Kent Burnett, bearing over his arm a coat newly pressed in the Delmonico
restaurant, dodged in at the back door of the saloon, threw the coat down
upon the tousled bed, and pushed back his hat with a gesture of relief at
an onerous duty well performed.
“I had one hell of a time,” he announced plaintively, “and that Chink will
likely try to poison me if I eat over there, after this--but I got her
ironed, all right. Get into it, Man, and chase yourself over there to the
hotel. Got a clean collar? That one's all-over coffee.”
Fleetwood stifled a groan, reached into a trousers pocket, and brought up a
dollar. “Get me one at the store, will you, Kent? Fifteen and a half--and a
tie, if they've got any that's decent. And hurry! Such a triple-three-star
fool as I am ought to be taken out and shot.”
He went on cursing himself audibly and bitterly, even after Kent
had hurried out. He was sober now--was Manley Fleetwood--sober and
self-condemnatory and penitent. His head ached splittingly; his eyes
were heavy-lidded and bloodshot, and his hands trembled so that he could
scarcely button his coat. But he was sober. He did not even carry the odor
of whisky upon his breath or his person; for Kent had been very thoughtful
and very thorough. He had compelled his patient to crunch and swallow many
nauseous tablets of “whisky killer,” and he had sprinkled his clothes
liberally with Jockey Club; Fleetwood, therefore, while he emanated odors
in plenty, carried about him none of the aroma properly belonging to
intoxication.
In ten minutes Kent was back, with a celluloid collar and two ties of
questionable taste. Manley just glanced at them, waved them away with
gloomy finality, and swore.
“They're just about the limit, and that's no dream,” sympathized Kent, “but
they're clean, and they don't look like they'd been slept in for a month.
You've got to put 'em on--by George, I sized up the layout in both those
imitation stores, and I drew the highest in the deck. And for the Lord's
sake, get a move on. Here, I'll button it for you.”
Behind Fleetwood's back, when collar and tie were in place, Kent grinned
and lowered an eyelid at Jim, who put his head in from the saloon to see
how far the sobering had progressed.
“You look fine!” he encouraged heartily. “That green-and-blue tie's just
what you need to set you off. And the collar sure is shiny and nice--your
girl will be plumb dazzled. She won't see anything wrong--believe _me_.
Now, run along and get married. Here, you better sneak out the back way; if
she happened to be looking out, she'd likely wonder what you were doing,
coming out of a saloon. Duck out past the coal shed and cut into the street
by Brinberg's. Tell her you're sick--got a sick headache. Your looks'll
swear it's the truth. Hike!” He opened the door and pushed Fleetwood out,
watched him out of sight around the corner of Brinberg's store, and turned
back into the close-smelling little room.
“Do you know,” he remarked to Jim, “I never thought of it before, but I've
been playing a low-down trick on that poor girl. I kinda wish now I'd put
her next, and given her a chance to draw outa the game if she wanted to.
It's stacking the deck on her, if you ask _me_!” He pushed his hat back
upon his head, gave his shoulders a twist of dissatisfaction, and told Jim
to dig up some Eastern beer; drank it meditatively, and set down the glass
with some force.
“Yes, sir,” he said disgustedly, “darn my fool soul, I stacked the deck on
that girl--and she looked to be real nice. Kinda innocent and trusting,
like she hasn't found out yet how rotten mean men critters can be.” He took
the bottle and poured himself another glass. “She's sure due to wise up a
lot,” he added grimly.
“You bet your sweet life!” Jim agreed, and then he reconsidered. “Still, I
dunno; Man ain't so worse. He ain't what you can call a real booze fighter.
This here's what I'd call an accidental jag; got it in the exuberance of
the joyful moment when he knew his girl was coming. He'll likely straighten
up and be all right. He--” Jim broke off there and looked to see who had
opened the door.
“Hello, Polly,” he greeted carelessly.
The man came forward, grinning skinnily. Polycarp Jenks was the outrageous
name of him. He was under the average height, and he was lean to the point
of emaciation. His mouth was absolutely curveless--a straight gash across
his face; a gash which simply stopped short without any tapering or any
turn at the corners, when it had reached as far as was decent. His nose was
also straight and high, and owned no perceptible slope; indeed, it seemed
merely a pendant attached to his forehead, and its upper termination was
indefinite, except that somewhere between his eyebrows one felt impelled to
consider it forehead rather than nose. His eyes also were rather long and
narrow, like buttonholes cut to match the mouth. When he grinned his face
appeared to break up into splinters.
