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Show j "2 The BigTown Roiind Up $ I By WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE J 1 Copyright bf William MacLeod Ralne . If I've told you how humble I feel today. I might have trusted you. Why didn't IT It would have been easy for me to have taken your little friend in and made things right for ber. That's what I ought to have done. But, Instead In-stead of that Oh, I hate myself for the way I acted." Her troubled smile, (rave and sweet, touched hira closely. It was la his horoscope that the spell of this young Diana must be upon him. He put his hand on hers as It rested on the pommel of the saddle and gave It a slight pressure. . "You're a good scout, UT pa rdner." , But It was Beatrice's way to step up to punishment and take what was' coming. As a little girl, while still almost al-most a baby, she had once walked up to her mother, eyes flashing with splr- "NO VIOLENCEI" BTNOPSIS-A foreword tello this: , Motoring through Arizona a party of easterners, father and daughter and a male companion, stop to witness wit-ness a cattle round up. The girl leaves the car and is attacked by a wild steer. A masterpiece of rtdlng on the part of one of the cowboys saves her life. Then the 1 story begins; Clay Lindsay, range-rider range-rider on an Arizona ranch, announces an-nounces bis Intention to visit the ."big town." New York. On the train Clay becomes Interested In a young woman, Kitty Mason, on her way to New York to become a motlon-pictrue actress. She la marked as a fair prey by a fellow traveler, Jerry Durand. gang politician politi-cian and ex-prlze fighter. Clay provokes a quarrel and throws Du-rand Du-rand from the train. On his first day In New York Clay Is splashed with water by a Janitor. That Individual In-dividual the range-rider punishes and leaves tied to a Are hydrant A y6ung woman who sees the occurrence oc-currence Invites Clay Into her bouse and hides him from the police. po-lice. Clay's "rescuer" introduces herself as Beatrice Whltford. Lindsay Lind-say meets her father. Colin Whltford. Whlt-ford. He meets Kitty Mason by accident She has been disappointed in her stae aspirations. Clay visits her. Kitty Is Insulted by a customer. Clay punishes the an noyer. Outside, he Is attacked by Jerry Durand and a companion and beaten Insensible. Clay's acquaintance ac-quaintance with Beatrice Whltford ripens. His "side partner" on If Arizona ranch, Johnnie Green, comes to the "big town." The two take an apartment together. Word comes that Kitty Mason Is In trouble. Clay goes to the rescue-and rescue-and Is helped by Annie MllUkan. He comes on- a party of "gunmen," obviously waiting for his appearance. appear-ance. Clay "gets the drop" on the thugs, locks them In a room and escapes. With a theater party, which Includes the Whltfords, Clay meets Kitty Mason, friendless and penniless. He leaves the party to take the girl to his apartment. Beatrice Be-atrice resents Lindsay's interest In Kitty. The two part In anger. Hurt and Indignant Beatrice practically prac-tically proposes marriage to an old admirer, Clarence Bromfleld, wealthy man-about-town. Their engagement Is announced. Du-rand'a Du-rand'a gang kidnaps Kitty. Clay appeals to Annie MllUkan, who tells him where the girl is likely to be found. There Clay has a hard gun and fist battle with Durand, Du-rand, and bests him. Annie Is res- cued. " ' :' to his anger. He began planning a revenge on the man. who no doubt was laughing In his sleeve at him. He wanted the fellow exposed, discredited and humiliated. But how? Walking up and down his room like a caged panther, Bromfleld Brom-fleld remembered that Lindsay had other enemies In New York, powerful ones, who would be eager to co-operate with him in bringing about the man's downfall. Was it possible for him to work with them under covert If so, In what way! Clarendon Bromfleld was not -a criminal, crim-inal, but a conventional member of society. It was not In his mind or In his character to plot the murder or mayhem of his rival. What he wanted was a public disgrace, one that would blare his name out to the newspapers as a lawbreaker. He wanted to sicken Beatrice and her father of their strange infatuation for Lindsay. A plan began to unfold itself for him. It was one which called for expert ex-pert assistance. He called up Jerry Durand, got hlra on the telephone, and made an