Part 32 (2/2)

what I'd be sayin' next, for it come that unexpected, she was lookin'

at me with them steady eyes. And all she says when I quit was, 'If I saw him I would tell him to find a home.'”

”Didn't she tell yu' she'd made me promise to keep away from seeing her?” asked the cow-puncher.

Mrs. Lusk laughed. ”Oh, you innocent!” said she.

”She said if I came she would leave Separ,” muttered McLean, brooding.

Again the large woman laughed out, but more harshly.

”I have kept my promise,” Lin continued.

”Keep it some more. Sit here rotting in your chair till she goes away.

Maybe she's gone.”

”What's that?” said Lin. But still she only laughed harshly. ”I could be there by to-morrow night,” he murmured. Then his face softened. ”She would never do such a thing!” he said, to himself.

He had forgotten the woman at the table. While she had told him matters that concerned him he had listened eagerly. Now she was of no more interest than she had been before her story was begun. She looked at his eyes as he sat thinking and dwelling upon his sweetheart. She looked at him, and a longing welled up into her face. A certain youth and heavy beauty relighted the features.

”You are the same, same Lin everyways,” she said. ”A woman is too many for you still, Lin!” she whispered.

At her summons he looked up from his revery.

”Lin, I would not have treated you so.”

The caress that filled her voice was plain. His look met hers as he sat quite still, his arms on the table. Then he took his turn at laughing.

”You!” he said. ”At least I've had plenty of education in you.”

”Lin, Lin, don't talk that brutal to me to-day. If yus knowed how near I come shooting myself with 'Neighbor.' That would have been funny!

”I knowed yus wanted to tear that pistol out of my hand because it was hern. But yus never did such things to me, fer there's a gentleman in you somewheres, Lin. And yus didn't never hit me, not even when you come to know me well. And when I seen you so unexpected again to-night, and you just the same old Lin, scaring Lusk with shooting them chickens, so comic and splendid, I could 'a' just killed Lusk sittin' in the wagon.

Say, Lin, what made yus do that, anyway?”

”I can't hardly say,” said the cow-puncher. ”Only noticing him so turruble anxious to quit me--well, a man acts without thinking.”

”You always did, Lin. You was always a comical genius. Lin, them were good times.”

”Which times?”

”You know. You can't tell me you have forgot.”

”I have not forgot much. What's the sense in this?”

”Yus never loved me!” she exclaimed.

”Shucks!”

”Lin, Lin, is it all over? You know yus loved me on Bear Creek. Say you did. Only say it was once that way.” And as he sat, she came and put her arms round his neck. For a moment he did not move, letting himself be held; and then she kissed him. The plates crashed as he beat and struck her down upon the table. He was on his feet, cursing himself. As he went out of the door, she lay where she had fallen beneath his fist, looking after him and smiling.

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