FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125  
126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   >>  
manded Flora, her eyes glowing. "It sounds to me exactly like a piece of spiteful old-woman gossip, and I don't believe a word of it!" "Jim ain't a gossip. He kept his mouth shut because he didn't want to make trouble, and he was under the impression the Swede had borrowed a gun somewhere. Being half drunk, he could easy forget what he'd done with his own, and the Pilgrim put up such a straight story--" "Fred told the truth. I know he did. I don't _believe_ he had a gun that night, because--because I had asked him as a favor to please not carry one to dances and places. There, now! He'd do what I asked him to. I know he would. And I think you're just mean, to talk like this about him; and, mind you, if he wants to come here he can. I don't care if he comes _every day_!" She was so near to tears that her voice broke and kept her from saying more that was foolish. "And I tell yuh, if he comes around here any more I'll chase him off the ranch with a club!" Billy's voice was not as loud as usual, but it was harsh and angry. "He ain't going to come here hanging around you--not while _I_ can help it, and I guess I can, all right!" He threw down the dish towel, swept a cup off the table with his elbow when he turned, and otherwise betrayed human, unromantic rage. "Damn him, I wisht I'd chased him off long ago. Fred, eh? Hell! _I'll_ Fred him! Yuh think I'm going to stand for him running after my girl? I'll kick him off the place. He ain't fit to speak to yuh, or look at yuh; his friendship's an insult to any decent woman. I'll mighty quick put a stop to--" "Will Boyle, you don't _dare_! I'm not your wife yet, remember! I'm free to choose my own friends without asking leave of any one, and if I want Fred Walland to come here, he'll _come_, and it will take more than you to stop him. I--I'll write him a note, and ask him to dinner next Sunday. I--I'll _marry_ him if I want to, Will Boyle, and you can't stop me! He--he wants me to, badly enough, and if you--" Billy was gone, and the kitchen was rattling with the slam of the door behind him, before she had time to make any more declarations that would bring repentance afterward. She stood a minute, listening to see whether he would come back, and when he did not, she ran to the door, opened it hastily and looked. She saw Billy just in the act of swishing his quirt down on the flanks of Barney so that the horse almost cleared the creek in one bound. Flora caught her breat
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125  
126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   >>  



Top keywords:
gossip
 

mighty

 

Barney

 
swishing
 

remember

 

decent

 

running

 

flanks

 

friendship


insult

 

looked

 
Sunday
 

minute

 
afterward
 
kitchen
 

declarations

 

rattling

 

repentance


caught

 

dinner

 

hastily

 

Walland

 

opened

 

cleared

 

friends

 
listening
 

choose


straight

 

Pilgrim

 

forget

 

places

 

dances

 
spiteful
 

sounds

 

manded

 

glowing


impression

 

borrowed

 

trouble

 

hanging

 
unromantic
 
betrayed
 

turned

 

foolish

 

chased