chance ; a.t hlra It would be curtains for the guy from Arizona, he swore suvagely. ? CHAPTER XIV Johnnie Says He Is Much Obliged. Beatrice, Just back from riding with Bromfleld, stood on the steps In front of the grilled door and stripped the gloves from her hnnds. "I'm on fire with Impatience, Bee," he told her. "I can hardly wait for that three weeks to pass. The days drag when I'm not with you.? , Tie was standing a step or two he-lo- w her,- - a gruccful, d fig-ur- e of ease, an altogether desirable -- catch In the matrimonial market Ills dark hair, parted In the middle,' was "HAD ENOUGH?" SYNOPSIS A foreword tells this: Motoring through Arizona a party of easterners, father and daughter and a male companion, atop to wit-ness a cattle round up. The girl leavea the car and is attacked by a wild steer. A masterpiece of riding on the part of one of the cowboys saves her life. Then the story begins: Clay Lindsay, range- - rider on an Arizona ranch, an- - I nounces his intention to visit the I "big town." New York. On the I train Clay becomes Interested In I a young woman, Kitty Mason, on I her way to New York to become I a motion-pictur- e actress. She is I marked as a fair prey by 'a fellow I traveler, jerry Turand, gang politl- - I clan and tighter. Clay I provokes a quarrel and throws Du- - I rant from the train. On his first I day In New York Clay Is I splashed with water by a Janitor. That in- - I dividual the range-ride- r punishes I and leaves tied, to a fire hydrant. I A young woman who sees the oc-- I currence Invites Clay Into . her I house and hides him from the po-- I lice. Clay's "rescuer" Introduces I herself as Beatrice Whltford. Llnd- - I say meets her father, Colin Whit- - I ford. He meets Kitty Mason by I accident. She has befn disappointed It In her stage aspirations. Clay 1 visits her. Kitty is Insulted by a I customer. Clay punishes the an- - I noyer. Outside, he Is attac ked by I Jerry Durand and a companion I and beaten Insensible. Clay's ac- - I quaintance with Beatrice Whltford 1 ripens. His "side partner" on the I Arizona ranch, Johnnie Green, I comes to the "big town." The two I take an apartment together. Word comes that Kitty Mason is In I trouble. Clay goes to the rescue I and la helped by Annie MUlikan. I He comes on a party of "gunmen," I obviously waiting for his appear-- I anct. Clay. "gets the drop" on the I thugs, locks them tn a room and I escapes. With a theater party, which Includes the Whltfords, Clay I meets Kitty Mason, friendless anl uppercut Jolted him back. He plunged forward again. They grappled, knock-ing over chairs as they threshed across the room. When they went down Clay was underneath, but as they struck the floor he whirled and landed on top. The man below fought furiously to regain his feet. - Clay's arm worked like a piston rod with short-ar- Jolts against the battered face. Gasping for breath, Durand suddenly collapsed. Clay got to his feet and waited for him to rise. ; Ills enemy rolled over and groaned. "Had enough?" demanded the west-erner. . No answer csme, except the heavy, Irregular breathing of the man on the floor, who was clawing for air in his lungs. , "I'll ask you once more where Kitty Mason is. And you'll tell me unless you want me to begin on you all over again." The beaten pugilist sat up, leaulng against the wall. He felt ashamed .and disgraced by his defeat. Life for him had lost Its savor, for he had met his master. "She got away." "How?" "They turned her loose, to duck the bulls," came the slow, sullen answer. "Where?" . "In Central park." Probably this was the truth, Clay reflected. He could take the man's word or not as he pleased. There was no way to disprove It now. He recovered his revolver, threw the automatic out of the window and walked to the door. "Joe's tied up In a back room," he said over .his shoulder. Thirty seconds later Clay stepped Into the street. He walked across to a subway station and took an uptown bushes bordering an unfrequented path heard the "HI yl yl" of Arizo-na and gave a faint cry for help. That call reached Johnnie and brought him on the run. A man beside the girl Jumped