appointment to meet blm secretly. , CHAPTER XV ' "No Violence." The ex pugilist sat back In the chair chewing an unllghted black cigar, his fishy eyes fixed on Bromfleld. Scars still decorated the colorless face, souvenirs sou-venirs of a battle in which he had ' been bested by a man he hated. Durand Dur-and had a capacity for silence. He waited now for this exquisite from the upper world to tell his business. Clarendon discovered that he had an unexpected repugnance to doing this. A fastidious sense of the obligations of class served him for a soul and the thing he was about to do could not be Justified even in his loose code of ethics. He examined the ferule of his Malacca cane nervously. "I've come to you, Mr. Durand, about about a fellow cnlled Lindsay." The bulbous eyes of the other narrowed. nar-rowed. He distrusted on principle all kid gloves. Those he had met were mostly ambitious reformers. Furthermore, Further-more, any stranger who mentioned the ' name of the Artzonan became Instant- 1 ly an object of suspicion. "What about him?" "Whatta you want me to dot Coma clean." ,; "Could we get him into a gambling-house, gambling-house, arrange some disgraceful nilxui with a woman, get the place raided by the police, and have the whole thing come out in the papers?" Jerry's elltted eyes went off into space. The thing could be arranged. The trouble in getting Lindsay was to draw him Into a trap he could not break through. If Bromfleld could deliver de-liver his enemy into his hands, Durand thought he would be a fool not to make the most of the chance. As for this soft-fingered swell's stipulation against physical injury, that could be ignored if the opportunity offered. "Can. you bring this Lindsay to a gambling-dump? Will he come wirh your demanded the gang politician. "I think so. I'm not sure. But if I do that, can you fix the rest?" "It'll cost money.' , "How much will you need?" 1 "A coupla thousand to start with. More before I've finished, I've got to salve the cops." , Bromfleld had prepared for this contingency. con-tingency. He counted out a thousand dollars In bills of large denominations. "I'll cut that figure In two. Under- ' stand. 'lie's not to be hurt I wont have any rough work." ( , "Leave that to roe." ; ' "And you've got to arrange it so thnt when the house Is raided I escape without being known." "I'll do that, too. Leave your address ad-dress and I'll send a man up later to wise you as to the Bcheme when I get one fixed up." On a sheet torn from his memorandum memoran-dum book Bromfleld wrote the name of the club which he most frequented. "Don't forget the newspapers. I want them to get the story," said the clubman, rising. "I'll see they cover the raid." - Bromfleld, massaging a glove onto his long fingers, added another word of caution. "Don't slip up on thla thing. Lindsay's a long way fronj being a soft mork." ; ( "Don't I know It?" snapped Durand viciously. "There'll be no slip-up' this time if you do your part. We'll get him, and we'll get him right." ! "Without any violence, of course." "Oh, of course." I Was there a covert but derisive Joer concealed in that smooth assent? "You've known me all along," he charged. "Of course I've known you knew you when you stood on the steps after you had tied the Janitor." "I knew you, too?" "Why didn't you say so?" "Did you expect me to make that grandstand play on the 'parada' a claim on yore kindness? I didn't do a thing for you that day any man wouldn't have done. I happened to be the lucky fellow that got the chance. That's all. Come to that, it was up to you to do the recognizing if any was done. It had worked out that you didn't know me, but once or twice from things you said I almost thought you did." ,. .- . "I meant to tell you some time, but well. I wanted to see how long you could keep from telling me. Now you've done it again." . "I'd like to ride with you the rest of yore life," he said unexpectedly. 