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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1927)
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1927. PAGE THREE What's Gone Before. Frank Recson, from Albany, New York reaches Denton, Wyomintr, then -1868 wetiiei-n terminus of the i'acinc Railroad. He had been ordered by physicians to Beek a climate "high and dry, He is robbed of moat of his money in his hotel and Imes his lant twenty dollars at monte in "The Big lent, a dance hall and gambling resort in the "roaring" town of Ltenton. Edna Montoyo, companion of a gambler, is believed by Frank to have cajoled him purposely into the game. Broke, disconso late over his discovery that "the lady of the blue eyes," as he calls her, is what she is, and finally humiliated over his glaring "greennesB," Frank repulses Edna when she begs him to go away with her, sobbing ly telling him that she had made a mistake In letting him lose his money. He goes to take a job with George Jenks, a teamster In a wagon train about to leave for Salt Lake City. Capt. Adams, a Mormon, is in charge of the wagon train. Kachael Adams, an attractive young wo man, one of his wives, is in the train, as is Daniel Adams, his loutish son. When Edna, who has shot, but not killed the gambler, Montoyo, comes a fugitive in "britches" to join the train, Daniel tells his father that she is seeking Jenks and Heeson. Capt, Adams shouts, "No husHy in men's garments shall go with the train," CHAPTER VIII. For a Woman's Smile Jenks stiffened, bristling. "Mind your words, Adams. I'm un der no Mormon thumb. Aa for your brat on horseback, he'd better hold Lis yawp." I sprang forward. Defend her I must. . She should not stand there alight, lovely, brave, aflame with the helplessness of a woman alone and insulted. "Wait!" I Implored. "Give her a chance. You haven't heard her story. All she wants is protection. I know the cur she's getting away from. I caw him strike her. You've got wo men there who'll cure for her!" I felt her instant look. She spoke palpitant. "You have one man umong you all. But I am going. Good-night, gentle men." Captain Adams was frowning stern ly, his heavy face unsoftened. "Why come you here?" . "My husband has been abusing me, and I shot him!" "You killed him, woman?" "Not yet! He's likely fleeing the public at this very moment." "And those garments! " Captain Adams accused. "You wish to show your shape, woman, to tempt men's eye with the flesh?" She smiled. "Would you have me jump from a train in skirts, sir? But to soothe your mind I will say that I wore these clothes under my proper attire and cloak until the last moment." A new voice bounded. "She shall stay, Hyrum? For the night, at least? I will look after her." The Captain's younger wife, Ra chael, had stepped to him. Pending reply I hastened directly to My Lady herself and detained her by her jack et sleeve. "Wait," I bade. "You would take her in, RachaeJ?" the captain rumbled. "We are commanded to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, Hy jum." "Verily that is so. Take her! But in God's name, clothe her for the day light in decency. She shall not ad vertise her flesh to men's eyes!" i "Quick!" I whispered with a push. Rachael, however, had crossed for us. "Will you come with me, please?"! she invited. I "Yes," sighed My Lady, wearily. I Good-night, sir." She fleptingly umil-1 ed upon me. "I thank you; and Mr. Jenks." They went, Rachael's arm about her. Danie! pressed beside Captain Ad ams, talking eagerly. "She's powerful purty, ain't she, paw! Gosh, I never seen a woman in britches before! Did yu? Pawl She kin' ride in my wagon, paw. Be yu goin' to take her on, paw? If yu be, I got room." "Go! Tend your stock and think of other things," boomed the father. "Remember, that the Scriptures say: "Beware of the scarlet woman'!" Daniel galloped away, whooping like an idiot. Our group dispersed,, each man to his blanket under the wagons or in the open. "Wail," Jenks uttered, in last words as he turned over with a grunt, 'hooray!" If it simmers down to you and Dan'l, I'll be there." With that enigmatical comment he was silent save for stertorous breath ing. Vaguely cogitating over his prom ire I lay, toes and face up, staring at the bright stars; perplexed more and more over tfye immediate events of the future, warmly conscious of her astonishing proximity in this very train, prickled by the hope that she would continue with us, irritated by the various assumptions of Dan iel, and somehow not at all adverse U the memory of her in "britches." That phase of the matter seemed to have affected Daniel and me sim ilarly. Under his hide he was human. It was after Bun-up that a horse man bored in at a gallop, over the road from the east. "Montoyo," Jenks announced, in a crumble of disgust rather than with Right across the country! Natural tobacco taste has the inside track to smokers' preference Chesterfield sales prove it! 4 Tl natural tobacco richness entirely free from "over-sweetening"; in no other cigarette do men find such naturalness of taste and character. Chesterfield. Liggett & Mvbrs Tobacco Co. any note of alarm. I saw him give a twitch to hia hol ster and slightly loosen the Colt's. As it chanced, our outfit was the first upon ihp gambler's way. "Howdy, gentlemen?" "Howdy yourself, sir," answered Mr. Jenks. Montoyo was pale as death, his lips hard set, his peculiar gray eyes and his black moustache the only vivifying features in his coldly menacing countenance. He looked upon me with a trace of recognition less to be seen than fell. His glance leaped to the wagon traveled swiftly and surely and turn ed to Mr. Jenks. "I'm looking for my wife, gentle men. . Have you seen her?" "Yes, sir. We'll not beat around any bush over that," replied Jenks. He meditated, frowning a bit, eye ing us narrowly. "I had a notion," he said. "If you have staked her to shelter, I thank you; but now I aim to play the hand myself. This is strictly a private game. Where is she?" "I call yuh, Pedro," my friend ans wered. "We ain't keepin' cases on her, or on you. You don't find her in my outfit, that's flat. She spent the night with the Adams