He was intensely proud of his name, and his pleasure was almost pathetic
when one pronounced it without curtailment in his presence. His skinniness
was also a matter of pride. And when you realize that he was an
indefatigable gossip, and seemed always to be riding at large, gathering or
imparting trivial news, you should know fairly well Polycarp Jenks.
“I see Man Fleetwood's might' near sober enough to git married,” Polycarp
began, coming up to the two and leaning a sharp elbow upon the bar beside
Kent. “By granny, gitting married'd sober anybody! Dinner time he was so
drunk he couldn't find his mouth. I met him up here a little ways just now,
and he was so sober he remembered to pay me that ten I lent him t' other
day--_he-he!_ Open up a bottle of pop, James.
“His girl's been might' near crying her eyes out, 'cause he didn't show
up. Mis' Hawley says she looked like she was due at a funeral 'stid of a
weddin'. 'Clined to be stuck up, accordin' to Mis' Hawley--shied at hearin'
about Walt--_he-he!_ I'll bet there ain't been a transient to that hotel in
the last five year, man or woman, that ain't had to hear about Walt and the
shotgun--Pop's all right on a hot day, you bet!
“She's got two trunks and a fiddle over to the depot--don't see how 'n the
world Man's going to git 'em out to the ranch; they're might' near as big
as claim shacks, both of 'em. Time she gits 'em into Man's shack she'll
have to go outside every time she wants to turn around--_he-he!_ By
granny--two trunks, to one woman! Have some pop, Kenneth, on me.
“The boys are talkin' about a shivaree t'-night. On the quiet, y' know.
Some of 'em's workin' on a horse fiddle now, over in the lumber yard.
Wanted me to play a coal-oil can, but I dunno. I'm gittin' a leetle old for
sech doings. Keeps you up nights too much. Man had any sense, he'd marry
and pull outa town. 'Bout fifteen or twenty in the bunch, and a string of
cans and irons to reach clean across the street. By granny, I'm going to
plug m' ears good with cotton when it comes off--_he-he!_ 'Nother bottle of
pop, James.”
“Who's running the show, Polycarp?” Kent asked, accepting the glass of soda
because he disliked to offend. “Funny I didn't hear about it.”
Polycarp twisted his slit of a mouth knowingly, and closed one slit of an
eye to assist the facial elucidation.
“Ain't funny--not when I tell you Fred De Garmo's handing out the
_in_vites, and he sure aims to have plenty of excitement--_he-he!_
Betcher Manley won't be able to set on the wagon seat an' hold the lines
t'-morrow--not if he comes out when he's called and does the thing
proper--_he-he!_ An' if he don't show up, they aim to jest about pull the
old shebang down over his ears. Hope'll think it's the day of judgment,
sure--_he-he!_ Reckon I might's well git in on the fun--they won't be no
sleepin' within ten mile of the place, nohow, and a feller always sees the
joke better when he's lendin' a hand. Too bad you an' Fred's on the outs,
Kenneth.”
“Oh, I don't know--it suits me fine,” Kent declared easily, setting down
his glass with a sigh of relief; he hated “pop.”
“What's it all about, anyway?” quizzed Polycarp, hungering for the details
which had thus far been denied him. “De Garmo sees red whenever anybody
mentions your name, Kenneth--but I never did hear no particulars.”
“No?” Kent was turning toward the door. “Well, you see, Fred claims he
can holler louder than I can, and I say he can't.” He opened the door and
calmly departed, leaving Polycarp looking exceedingly foolish and a bit
angry.
Straight to the hotel, without any pretense at disguising his destination,
marched Kent. He went into the office--which was really a saloon--invited
Hawley to drink with him, and then wondered audibly if he could beg some
pie from Mrs. Hawley.
“Supper'll be ready in a few minutes,” Hawley informed him, glancing up at
the round, dust-covered clock screwed to the wall.