1 They trembled on the edge of self-revelation. self-revelation. It was the girl who rescued res-cued them from the expression of their emotions. Til speak to Clary about It. Maybe he'll take you on as a groom," she said with surface lightness. As soon as they reached home Beatrice Bea-trice led the way Into the library. Bromfleld was sitting there with her father. They were talking over plans for the annual election of officers ot the Bird Cage Mtnlng company. Whltford Whlt-ford was the largest stockholder and Bromfleld owned the next biggest block. They controlled It between them. "Dad, Rob Roy bolted and Mr. Lindsay Lind-say stopped hlra before I was thrown." Whltford rose, the color ebbing from his cheeks. "I've always told you that brute was dangerous. I'll offer him for sale today." "And I've discovered that we know the man who saved me from the wild steer in Arizona. It was Mr. Lindsay." "Lindsay l" Whltford turned to him. "Is that right?" "It's correct." Colin Whltford, much moved, put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Son, you know what I'd like to tell you. I reckon I can't say It right" "We'll consider It said, Mr. Whltford," Whlt-ford," answered Clay with his quick, boyish smile. "No use In splllln' a lot of dictionary words." superfluous plate of toasted English muffins. He wished his hands had not been so big and red and freckled. Also he had an uncomfortable suspicion suspi-cion that his tow hair was tousled and uncombed In spite of his attempts at home to plaster It down. He declined sugar and cream because be-cause for some reason It seemed easier easi-er to say "No'm" than "Yes," though he always took both with tea. And he disgraced himself by scalding hts tongue and falling to suppress the pain. Finally the plate, wkh his muffin, muf-fin, carefully balanced on his knee, from some devilish caprice plunged over the precipice to the carpet and the bit of china broke. Whereupon Kitty gently reproved hlra, as was her wifely duty. "I ain't no society fellow," the distressed dis-tressed puncher explained to his hostess, host-ess, tiny beads of perspiration on his forehead. Beatrice had already guessed as much, but she did not admit It to Johnnie. She and Kitty smiled at each other In that common superiority which their sex gives them to any mere man upon such an occasion. For Mrs. John Green, though afternoon tea was to her an alien custom, took to It as a duck to water. . Miss Whltford handed Johnnie an envelope. "Would It be too much trouble trou-ble for you to take a letter to Mr. Lindsay?" she asked very casually as they rose to go. The bridegroom said he was much obliged and he would be plumb tickled to take a message to Clay. When Clay read the note his blood glowed. It was a characteristic two-line two-line apology: I've been a horrid little prig, Clay (so the letter ran). Won't you come over tomorrow and go riding with met BEATRICE. Colin Whltford had been telling Clay the story of how a young cow-puncher cow-puncher had snatched Beatrice from under the hoofs of a charging steer, Ills daughter and the Arlzonan listened lis-tened without comment. "I've always thought I'd like to explain ex-plain to that young man I didn't mean to Insult him by offering money for saving Bee. But you see he didn't give me any chance. I never did learn his name," concluded the mining man. " 1 ' Her Troubled Smile, Grave and Sweet, Touched Him Closely, it, and pronounced Judgment on herself. her-self. "I've turn to be spanked. I broke Claire's doll on' I'm glad of it, mean old flng. So there I" Now she was not going to let the subject drop until she had freed her soul. "I understand that you and be are not on friendly terms. I've gathered that from what's been told me. Am I correct?" Durand thrust out his salient chin. "Say I Who the h 1 are you? What's eatln you? Whatta you want?" "I'd rather .not tell my name." "Nothln" doln'. No name, no business. busi-ness. That goes." , .,, "Very well. My name Is Bromfleld. This fellow Lindsay gets In my way. I want to-sellmlnate him." "Are you askln' me to croak him?" "Good 0 d, no I I don't want him1 hurt physically," cried Bromfleld, alarmed, "Whatta you want, then?" The tight-lipped mouth and the harsh voice called for a showdown. "I want him discredited disgraced." "Why?" "Some friends of mine are Infatuated Infatu-ated by him. I want to unmask him Bromfleld did not know, but he took: away with htm an unease that disturbed dis-turbed his sleep that night. : Before the clubman was out of the hotel, Jerry was snapping instructions at one of bis satellites. "Trail that fellow. Find where ha goes, who he Is, what girl he's mashed on, all about him. See if he's hooked up with Lindsay. And how? Hop to' It i Did you get a slant at blm as he went out?" " ' . "Sure I did. He's my meat." The trailer vanished. I Jerry stood at the window, still sullenly sul-lenly chewing his unllghted cigar, and watched his late visitor and the trailer, lose themselves In the hurrying crowds. . ,! "White-livered simp. 