Part 25 (1/2)
”But you won't,” she reminded him, sweetly. ”Lookit here, Bull, if you hadn't locked the door leading up the stairs to the Starlight's loft, I'd 'a' come after you there and done my persuadin' of you right in the loft. As it was when I heard what you were up to--nemmine how I heard. I heard, that's enough--I had to go out in the street and do what I could there. I don't believe the feller liked it much, neither.”
”But what's he to you? You ain't soft on him, are you, account of what he done for that yellow mutt of yores?”
”I owe him something,” she evaded. ”That dog--I like that dog. And then that man treats me like a lady. It ain't every man treats me like a lady.”
”I should hope not,” guffawed the amiable Bull.
”Now that's a right funny joke,” she a.s.sured him. ”It almost makes me laugh. Still, alla same, I got feelin's. I'm a human being. And you'll notice mola.s.ses catches a heap more flies than vinegar does. I like that Dawson man, and I ain't gonna see him hurt.”
”Did you tell him it was me up there with a rifle?” There was a hint of unease in the bl.u.s.tery tone.
”I didn't tell him nothin',” said Marie. ”I ain't no snitch.”
”Ah-h, you _are_ soft on him,” Bull sneered in disgust.
”What if I am?” she flared. ”What business is it of yores?”
”What'll Nebraska say?” he proffered.
”Nebraska h.e.l.l!” she sneered. ”Nebraska and me are through!”
”I know you've split, but that ain't saying Nebraska will let you go with another gent.”
”I'll go with anybody I please, and neither Nebraska nor you nore any other d.a.m.n man is gonna stop me. If you think different, _try_ it, just _try_ it! Tha.s.sall I ask. _This_ for you and Nebraska!” With which she snapped her fingers under his nose once, twice, and again.
”I wish Pap was still alive. He could always handle you. Remember the time you sa.s.sed him there in ...” Here Marie accidentally dropped her brush into an empty pail, and the clatter drowned out the name of the town so far as Racey was concerned. But Marie caught the name, for she straightened with a start and stared at Bull. ”Yeah,” continued Bull, ”you remember it, huh? I guess you do. That was where Pap slapped yore chops and throwed you down the stairs. Like to broke yore neck that time. I wish you had.”
”'Pap,'” she repeated. ”'Pap,' and that town. What made you think of them two names together?”
”Because that was the town where he throwed you down the stairs,” Bull told her matter-of-factly.
”It was the town where we met up with Bill Smith.”
”What about it?”
”Nothing--only Bill Smith is here in town.”
”In Farewell?”
”In Farewell.”
”Why ain't I seen him if he's in Farewell?”
”Because he's shaved off all of that beard and part of his eyebrows--they used to meet plumb in the middle, remember--till a body would hardly know him. I didn't. I knowed they was somethin' familiar about him, but I couldn't tell what till you mentioned Pap and the town together. Then I knowed. Yeah, Bull, this gent's the same Bill Smith Pap picked up on the trail. He's a respectable member of society now, I guess. Calls himself Jack Harpe and spends most of his time runnin' round Lanpher.”
”Then he ain't too respectable, the lousy pup. Calls himself Jack Harpe, huh? Sh.o.r.e, he come in the Starlight with Lanpher and gimme the eye without a quiver. Didn't know me, he didn't! And I ain't done nothin' to _my_ looks to change 'em.”
”Huh, y' oughta seen the way he looked me up and down when he pa.s.sed us on the Marysville trail. You'd 'a' thought he just seen me. Oh, he's got his nerve.”
”Who is _us_?” Suspiciously.