Show Sels elwood woud of sleepy L ta y cot cat by FRANK H a SPEARMAN 0 A a service by crt son STORY FROM THE START john Sa Sl wood lwood gentleman gam ambler and manager of ft A stage te lino at sleepy cat coma upon mired settler whose wagon has mired in a crook creek he H helps let get the ou outfit t clr after picking up a girls tho hoe and seeing etna and being attracted t by the supposed owner thereof in mylert the sett ett lers lera calron moses mccracken ft a youth Is robbed of in ft a sleepy cat catt gambling don den selwood forces the swindlers lers bartoe and atkins to return the he money faier opens a dry goods good store or with big haynes hayne running ft mock auction of worthless goods in the place selwood learno learna the girl whose hoe be h picked up Is ID christie ayiers daughter selwood makes chris ties acquaintance and warns fyler that atkins la Is a crook the storekeeper refuses to believe it C CT OYER V continued 6 tills where you yon live I 1 well I 1 youve pot got a nice big tent we brought it with us said aid christie distantly and hoping he would go eo but starbuck was in no haste ue ile kept up his talk telling her how he knew a woman could make even a tent homelike he looked at the flap intently as if he would like to see inside his eyes fairly hinted as much but christie was resolved he should not if he stood an hour when he saw it was useless he changed the subject rye got cot to take ai u little drive this afternoon down river come along and rii ill show you the prettiest team and buggy this side denver will you yo ago go iru im sorry but ive got a dress to make this afternoon some other time perhaps today I 1 possibly goodby good by I 1 by the time she had rid herself of him her checks were flushed bushed with the effort and her heart was beating a little taster faster there was something surprising at moments exhilarating in his challenge but christie could not cot be at all sure that she liked him starbuck made a point of seeing christie frequently ile he was so kind in every way that she more than once revised her early distrust and he was so well bred and knew so much about everything ile he was well liked by her father and generally popular yet he more than once confessed in confidence to christie that he was it a lonely man that he longed for something different different from the crude life of the rough men tie he was thrown among and this mark of confidence touched christie deeply tor for he added that she was the 0 netwood had refused to settle his claim only one in whom lie he could confide the only one indeed in the whole big hulf half wild town that understood him this too touched christie very much he was so BO his big and strong and so BO lonesome of course any good impression that might have made must fade before all of this moreover selwood was waa much in disfavor with those about her ber she was out of humor with him herself because he stubbornly insisted that her ber father was denying bis big own goods and selwood hud had refused to settle his claim unless tier her father would first accept the atkins boots so St lwoods face when he appeared at the store was as rather set lie 11 e still came but not so often nor did be htay atay so long christie was distant with him ile he had never even when he be had a chance offered any grave confidences had find never complained p i laened of loneliness or confessed a need of sympathy christie could not bay ay ne lie was ill mannered 01 that he suffered bunt red in any way in comparison ervn e cn wibb starbuck who ho held had become ner standard nor was he less well dressed but more quiet y and selwood not slow glow ot 0 ampre tension whatever his bis fault cou could ld see that he had quite lost out with christie ne ile suffered reflected resolved and made a desperate bid for or reinstatement nd called one afternoon at the store before the auction hour selwood walked up to the cashiers desk fyler stood behind it opening accounts for the day with big haynes selwood drew from one pocket fy lers bill for the lost shipment and threw it on the counter from another pocket he drew a roll of hundred dollar bills he counted off fifteen and threw them on the invoice theres your claim fyler he said briefly fourteen hundred and forty dollars there are fifteen hundred dollars in currency give me sixty dollars and receipt your bill filers eyes bulged nig ills face lighted with a great smile well selwood 1 what does all this mean jt it means well but it mean the company la is settling this claim in this way he added as fyler counted the money all it means Is im tired of hearing about those boots receipt your bill paid in full fyler fyler pocketing the money tried flattering natt ering words to soften delwo Se lwoods mid cold ran manner admitted ho he might have been wrong in his stand but urged he had bad tried to be fair selwood was not particularly moved youre paid arent you youl he said bluntly all right I 1 know who stole the goods pay me for em sometime CHAPTER VI sunday in sleepy cat was not the best day of the week usually it was tile the worst but sunday morning early was fairly quiet and on this sunday christie in trouble was abroad early the sun was scarce an hour hig 0 when she hastened up street from t the e tent camp toward doctor carlys hotel