'No violence, Mr. Durand nmp! Different here." An evil grin broke through on ttm thln-llpped, cruel face. When Bromfleld suggested te Clay with a touch of stiffness that he would " be glad to show him a side of New York night life probably still unfamiliar unfamil-iar to him, the cattleman felt a surprise he carefully concealed. He guessed that this was a belated attempt at-tempt on the part of Miss Whitford's fiance to overcome the palpable dislike he bad for her friend. If so, the Impulse Im-pulse that inspired the offer was a I creditable one. Lindsay had no desire CHAPTER XIV Continued. 9 "What did you drink that has made you so happy this morning, Johnnie?" she asked lightly. The cowpuncher's secret burst from him.' "I done got married, Miss Beatrice." Bea-trice." ! "You what?" I s "I up and got married day before yesterday," he beamed. "And who's the happy girl?" "Kitty Mason. We Jes walked to the church round the corner. Clay," he stood up with us and give the bride away. It's me n her for Arizona poco pronto." Beatrice felt a queer Joyous lift inside in-side her as of some weight that had gone. In a single breath Johnnie had blown away the mists of misunderstanding misunder-standing that, for weeks had clouded her vision. ' Her heart went out to Clay with a rush of warm emotion. The friend she had distrusted was all she had ever believed him. He was more a man too stanch to desert under un-der pressure any one who had even a slight claim on him. "I want to meet her. Will you bring her to see me this afternoon, Johnnie?" John-nie?" she asked. His face was one glad grin. "I sure will. Y'betcha, by Jollies." He did. us) iiuuivf - a " "And of course we'd like him to know that we appreciate what he did for me," Beatrice added. She looked at Clay, and a pulse bent In her soft throat. "I reckon he knows that," Lindsay suggested. "You must 'a thought him mighty rude for to break away like you say he did." "We couldn't understand It till after-ward. after-ward. Mr. Bromfleld had slipped him a fifty-dollar bill and naturally he resented re-sented It." Miss Whitford's face bubbled bub-bled with reminiscent mirth. She looked a question at Clay. "Yhat do you suppose that impudent young scalawag scal-awag did with the fifty?" "Got drunk on It most likely." I "He fed It to his horse. Clary was furious." ' "He would be," said the cattleman dryly, in spite of the best intentions to be generous to his successful rlvaL "But I reckon I know why yore grandstand grand-stand friend In chaps pulled Buch a play. In Arizona you can't square such things with money. So far as I can make out the puncher didn't do anything to write home about, but he didn't want pay for it anyhow." "Of course, Bromfleld doesn't understand un-derstand the West." said Whltford. "I wouldn't like that young puncher half so well If he'd taken the money." "He didn't need to spoil a perfectly "No, Clay, I've been a poor sportsman. sports-man. When .my friend needed me I failed him. It hurts me, because oh, you know. When the test came I wasn't there. One hates to be a quitter." quit-ter." Her humility distressed him, though he loved the spirit of her apology. "It's all right. Bee. Don't you worry. wor-ry. All friends misunderstand each other, but the real ones clear things up." She had not yet told him the whole truth and she meant to make clean confession. "I've been a miserable little fool." She stopped with a little catch of the breath, flamed red, and plunged on. Her level eyes never flinched from hts. "I've got to out with it, Clay. You won't misunderstand, I know. I was Jealous. I wanted to keep your friendship friend-ship to myself didn't want to share it with another girl. That's how mean I am." A warm smile lit his face. "I've sure enough found my friend again this mo'nln." Her smile met his. Then, lest barriers bar-riers fall too fast between them, she put her horse to a gallop. As they moved into the park a snorting snort-ing automobile leaped past them with muffler open. The horse upon which Beatrice rode was a young one. It Vi. UILUUIHII Jf TV Vt U0I "Why didn't you tell us?" "It was nothln' to brag about" Bromfleld came to time with a thin words of thanks. "We're all greatly in your debt, Mr. Lindsay." As the days passed the malicious Jealousy of