up with a snarl, gun In hand. But the Hunt had caught a sight of Kitty, A file of fixed bayonets could not have kept him from trying to res-cue her. He dived through the brush like a football tackier. A gun barked. The little man did not even know It. He and the thug went down togther, rolled over, clawed furiously at each other, and got to their feet simultaneously.1 But the cowpuncher held the gun now. The crook glared at hlra for a moment, and bolted for the safety of the bushes In wild flight. Johnnie fired once, then forgot all about the private little war he had started. For bis arms were full of a sobbing Kitty, who clung to him while she wept and talked and exclaimed all In a breath. "I knew you'd come, Johnnie. . I knew you would you or Clay. They left me here with him while they got away from the police. .... . Oh, I've been so scared. I didn't know I thought" " 'S all right 'S all right. UT girt. Don't you cry, Kitty. Me 'n Clay won't let 'em hurt you none. We sure won't." . She nestled closer, and Johnnie's heart lost a beat He had become aware of a dull pain In the shoulder and of something wet trickling down his shoulder. But what Is one little bullet In your geography when the sweetest girl in the world Is in your arms? "I nln't nothln' but a hammered-dow- n UT haysed of a cowpuncher," he isriunirss. ne leaves me pariy u told her, his voice trembling, "an take the girl to hts apartment. Be-atrice resents Lindsay's Interest In Kitty. The two men part In anger. Hurt and Indignant. Beatrice pra". tlcally propones marriage to an old admirer, Clarence Bromfleld, wealthy Their engagement la announced. Du-rand's gang kidnaps Kitty.. Clav appeals to Annie Mllllkan, who tells htm where the girl Is likely to be found. There Clay has a hard gun and fist battle with Du-rand. 'CHAPTER XII Continued. fi--IIe rushed again. Nothing but his temper, the lack of self-contr- that made him see red and had once put him at the mercy of a flrst-clas-s ring general with stamina and a punch, had kept Jerry out of a world cham- - He had everything else Iplonship. but he was the victim of his own passion. It betrayed htm now. His fighting was that of a wild cave man, blind, furious, damaging. He beginning to thin, nnd tiny crow's-fe- et radiated from the eyes, but be re-tained the light, slim figure of youth. J,, It ought not to be bard to love Claren-don Bromfleld, bis fiancee reflected. Yet he disappointingly failed to stir her pulses. ' She smiled with friendly derision, "roor Clary I , You don't look like a Vesuvius ready to erupt. You have such remarkable self-control- , ' His smile met hers. " can't go. up and down the street ringing a bell like a town crier and shouting It out to everybody I meet." .1 Round the corner of the house a voice was lifted in tuneless song. Oh, 'I'm goln' horns n' for to spurn; I ain't got a nickel. And I don't give a dern. . 'TIs when I meet a pretty girl, , - You bet I will or try, . ' I'll make her my little wife, i Root hog or die. "You see Johnnie Isn't ashamed to shout out his good Intentions," she said. - - - "Johnnie Isn't engaged to the love-liest' creature under ' heaven.- - lie "You Bate Hlml I can see It In Your Eye I" Cried Muldoon, founding the Table So That the Dishes Jumped. pie woman, and her handshake was firm and strong. "I have that. Tim thinks yuh a wonder, Mr. Lindsay." Clay told the story of his encounter with Durand on the train and of his subsequent meetings with him at the Sea Siren and on the night of the poker party. He made elisions and emendations that removed the bed-room scene from the tale. "So that's when yuh met Annie Mil- - llkan," Tim said. "I was wonderln' how yuh knew her." "That's when I met her. She's one fine girl, Tim, a sure-enoug- h thorough, bred. She has fought against heavy odds all her life to keep good and ho-nest And she's done It." "She has that" agreed Mrs. Mul-doon, heartily. "Annie Is a good girl. I always liked her." "I'd bet my last chip on Annie. So last night I went straight to her. She wouldn't throw down 'Slim' Jim, but she gave me an address. I went there and met Durand." "With his gang?" asked