slender in figure light of foot alert almost swift sift in action christie looked neither to the right nor the left and the few men stirring at that hour caught none of her glances the afie front door of the hotel was open she entered the narrow hall hal with tile the caution of the inexperienced and looked through another open door into the office which was empty christie when she walked in and halted in perplexity at the desk which consisted only of a shabby piece of old counter and a half balf empty cigar case containing with a few cigars an abundance of old bills rendered the proprietor for merchandise had and delivered but on the counter stood the dinner ne cerbell rbell and christie after some looking about and some hesitation seized aud and rang it startled at the noise it made christie set it down in trepidation and waited tor for results for a moment there were none then men some in con coats s an and some coa coatless ess some bearded ear and some unshaven but all ner cry much face washed and with hair ver very wet and plastered began Ap appearing pearIn from nowhere or rather from everywhere at the doors and through the windows christie saw them coming some slowly some eagerly but all with great accord toward the entrance to the dining room across tile the hall the doors were closed but one adventurer more bold than his fellows pushed open the door walked in and the rest trooped heavily in after him christie heard a womans comans voice and one not pitched in an amiable key bey ready no I 1 its not ready and wont be ready for half an hour yet who rang that bell christie felt like dropping through the floor very positive steps were coming rapidly her way the next moment she was faced by a stern looking woman did sou ring that bell christie felt elt it would be useless to deny 1 I know it was the dinner bell she explained 1 I want doctor carpy what for for my father well lies hes not here there was a fight this morning down in the river quarter A man got shot lies hes down there the matter with your father each question was chopped off with a mental ar and the question flung with about as much consideration as a bullet sly lly father retorted christie resentfully sent fully imitating and beginning to feel the harshness of her questioner needs a doctor ile he was robbed last night and beaten I 1 she spoke tier lier words with due feeling but if she expected to make any impression with the news or to arouse sympathy for her anxiety she was disappointed stories of christies christias Chri sties sort meant little to margaret hyde she had become too inured to the violence of a frontier town it if you want the doctor better wait here till lie comes back she snapped As she spoke the two women beard a heavy step on the porch and the hie next moment doctor carpy walked in lie ile threw bag and threw off his hat bat with the air of a tired man then sitting down as his housekeeper left the room lie he heard christies christias Chri sties story her father had been called out of the tent late the night before set on by two men robbed of all his money brutally beaten about the head and she had not dared leave the tent to hunt up the doctor till after daylight without discussion carpy told her to wait one minute till he could get a cup of coffee and he would go with her but the cook had overslept over slept the coffee was not rendy ready carpy muttered somewhat and sputtered rummaged about for some bandages and was ready to go with christie selwood kept a room at carpy Car pys s hotel as it was locally known an and d usually slept there but tits his hours were irregular and ho he did not often appear in the dining room before noon tills this sunday morning lie he was up early and walked down to the he river quarter on his way to trays tent near the bridge he be saw christie christ coming up from the tents with doctor carpy ile he would have passed them and preferred to do so without comment for he was in ID no mood being jealous and resentful resent fu fui to make any appeal for christies christias Chri sties favor accordingly he tried to pass on carpy however held him j ohn john 1 l ho he began without preface or apology and catching tile the lapel of Se lwoods coat to make sure of his victim 1 I said to you only the other day it if theres any human scum in the whole blamed united states that faint landed in sleepy cat jt lt must be brause they aint never heard of it yet tet beyond touching his hat and that almost without looking at her selwood did not acknowledge chrls ales presence ile he held his eyes strictly on carpy and received cd the doctors doctor Is outburst without visible emotion why dont you say something you big galoot demanded the doctor fussed bussed to tell the truth by the presence of the slip of ayoung woman at its his side so young indeed that she should be culled called a girl rather than a woman what do you want ant me to say 21 asked selwood Sel nood without a smile you ton always ask me that when you get mad and youre mad most of the time jime bothering you john heres this nice little girl he looked toward tier her and knit b his is brows brois in perplexity dash he continued apologetically 1 I never can remember your name the doctor had find taken off his lint and was scratching his ear when he be appealed to ills