the New York clubman deepened to a steady hatred. A fellow of ill-controlled temper, his thin-skinned thin-skinned vanity writhed at the condition condi-tion which confronted hlra. He was engaged to a girl Who preferred another an-other and better man, one against whom he had an unalterable grudge. He recognized In the westerner an eager energy, a clean-cut resilience, and an abounding vitality he would have given a great deal to possess. His own early manhood had been frittered frit-tered away In futile dissipations and he resented bitterly the contrast between be-tween himself and Lindsay that must continually be present in the mind of the girl who had promised to marry him. He had many adventitious things to offer her such advantages as modern mod-ern civilization has made desirable to hothouse women but he could not give the clean, splendid youth she craved. It was the price he had paid for many sybaritic pleasures he had been too soft to deny himself. With only a little more than two weeks of freedom before her, Beatrice made the most of her days. For the to take In any of the plague spots of the city with Bromfleld. Something about the society man set his back up, to use his own phrase. But because this was true he did not Intend to be t outdone In generosity by a successful rival. I'romptly and heartily he ac- j g cepted the Invitation. If he had? -known thnt a note and a card from Jerry Durand lay in the vest pocket of his cynical host while he was holding hold-ing out the olive branch, It Is probable the Arlzonan would have said, "No, thank you, kind sir." The note mentioned no names. It snld, "Wednesday, at Maddock's, 11 p. m. Show this card." And to Maddock's, on Wednesday, at an hour something curlier then 11. the New Yorker led his guest after a call at one or two clubs. Even from the outside the place had a dilapidated look that surprised Lindsay. The bell was of that brand you keep pulling till you discover It is out of order. Decayed gentility narked the neighborhood, though the blank front of the houses looked Impeccably Im-peccably respectable. "I've been a horrid little prig. Clay. Won't you come over tomorrow to-morrow and go riding with me?" (TO UK CONTINUED.) gave Instant signals of alarm, went sunflshlng on Us hind legs, came down to all fours, and bolted. Beatrice kept her head. She put her vkeiiilit en the reins wita a!i tht gr!p of her small, strong hands. But the horse had the bit In Its teeth. She felt herself helpless, flying wildly down the road at Incredible speed. Buslies and trees, the reeling rood, a limousine, a mounted policeman, all flew by her with blurred detail. She became aware of the rnjld thud of hoofs behind, of a figure beside her riding knee to knee, of a brown hand taking hold of the rein close to the bit. The speed slackened. The horses pounded to a halt. The girl found herself trembling. She leaned back In a haze of dizziness against an arm which circled her shoulder and waist. Memory leaped across the years to that other time when she had rested In his arms, his heart beating against hers. In that moment of deep understanding of herself, her-self, Bentrlco knew the truth beyond any doubt. A new heaven and a new earth were waiting for her, but she could not enter them. For she herself hud closed the gate and locked It fust. His low voice soothed and comforted her. "I'm all right," she told him. Clay withdrew his arm. "I'd report thnt fellow If I had his number," he said. "You stick to yore saddle flue. You're one strolght-np rider." "I'll n.slt Mr. Bromfleld to jrlve you fifty dollars again," fche laughed nervously. nerv-ously. Thnt word "Agalu" stuck In his con-m'totiMiess. first time In her life she became a creature of moods. The dominant ones were rebellion, recklessness and repentance. re-pentance. While Bromfleld waited and furled film redo cnJ trtn.ped with Clay, It was not fair to her aftlanced lover. She knew that. But there were times when she wanted to shriek as dressmnkers and costumers fussed over her and wore out her jangled nerves with multitudinous detnlls. The same hysteria welled up In her occasionally at the luncheons and dinners din-ners that were being given in honor of her approaching marriage. It was not logical, of course. She was moving toward the destiny she hnd chosen for herself. But there was an Instinct In her, savage and prlrnl-j prlrnl-j five, to hurt Bromfleld