Tim.' "No; I waited till they hail gone. I locked myself In a room alone with him. He took eight shots at ine In the dark and then we mixed." "You bate him I I can see In in your eye!" cried Muldoon, poundlug the table so that the dishes Jumped. "You'll have to ask him about that." Clay passed to more Importaut facts. "When I reached home Kitty was there. They had dropped her In the park to make a safe getaway." "That's good." "But Tim when Annie Mllllkan gave me the address where Jerry Du-rand was, the driver of my taxi saw her. The man was 'Slim' Jim." Muldoon sat up, a serious look on his face. "Man, yuh spilt the beand that time. Ilow'd you ever come to do it? They'll take It out on Annie, the dogs." The eyes of the policeman blazed. "Unless we stand by her. First we've got to get her away from there to some decent place where she'll be meaning of which was drowned In an oath. "You say .lt was a free ride? Much obliged. That's sure fair enough," Clay went on easily. "Well, I didn't come to talk to you about that. I've got other business with you this nio'n-ln'.- " v ' " The chauffeur looked at him sullen-ly and silently. "Suppose we get Inside the cab, where we can talk comfortably," Clay proposed. "Slim" Jim stepped Into the cab and sat down. Clay followed him, closing the door. "nave you seen Jerry Durand this sunny mo'nln'7" asked Lindsay, with surface amiability. "Wot's It to you?" demanded Col-lins. "Not a thing. Nothln' agreed Clay. "But It may be somethin' to you. I'm kinda wonderln' whether I'll have to do to you what I did to him." "SHra" Jim reached for the door hastily. A strong, sinewy hand fell on his arm and tightened, slightly twisting the flesh as the fingers sank deeper. Collins let out a yell. "Gowd I Don't do fhat You're killin' me." "Beg yore pardon. An accident If I get annoyed I'm liable to hurt with-out; meanln' to," apologized Clay, suavely. "I'll come right down to brass tacKs, Mr. Collins. " You're through with Annie Mllllkan. Understand?" "Say, wot fell's this stuff you're pip-la"-? Who d' you t'lnk youse are?" "Never you mind who I am. You'll keep away from Annie from now on absolutely. If you bother her If any-thing happens to her well, you go and take a good long look at Durand before you make any mistakes." "You touch me an' I'll croak you. Seel" hissed Collins. "A gun-play?- " asked Clay pleasant, ly. "Say, there's a shootln'-galler- y round the corner. Coinc a!,r.g. I wnntta show you somethin'." "Aw, go to h 1 1" The sinewy hand moved again to-ward the aching muscles of the gan-ma- Collins chunged his mind bur-riedl- "All right. I'll come," he growled. you're awful pretty an' an' " A flag of color fluttered to her soft cheeks. The silken lashes fell shyly. "I think you're fine and dandy, the bravest man that ever was." "Do you figure you could t I I I don't reckon you could ever" ' He stopped, abashed. To him this creature of soft curves was of heaven-sent charm. All the beauty and vital-It- y of her youth called to him. It Earned to Johnnie that God spoke through her. Which Is another way of saying that he was In love with her. She made a rustling little stir In hla arms and lifted a flushed face very tender and appealing. In the darkness her lips slowly turned to his. Johnnie chose that Inopportune mo-me- nt to get sick at the stomach. "I I'm goin' to faint," he an-nounced, and did. When he returned to his love-stor- y Johnnie's head was in Kitty's lap and tt mounted policeman was In the fore-ground of the scene. Ills face was wet from the mist of fine rain falling. "Don't move. Some one went for a car," she whispered, bending over him so that flying tendrils of her hair brushed his cheek. "Are you badly hurt?" ... He snorted. "I'm a . false alarm. Nothln' He Jes' creased me." "You're so brave," she cried, He had never been told this before. He suspected It was not true, but to hear her say it was manna to his hun-gry soul. The cab stopped at the house of a doctor and the shoulder was dressed The doctor made one pardonable mis-take. . . "Get your wife to give you this sleeping powder if you find you can't sleep," he said. "Y'betcha," answered