companion for help christie fyler interposed christie just the of tier her voice pulled Se lwoods eyes to her eyes and lie he saw she had been crying you know this big hulk dont you christie asked the doctor with genial informality it if you dont lie he continued meet gentleman john selwood was impatient dont be a fool doctor lie he protested pleased neither at the mention of his sleepy cat nickname nor at the situation before him well it Is gettleman john you cant get rid of it persisted the doctor you just tipped up your lint to tier her you nobody else with ina hundred and fifty miles of sleepy cat would do that would khey selwood perceiving the source of tile the doctors loquacity ignored the rest of it it lie he turned tits his eyes on christie whose face showed tier her dis t tress r es s Is your father sick he asked without mud much feeling ile he was robbed and beaten last night she replied refilled looking at him all and speaking quickly two men came to the tent called him out I 1 knocked him senseless and took all tits his money A pocketful tool interjected tile the doctor and yesterday morning mr atkins took possession of the store and put fattier father out of it entirely selwood could no longer pretend indifference dif difference why lie asked mildly christie wrung one land hand nervously in the other oh I 1 dont know I 1 cant understand it neither can call fattier father lie he says fattier father owes ones him money he not a but bat lie lies s taken all our goods and everything and put us out in the street I 1 selwood listened without batting an eye ey christies christias Chri sties restrained grief was plainly acute carpy thought it should have called forth some expression of 0 sympathy from the gambler why dont yo you u say something remonstrated the doctor selwood asked a question ques llon of the doctor how bad Is fyler hurt well aside from his head being cut wide open and belli pounded u up generally with a wagon spoke lie he aint really hurt at nil all replied carpy ironically doctor murmured christie naturally indignant and anxious to get away from an unsympathetic atmosphere ought we not to ve b e lurtz ing to get the medicine back to father 1 selwood turned to christie 1 I wonder whether I 1 could se see e your father a minute lie ile want to say your father being just that resentful selwood wanted to say not your father but ll so little was lie he in love with ith him and being just mean enough to feel the tra jer had something coining to him why not interposed carpy lies iles down there in that tent right back of daves id better walt wait till you yon come back suggested selwood Sc lwood appealing to christie come collie along to the office then ill give her the medicine and you two can KO go lack illicit together until tile lie two left the office medicine in hand carpy kept the talk going galas but when selwood found himself on the way to the lie tent in company with christie only the situation grew embarrassing Se lwoods hardness of heart was fast giving way before the innocence of christie who properly chilled as slie site perceived Se lwoods attempts to warm altogether by the time the tent fly was wag reached Se lwoods fine poise had about failed him bim he be was feeling uncomfortable carlys presence was not needed to enable him to pass on ayiers condition selwood had bad come in contact with many injured men and saw at one from eylers oyes eyes that he was nas more scared than hurt selwood listened without comment to the story told partly by fyler and partly through excited interruption by christie violence was nil all so new to christie her view of it as something too horrible for men to resort to was so naive in tile the surroundings to which she was now condemned that selwood regarded her as the most innocent person lie he lind had ever met and felt sorry for what might be ahead of tier her on tile frontier lie ile offered what perfunctory consolation lie he could but bill not being skilled in that sort of thing did only reasonably well at it ile he asked faier whether lie thought he could lecog nise his assailants christie intervened how could lie he it was pitch dark but sir starbuck warned father just the other day to be careful full selwood pricked up ills his 9 ears ear s he said the town Is bothered it very every night with men that come in in the evening continued christie excitedly they rob people and leave again before morning selwood nodded regretfully that makes it harki hard rn on the local talent it well you got off with jour life he said to fyler better than some men do ill see whether I 1 can ind find out anything and ill drop in again to aee how you are coming on hope be feeling better soon christie followed him outside the tent and pausing a few steps away appealed to him with troubled eyes do you think my fattier father will get well im not a doctor christie iier her name tame came in a kind of gulp the first time lie had ever spoken it to her but ie seen a good many men pounded on the head he said flushing a little with self conscious ness at the admission rf if your father were hurt badly hed be unconscious and lie he would breathe like well like a man snoring pretty hard ile he says lie want t to get well now hes lost everything it if all the men in sleepy cat that have lost esery |