“I don't want supper--I want pie,” Kent retorted, and opened a door which
led into the hallway. He went down the narrow passage to another door,
opened it without ceremony, and was assailed by the odor of many
things--the odor which spoke plainly of supper, or some other assortment of
food. No one was in sight, so he entered the dining room boldly, stepped to
another door, tapped very lightly upon it, and went in. By this somewhat
roundabout method he invaded the parlor.
Manley Fleetwood was lying upon an extremely uncomfortable couch, of the
kind which is called a sofa. He had a lace-edged handkerchief folded upon
his brow, and upon his face was an expression of conscious unworthiness
which struck Kent as being extremely humorous. He grinned understandingly
and Manley flushed--also understandingly. Valeria hastily released Manley's
hand and looked very prim and a bit haughty, as she regarded the intruder
from the red plush chair, pulled close to the couch.
“Mr. Fleetwood's head is very bad yet,” she informed Kent coldly. “I really
do not think he ought to see--anybody.”
Kent tapped his hat gently against his leg and faced her unflinchingly,
quite unconscious of the fact that she regarded him as a dissolute, drunken
cowboy with whom Manley ought not to associate.
“That's too bad.” His eyes failed to drop guiltily before hers, but
continued to regard her calmly. “I'm only going to stay a minute. I came to
tell you that there's a scheme to raise--to 'shivaree' you two, tonight. I
thought you might want to pull out, along about dark.”
Manley looked up at him inquiringly with the eye which was not covered by
the lace-edged handkerchief. Valeria seemed startled, just at first. Then
she gave Kent a little shock of surprise.
“I have read about such things. A _charivari_, even out here in this
uncivilized section of the country, can hardly be dangerous. I really do
not think we care to run away, thank you.” Her lip curled unmistakably.
“Mr. Fleetwood is suffering from a sick headache. He needs rest--not a
cowardly night ride.”
Naturally Kent admired the spirit she showed, in spite of that eloquent
lip, the scorn of which seemed aimed directly at him. But he still faced
her steadily.
“Sure. But if I had a headache--like that--I'd certainly burn the earth
getting outa town to-night. _Shivarees_”--he stuck stubbornly to his own
way of saying it--“are bad for the head. They aren't what you could call
silent--not out here in this uncivilized section of the country. They're
plumb--” He hesitated for just a fraction of a second, and his resentment
of her tone melted into a twinkle of the eyes. “They've got fifty coal-oil
cans strung with irons on a rope, and there'll be about ninety-five
six-shooters popping, and eight or ten horse-fiddles, and they'll all be
yelling to beat four of a kind. They're going,” he said quite gravely, “to
play the full orchestra. And I don't believe,” he added ironically, “it's
going to help Mr. Fleetwood's head any.”
Valeria looked at him doubtingly with steady, amber-colored eyes before she
turned solicitously to readjust the lace-edged handkerchief. Kent seized
the opportunity to stare fixedly at Fleetwood and jerk his head meaningly
backward, but when, warned by Manley's changing expression, she glanced
suspiciously over her shoulder, Kent was standing quietly by the door with
his hat in his hand, gazing absently at Walt in his gilt-edged frame upon
the gilt easel, and waiting, evidently, for their decision.
“I shall tell them that Mr. Fleetwood is sick--that he has a horrible
headache, and mustn't be disturbed.”
Kent forgot himself so far as to cough slightly behind his hand. Valeria's
eyes sparkled.
“Even out here,” she went on cuttingly, “there must be some men who are
gentlemen!”
Kent refrained from looking at her, but the blood crept darkly into his
tanned cheeks. Evidently she “had it in for him,” but he could not see why.
He wondered swiftly if she blamed him for Manley's condition.
Fleetwood suddenly sat up, spilling the handkerchief to the floor. When
Valeria essayed to push him back he put her hand gently away. He rose and
came over to Kent.
“Is this straight goods?” he demanded. “Why don't you stop it?”
“Fred De Garmo's running this show. My influence wouldn't go as far--”
Fleetwood turned to the girl, and his manner was masterful. “I'm going out
with Kent--oh, Val, this is Mr. Burnett. Kent, Miss Peyson. I forgot you
two aren't acquainted.”
From Valeria's manner, they were in no danger of becoming friends. Her
acknowledgment was barely perceptible. Kent bowed stiffly.
