GALLUP’S PRICE
Kent slunk into his chair as they left him. He had foreseen this
day, but events had so happened since the steer-shipping as to leave
his mind no time to worry about it. But now, by comparison, Johnny
Dice and his evil genius seemed of minor importance. Not for a
second did Kent think of begging off. He knew Gallup too well.
Yes, and Gallup knew Jackson Kent. Five years before this he would
not have dared to beard him as he had done this day. But Kent was no
longer the man of old. The last two years had been too much for the
cattleman. Every ounce of his energy had gone into fighting the
perverse fate which lately seemed to pursue all cattlemen.
So, while Kent drank the dregs of despair, Aaron and Tobias wandered
about, confident that old Jackson would back down. What was left of
the man’s fighting spirit might disintegrate slowly, but time would
accomplish it.
Half an hour sufficed—thirty minutes of life which Jackson Kent
would never forget. Slow of step and heavy of heart he made his way
to Molly’s room.
The girl glanced sharply at him as she noted his nervousness.
“We’ve got visitors,” the old man began.
“Madeiras, you mean,” Molly exclaimed. “What is he doing here?”
“Begged me for a job. Hobe needs him, so I let him come.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that he was the man you had found to bring
out my pony?”
“I don’t know, Molly. The two of us are at swords’ points all the
time lately. I knew if I told you that Tony had broken with Dice,
that you’d think I’d had somethin’ to do with it. The Basque came to
me; I didn’t seek him out. But no matter, it ain’t Madeiras I’m
referrin’ to now; it’s Gallup and Tobias Gale. Maybe you can guess
what Gallup wants. It breaks my heart to tell you.”
“Oh, father, father!” Molly cried. “Do I have to go through with
that again? I promise you I’ll kill myself before I’ll marry that
man.”
“I begged off the last time he was here,” the old man wailed. “I
can’t do it today. You don’t know it, but Gallup’s holdin’ my paper
for thirty thousand dollars. It’s overdue. He’s demandin’ his money
or you. I told him to foreclose, and he laughed at me. He doesn’t
want the money, little girl. It’s you he’s aimin’ to take away from
me.
“When he was here four months ago, I told him I’d try to talk you
into marryin’ him. I hadn’t no intention of doin’ that. I figured
prices were goin’ up and that come shippin’ time they be high enough
to give me the cash to square up with him. The market didn’t go
thata-way, though. Now he wants me to trade you like a slave so that
I can keep the ranch. And that after tellin’ me he’s got over a
hundred thousand out at from six per cent up. What am I goin’ to do?
Tell me that, little girl, what am I goin’ to do?”
The old man choked over his words, and turned his head away as tears
filled his eyes.
Unable to control herself, Molly threw her arms about his neck.
“Buck up, father,” she pleaded. “Let me talk to him. He’ll not
frighten me.”
Molly was as good as her word.
“Tell that man to leave the room,” she ordered, pointing to Tobias.
“What I have to say to you I’ll not say before him. Make him go!”
Tobias went.
“Now Aaron Gallup,” Molly rushed on, “just what have you come to
say?”
Aaron steeled himself for his answer. “I’ve come to ask you to marry
me,” he said.
“You have, eh? Have you forgotten what I told you the last time you
were here? Do you think you are less unlovely to me today than you
were then?”
“Reckon not,” Aaron mumbled. “Looks ain’t my long suit. Looks in a
man ain’t worth nothin’. It’s wimmen that needs looks—wimmen like
you. You got looks enough for both of us.”
“You are a fool!” the girl exclaimed angrily. “No wonder Johnny Dice
laughed at you. When he finds out who killed Crosbie Traynor he’ll
show you out of Shoshone County for the imbecile that you are!”
“Crosbie Traynor?” Aaron asked, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, Crosbie Traynor! You didn’t even know the man’s name. Johnny
has only begun. He won’t give up until he can prove who killed that
man.”
“So?” Aaron questioned provokingly. “You seem to be partial to
Johnny Dice. Your father tells me you think you’re in love with
him.”
“Father knows more than I do if he told you that. But when I compare
Johnny Dice with such as you I’m almost convinced that I do love
him.”
“Then I suppose you ain’t goin’ to listen to your father.” Gallup
shook his head pityingly. “Too bad. He’s worked hard for you. It’ll
kill him to lose this place, and lose it he will if you keep on.
Children ain’t like they used to be. Time was when a girl did as her
father asked.”
Molly turned questioningly to Jackson Kent.
“Father!” she queried. “Are you asking me to marry this man?”
Jackson wiped his eyes.
“I don’t know, Molly,” he said with a sigh. “Would it be too hard on
yuh? Gallup’s got money; you’d have everything you’d want.”
“So you would,” Aaron hastened to supplement. “I ain’t askin’ for
love. I’d treat you kind. Ain’t nothin’ I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Oh, I don’t want to seem ungrateful or be disloyal, or go back on
my own flesh and blood; but in my heart I believe you are both
against me. If I refuse to marry this man I condemn my father to
poverty; and if I take him I condemn my own soul. Oh, God, what am I
to do?”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about my soul if I was you,” Aaron
confided to her. “Souls have a way of takin’ care of themselves.
They ain’t under any expense.”
“What a fitting estimate of yourself, Aaron Gallup!” Molly cried
scathingly. “No! I shall not marry you. Never! I will repay my
father even as he paid me—with my youth. He toiled and slaved for
me; I’ll do the same. If we lose the ranch I’ll work as no woman
ever worked before—nothing shall be too hard for me; but I will not
marry _you_!”
Gallup got to his feet. “You think it over tonight,” he advised.
“Your father’ll see that you don’t run away. I’ll be back tomorrow
for my answer. And I’ll have a deputy sheriff and a minister with
me. It will be up to you to decide which man we’ll need.”