Part 27 (1/2)
She nodded
He glanced around the room ”Not bad”
”It's real nice,” she said She looked at him ”You know, I never stayed in a real fancy hotel like this before”
He laughed and got to his feet ”Coot so mirror and looked at hiray with a thin pin stripe He turned to Tess ''What do you think?”
Before she could answer, the clerk spoke eagerly 'The latest New York style, sir Notice the reverse pleats on the trousers Genuine real ith silk lining Only fourteen ninety-five with one pair of pants, seventeen fifty with two”
”Mighty handsome,” Tess said
”Fll take it,” Daniel said ”With two pairs of pants How long will it take to put on the cuffs?”
”Ten , I want three shi+rts, Arrohite, one blue, three pairs of black socks, three pairs BVD's and a pair of black shoes and a dark tie with a gray or red slant stripe”
A broad smile split the clerk's face ”Yes, sir And we'd be pleased if you'd accept the tie as our gift We hke to take care of our good custo the tie in front of the mirror The clerk held the jacket while he slipped into it
”If I estion, sir?” the clerk said tentatively
”Yes?”
”Just one thing ents for Adam Hats of New York and have a special on the new snap-brim style One ninety-five”
When Daniel left the store, the hat sat squarely on his head They walked carefully under the overhang of the buildings He didn't want to get tooproudly on one ar oods store Dan- iel stopped abruptly and looked into theIt was filled with rifles and shotguns ”Let's go in here,” he said
She followed him into the store He went to the man behind the counter in the rear of the store ''Howdy,” the man said ''What can I do for you?”
”I'”
”Twenty-two caliber, 38, 45?”
”I'd prefer a 38, but it depends on the size”
Theof keys from his pocket and unlocked a drawer beneath the counter He placed a long-barreled Colt Police Positive on the counter ”What do you think of that?”
Daniel shook his head ”Too big”
The ed it for a Sain Dan shook his head ”How about a Colt Government Automatic?”
”Don't like them,” Daniel said ”Used them in the army They don't shoot where you point 'eot one other, then, in 38 If that don't do you, you'll have to go to a 22”
”Let me see it”
This time the man came up with a sun was silver-blue shi+ning rips mother-of-pearl ”Smith and Wesson Snub-nose 38 Terrier,” he said reverently ”Comes complete with real leather shoulder holster It's expensive, though”
Daniel looked at it ”How much?”
”Thirty-nine fifty”
”That is expensive,” Daniel said He picked it up and hefted it ”Doesn't feel likeone can do An' better”
Daniel broke the gun and spun the cylinder with his thumb Then he snapped it closed and held it up ”Give me a price”
The man hesitated a moment ”Thirty-five”
''You can do better”
”Thirty-two fifty That's the bottoe?”
”Down in the cellar” He pressed a button under the counter A young rease-stained work clothes caether with a handful of cartridges ”Take the gentleun”
They followed the young ht of steps at the back of the store At the bottohtly lit shooting range at the far end, a white paper s The young es to Daniel
Quickly Daniel loaded the gun He spun the cylinder, tested the trigger for tension, then cocked the haun with both hands outstretched, ai man said ”It spins up about one foot in every twenty The range is thirty feet”
”That's not so good,” Daniel said
”Snub nose,” the worket the size It's okay, though You get used to it real quick”
Daniel squinted down the barrel and squeezed off one shot The gun kicked slightly He checked the target He had missed it completely
”Hold it down,” the workain Daniel squeezed off one shot This tiet He nodded and fired off the re shots in rapid succession Three were dead center, one just slightly off He gave the gun back to the work at him, her face pale He reached out and took her arht?” he asked
She took a deep breath ''Yeah”
He held her arm while they went back upstau-s ”I'll take it if you throw in a box of cartridges,” he told the man behind the counter
”Can't do that,” theand rod and a bottle of oil”
”Deal,” Daniel said ”And I'll take a box of cartridges”