“I'm going to see about this, Val,” continued Fleetwood. “Oh, my head's
better--a lot better, really. Maybe we'd better leave town--”
“If your head is better, I don't see why we need run away from a lot of
silly noise,” Valeria interposed, with merciless logic. “They'll think
we're awful cowards.”
“Well, I'll try and find out--I won't be gone a minute, dear.” After that
word, spoken before another, he appeared to be in great haste, and pushed
Kent rather unceremoniously through the door. In the dining room, Kent
diplomatically included the landlady in the conference, by a gesture of
much mystery bringing her in from the kitchen, where she had been curiously
peeping out at them.
“Got to let her in,” he whispered to Manley, “to keep her face closed.”
They murmured together for five minutes. Kent seemed to meet with some
opposition from Fleetwood--an aftermath of Valeria's objections to
flight--and became brutally direct.
“Go ahead--do as you please,” he said roughly. “But you know that bunch.
You'll have to show up, and you'll have to set 'em up, and--aw, thunder!
By morning you'll be plumb laid out. You'll be headed into one of your
four-day jags, and you know it. I was thinking of the girl--but if you
don't care, I guess it's none of my funeral. Go to it--but darned if I'd
want to start my honeymoon out like that!”
Fleetwood weakened, but still he hesitated. “If I didn't show up--” he
began hopefully. But Kent wittered him with a look.
“That bunch will be two-thirds full before they start out. If you don't
show up, they'll go up and haul you outa bed--hell, Man! You'd likely start
in to kill somebody off. Fred De Garmo don't love you much better than he
loves me. You know what him and his friends would do then, I should think.”
He stopped, and seemed to consider briefly a plan, but shook his head
over it. “I could round up a bunch and stand 'em off, maybe--but we'd be
shooting each other up, first rattle of the box. It's a whole lot easier
for you to get outa town.”
“I'll tell somebody you got the bridal chamber,” hissed Arline, in a very
loud whisper. “That's number two, in front. I can keep a light going and
pass back 'n' forth once in a while, to look like you're there. That'll
fool 'em good. They'll wait till the light's been out quite a while before
they start in. You go ahead and git married at seven, jest as you was going
to--and if Kent'll have the team ready somewheres, I can easy sneak you out
the back way.”
“I couldn't get the team out of town without giving the whole deal away,”
Kent objected. “You'll have to go horseback.”.
“Val can't ride,” Fleetwood stated, as if that settled the matter.
“Damn it, she's got to ride!” snapped Kent, losing patience. “Unless you
want to stay and go on a toot that'll last a week, most likely.”
“Val belongs to the W.C.T.U.,” shrugged Fleetwood. “She'd never--”
“Well, it's that or have a fight on your hands you maybe can't handle. I
don't see any sense in haggling about going, now you know what to expect.
But, of course,” he added, with some acrimony, “it's your own business. I
don't know what the dickens I'm getting all worked up over it for. Suit
yourself.” He turned toward the door.
“She could ride my Mollie--and I got a sidesaddle hanging up in the coal
shed. She could use that, or a stock saddle, either one,” planned Mrs.
Hawley anxiously. “You better pull out, Man.”
“Hold on, Kent! Don't rush off--we'll go,” Fleetwood surrendered. “Val
won't like it, but I'll explain as well as I can, without--Say! you stay
and see us married, won't you? It's at seven, and--”
Kent's fingers curled around the doorknob. “No, thanks. Weddings and
funerals are two bunches of trouble I always ride 'way around. Time enough
when you've got to be _it_. Along about nine o'clock you try and get out to
the stockyards without letting the whole town see you go, and I'll have the
horses there; just beyond the wings, by that pile of ties. You know the
place. I'll wait there till ten, and not a minute longer. That'll give you
an hour, and you won't need any more time than that if you get down to
business. You find out from her what saddle she wants, and you can tell me
while I'm eating supper, Mrs. Hawley. I'll 'tend to the rest.” He did not
wait to hear whether they agreed to the plan, but went moodily down the
narrow passage, and entered frowningly the “office.” Several men were
gathered there, waiting the supper summons. Hawley glanced up from wiping a
glass, and grinned.
“Well, did you git the pie?”
“Naw. She said I'd got to wait for mealtime. She plumb chased me out.”
Fred De Garmo, sprawled in an armchair and smoking a cigar, lazily fanned
the smoke cloud from before his face and looked at Kent attentively.