Johnnie cheer-fully. Kitty looked at him reproadi.'ully and blushed. She scolded him about it after they reached the apartment where they lived. Her new fiance defended himself. "He's only a day or two prema-chur-honey. It wasn't hardly worth while explaining" he claimed. "A tlnv or two. Oh. Johnnie!" train. Men looked at him curiously. His face was bruised and bleeding, his clothes disheveled, his hat torn. Clay grinned and thought of the old answer: "They'd ought, to see the other man." One young fellow, apparently a col-lege boy, who hod looked upon the wine when it was red, was moved to come over and offer condolence. "Say, I don't want to butt in or any-thing, but be didn't do a thing to you, did he?" "I hit the edge of a' door In the dark," explained Clay solemnly "That door must have had several edges." The youth made a confiden-tial admission. "I've got an edge on myself, sort of."' "Not really?" murmured Clay , po-litely. "Surest thing you know. Say, was It a good scrap?" "I'd hate to mix In a better one." "Wish I'd been there." The student fumbleW for a card. "Didn't catch your name?" Clay had no Intention of giving his name Just now to any casual stranger. He laughed and hummed the chorus of an old range ditty. CHAPTER XIII Johnnie Comes Inte His Own. When Clay shot 'off at a tangent from the car and ceased to function as a passenger, Johnnie made an effort to descend and Join his friend, 4ut al-ready the taxi was traveling at a speed that made this dangerous. He leaned out of the open door and shout-ed to the driver. "Say, lemme out, doggone you. I wantta get out right here." The chauffeur paid not the least at-tention to him. He Skidded round a cGit.j.1, raz'.rig thi c'ir. and nut Ids foot on the accelerator. The enr Jumped forward, sweeping down the wet street, now and again skidding dangerously. It swung Into Fourth avenue, slowing to take the curve. At the widest sweep of the arc Johnnie stepped down. His feet slid from un-der him and he rolled to the curb htoss the wet asphalt. Slowly be got It Ought Not to Be Hard to Levi Clarendon Bromfteid, His Fiancc Reflected. Yet He Disappointingly Failed to Stir Her Pulses. doesn't have to lie nwake nights for fear the skies will f.ili and blot him out before bis day of bliss." Beatrice dropped a little curtsy. She held out her bund In dlsmlssul. "Till tomorrow, Clury." As Bromlield turned away. Johnnie came round a corner of the house, dragging a garden hose. lie was at-tacking another stanza of the song: There's I'ard tlm on old Dltter Crk That never can I bat. It s root hog or Me t'nrtVr evtry waKon slieet. (1 ari'd up all t tie linllanii, tMunk ... The I'liiK'licr stopped Btruitly at flight of hN iiuHtress. r - "I'd like to ride with you the J rest of your life!" - - .. - (TO UK CON TIN UK. He Threw Away Hie Science and His Skill In Order to Destroy the Man He Hated. threw away Ms science and his skill tn order to destroy the man he hated. He rained blows on Mm fought with head and knee and was on top of him every moment, controlled by one dominating purpose to make that dancing figure take the dust. Clay was cool, (iiite muster of hlin-(I- f. Before the fight had pone three minutes be knew that, barring n 'liHni'e Mow, some foul play, or a bit i f bad lii'-k- , he would win. II' v!is oviTing up, letting .the pugilist wear himself out, und tahlt'.g only the pun-ishment he must. But be was getting liwlne h'onio tiesivy body blows that were playing the mischief will) Jerry's wind. The New Yorker, pudiug HUe a sea Hon, entile ut of a rally winded and ipeiit. Instantly (lay took the of-fensive. Ite wm u trained boxer as uell a ii fighter, imd be bad been taught how to make every ounce of his weight count. Hipping In n body blow as a feint, h brought down Durand's fuanl. A straight left crashed home between tli ;e,s and n heavy solar p!:u shook t lie man to the heeW. Doinnd tiled to close with loin. An up nnd tested himself for hrokmi bones, lie was sure be bad dislocated a few hips and It took him some time to persuade himself he was all right, except for some bruises. But Johnnie, free, had no Idea what to do. He was