women. You'll find her waitin' for you, on ahead." He grinned. She'll be pow erful glad to see you." He sobered. "And I'll say this: I'm kinder sorry I ain't got her, for she'd be interest in' company on the road." "The road to hell, yes," Montoyo cooly remarked. "I'll guarantee you quick passage. Good-day." With sudden steely glare that em braced us both he jumped his mount into a gallop and tore past the team, for the front. I could hold back no longer, and hastening on up, half running in my anxiety to iace the worst; to help if I might, for the best. A little knot of people had formed, constantly increasing by oncomers like myself and friend Jenks who had lumbered behind me. Montoyo's horse stood heaving, on the outskirts; and ruthlessly pushing through I found him inside, with My Lady at bay before him her eyes brilliant, her cheeks hot, her two hands clenched tightly, and the arm uf the brightly flushed but calm Ra chael resting restrainfully around her. Captain Adams, at one side apart, was talking to the gambler. "You see here," he said. "She has had the care of my own household, for I turn nobody away. She came against my will, and she shall go of her will. I am not her keeper! " For Daniel had laughed loudly over the leveled barrel. "You Mormons have the advantage of us white men, sir," Montoyo sneer ed. "No one of the sex seems to be denied bed and board in your estab lishments." "By the help of the Lord we of the elect can manage our establishments much better than you do yours," big Hyrum responded; and his face som bered. "Who are you? A panderer of the devli, a thief with painted card-boards, a despoiler of the ignor ant, and a feeder to hell yea, a striker of women and a trafficker in flesh! Who are you to speak the name of the Lord's anointed? There she is, your chattel. Take her, or leave her. This train starts on in ten minutes." "I'll take her or kill her," Montoyo snarled. "You call me a feeder, but she shall not be fed to your mill, Adams. You'll get on that horse pronto, Madam," he added, stepping forward (no one could question his nerve), "and we'll discuss our affairs in private." She cast about with swift beseech ing look, as if for a friendly face or sign of rescue. With a spring I burst in. But somebody already had drawn fresh attention. Daniel Adams was standing between her and her hus band. "Say, Mister, will yu fight?" he drawled. Montoyo surveyed him. "Why?" "For her, o' course." The gambler smiled a slow, con temptuous smile while his gray eyes focused watchfully. "It's a case where I have nothing to gain," said he. "And you've noth ing to lose. I never bet in the teeth cf a pat hand. Sabe? Besides, my young Mormon cub, where's your ante? For the sport of it, now, what do yon think of putting up, make it interesting? One of your mammies? Tut, tut!" Daniel's right hand stiffened at lis side extended there flat and tiemulous like the vibrant tail of a rattlesnake. He blurted harshly: "I 'laow to kill yu for that! Draw you !" We caught breath. . Montoyo's re volver poised half-way out of the scabbard, held there rigidly, frozen in mid-course. For Daniel had laughed loudly over leveled barrel. How he had achieved so quickly no man of us knew. Yet there it was his Colt, out, cocked, wicked and yearning and ready. "Haow'll yu take it, Mister?" he gibed. "I could l'arn an old caow to beat yu on the draw. Aw, shucks! I 'laow yu'd better go back to yore pasteboards. Naow git!" Montoyo, his eyes steady, scarcely changed expression. He let his re volver slip down into its scabbard Then he smiled. "You have a pretty trick," he com mented, relaxing. "Some day I'd like to test it out again. Just now I pass. Madam, are you coming?" "You know I'm not," she uttered clearly. "Your choice of company is hardly to your credit," he sneered. "Or, I should say, to your education. Saint lme.ss does not fall well upon you, madam. Of your two champions " And here I realized that I waa standing out, one foot advanced, my ftsts foolishly doubled, my presence a useful factor. "I recommend the gentleman from New York as more to your taste. But you are going of your own free will. You will always be my wife. You can't get away from that, you devil. I shall expect you in Benton, for I have the hunch that your little flight will fetch you back pretty well tamed, to the place where damaged goods are not so heavily discounted." With that he strode straight for his horse, climbed aboard (a trifle awkardly by reason of his one arm disabled) and galloped, granting us not another glance. Card shark and desperado that he nas, his consummate aplomb nobody could deny, except Daniel, now caper ing and swaggering and twirling his revolver. "I showed him. I made him take water. I 'laow I'm bout the best man with a six-shooter in these hyar arts." "Ketch up and stretch out," Cap tain 'Adams ordered, disregarding. "We've no more time for foolery." My eyes met My Lady's. She smil ed a little ruefully, and I responded, '-named by the poor role I had borne. With that jubilating out to the fore, certanjly I had cut small figure! (To be continued) Copyright, by Edwin L. Sabin. MISS BENGE IS CHAIRMAN. University of Oregon, Eugene, Mar. 14. Luola Benge, of Heppner, has been appointed chairman of a com mittee to raise funds for the bene fit of the Fine Arts building in Hepp ner during spring vacation, it is an nounced by Edith Dodge, general chairman. The drive is being con ducted under the auspices of the Wo men's League to raise funds for the building, which is to house the valua ble art collections of the University. Entertainment in the form of dances, teas, or simliar affairs are being planned by the various committees. Miss Bengc will select her committee from the University students of Heppner. Hatching Eggs Place orders now; i). A. C. strain Barred Rocks. Write or phone Mrs. Ora L. Barlow, lone, Ore. Phone 15x33. 51-65. GENERAL MOTORS' LATEST ACHIEVEMENT Ofte New and Finer FOMTIAC X5 VS Oakland today announces an entirely new line of Pontiac Sixes, notably en hanced in beauty, incorporating nu merous refinements in design, and carrying new low prices. 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