because, she herself was suffering. In the privacy of her room she passed hours of tearful tear-ful regret for these bursts of fierce Insurrection. Ten days before the wedding Beatrice Bea-trice wounded his vanity flagrantly. Clarendon was giving nn Informal tea for her at his rooms. Half au hour before the time set, Beatrice got htm on the wire aud explained that ber car wus stalled with engine trouble two miles from Yonlters. "I'm awf'ly sorry, Clary," she pleaded. "We ought not to have come so far. I'lense tell our friends I've been delayed, and I won't do it again." Bromfleld bung up the receiver In a cold fury. He restrained himself for the -moment, made the necessary explanation, ex-planation, and went through with the tea sonm'iow. But as soon ns bis guests were gone be gave himself up To Beatrice, busy writing a letter, came Jenkins some hours later. "A young person to see you. Miss Whltford." He said It with a manner Iso apologetic .that It stressed his opinion opin-ion of the social status of the visitor. visi-tor. "What kind of a person?" "A young woman, Miss. From the country, I tyke it" V "She didn't give you a card?" I "Nov Miss. She came with the per- 1 son Mr. Whltford took on to 'elp with I the work houtslde." 1 "Ohl Show them both up. And I huve tea sent In, Jenkins." J Kitty's shy eyes lifted apprehenslve- J ly to those of this slim young patri- ' clan so beautifully and simply gowned. Instantly, her fears fled. Beatrice moved swiftly to her with both hands uitstretehed. "I'm so glad to meet you." She kissed the young wife with unaccustomed un-accustomed tenderness. For the Colorado Col-orado girl had about her a certain I modesty that was disarming, an ap- I ppul of helplessness Beatrice could ! not resist. 1 ( Killy, in the arms of her hostess, , wept u few tears. She hud been un- I iler u struln In anticipating the or- 1 i,'u of meHtlng Johnnie's mistress, and f ihe luul discovered her to be a very weet, warm-hearted plrl. Aa tor Johnnie, he Hd a miserably sappy half hour. lie had brought his hat In with him and he did not know how to dispose of It. What he did do was to keep It revolving In his ! hands. This hnd to be abandoned I when Miss Whltford handed him a ' 4u;t unnecessary cup of tcs and a good fifty-dollar bill, though," admitted Clay. "Yes, he did," denied Beatrice. "That was his protest against Clarendon's Claren-don's mlsjudgment of him. I've always thought It perfectly splendid In Its Insolence. Some day I'm going to tell him so." "It happened In your corner of Arizona, Ar-izona, Lindsay. If you ever find out who the chnp was I wish you'd let us know," Whltford snld. "I'll remember." "If you young people are going riding-" We'd better get started. Quite i right, Dad. We're off. Clarendon will probably call up. Tell him I'll be In about four-thirty." .She pinched her father's ear, kissed him on one ruddy cheek, then on the other, nnd Joined Clay at the door. They were friends again, had been for almost half an hour, even though they hnd not yet been alone together, but their friendship was to hold reservations reser-vations now. The shadow of Clarendon Bromfleld rode between them. They were a little stiff with each other, not so casual as they hud been. A consciousness con-sciousness of sex had obtruded Into the old boyish camaraderie. After a brisk canter they drew their horses together for a wnlk. Beatrice broke the lee of their commonplaces. com-monplaces. She looked directly at him, her cheeks flushing. "I don't know how you're going to forgive tne. Clay. I've been awf'ly small and priggish. prig-gish. 1 bote to think I'm ungenerous, but that's Just what I've been." Let's forget tt ," he snld gently. "Nu, I dow't want to forgetnot till "Say! Who the H I Are You? What's Eatin' You? Whatta You Want?" in n public way so as to disgust them with him." "I'm hep. It's a girl." "We'll not discuss that," said the clubman with a touch of fcauteur. "As to the price, If you can arraage the thing ns I wont It done, I'll not haggle over terms." The ex-pugilist listened sourly to Bromfleld's proposition. He watched narrowly this fashionably dressed visitor. vis-itor. Ills suspicions still stirred, but not so uctlvely. lie was Inclined to believe In the sincerity of the fellow's hatred of the westerner. Jealousy over a plrl could easily account for It. Jerry did not Intend to Involve himself him-self uutSl he- bad made sure, |