as helpless as Johnnie Imprisoned In the flying cab. Of what Clay's plan had been he had not the remotest Idea. Yet he could not go home and do nothing. He must keep searching. But where? One thing stuck In bis mind. His friend bad mentioned that be would like to get a chance to call the police to find out whether Kitty hud been rescued. He was anxious on that point himself. At the first cigar slore he stopped nnd was put on the wire with headquar-ters, lie learned that a ear supposed to be the one wanted bad t n driven Into Central park by the police a few minutes earlier. Johnnie's mind carried him on n straight l'ne to the simplest decision, lie ran across to Fifth avenue and climbed into a bus going uptown. At the Seventy-secon- street entrance Johnnie left the bus nnd plungwd Into the park. The Impish gods who de-light In turning upside down the best-lai- d plans of mice and men were work-lu- g overtime tonight. They arranged it that a girl cowering among the wet "Syre. I nln't gonna wait. Wha's the matter with tomorrow?" "I haven't any clothes made," she evaded, nnd added by way of diver-sion. "I always liked that klnda gold-en dow n on your cheeks." "The stores are full of "em. An' we ain't taikln' about my whiskers not right now." "You're a nice old thing," she whis-pered, flashing Into unexpected dim-ples, and she rewarded him for his nleeness in a way be thought alto-gether desirable. A crisp, strong step sounded out-side. The door opened and Clay came into the room. He looked at Kitty. "Thank heaven, you're safe," he said. "Johnnie rescued me," she cried. "He got shotIn the shoulder." The men looked at each other. "Bad, Johnnie?" "Nope. A plumb ll'l scratch. Wha's the matter with you?" A glenui of humor flitted Into the eyes of the cattleman. "I ran Into a door." "Pay, t'lay," Johnnie burst out, "I betcba can't guess." His friend laughed in ambluble de-rision, "oh, you kids in the woods. I knew It soon ns I opened the door." He walked up to the girl u.i safe." i Mrs. Muldoon spoke up. "And that's easy. She'll Just take our spare bedroom and welcome. Sure the girl needs a mother and a home. An' I don't doubt that she'll pny her way." "Then that's settled. Will you see Annie, Tim? Or shall I?" "We'll both see her. But there's another thing. Will she be safe here?" "I'm goin' to have a talk with 'Slim Jim and try to throw u scare Into him. I'll report to you what he says." They took a trolley to the lodging house where Annie lived. The girl looked pah; and tired. Clay guessed she bad slept little. The mem-ory of "Slim" Jim's snarling face hud stood out in the darkness at the foot of her bed. "Is thl a pinch?" she asked Tim, with a pert little tilt to ber chin. "Yuh can call It that, Annie. Moth-er wants yuh to come ami stay with us. You're not safe here. That gang will make yuh pay somehow for what yuh did." "Ami if your mother took me In they'd make her pny. You'd maybe lose your job." "I'd t'md another. I'm thiukiu' of quiltin', anyhow." "I don't think they'd g-- t Tim," put Clay tossed a dollar down on the counter, took a .22 and aimed at the row of ducks sailing across the gal-lery pool. Each duck went down as It npKared. He picked up n second rifle and knocked over seven or eight mice as they scampered across the target screen. With a third gun he snuffed the flaming eye from the right to the left side of the face thnt grinned at him, then with another shot sent It back again, lie smashed a few clay pipes by way of variety. To finish off with, he scored six center shots in a target and rang a bell each time. Not one single bullet had failed to reach its mark. The New York gunman bad never seen such speed and neenracy. He was impressed In spile of the Insolent sneer that still curled bis lip. "Cot a a fohty-flve?- " Clay of the owner of the gal-lery. "No." "Sony. I'm not much with a rltlo, but I'm a .nod average shot with a six gun. I klnda take to it natural." They turned and walked back to the call. Collins fell Into the Bowery strut. "Try In" to throw a score into me," he areneil feebly. ''Me? Oh. no. You mentioned soft I Resignation Is a virtus to cultivate. " |