FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   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   >>   >|  
"No, he stood out in the office rumblin' to the old man, but that didn't bother me no more than the north wind when you're in bed under four blankets. Alta she played me some tunes on her git-tar and sung me some songs. I tell you, Duke, I just laid back and shut my eyes. I felt as easy as if I owned the railroad from here to Omaha." "How long are you going to keep it up?" "Which up, Duke?" "Courtin' Alta. You'll have to show off your tricks pretty regular, I think, if you want to hold your own in that ranch." Taterleg rode along considering it. "Ye-es, I guess a feller'll have to act if he wants to hold Alta. She's young, and the young like change. 'Specially the girls. A man to keep Alta on the line'll have to marry her and set her to raisin' children. You know, Duke, there's something new to a girl in every man she sees. She likes to have him around till she leans ag'in' him and rubs the paint off, then she's out shootin' eyes at another one." "Are there others besides Jedlick?" "That bartender boards there at the _ho_-tel. He's got four gold teeth, and he picks 'em with a quill. Sounds like somebody slappin' the crick with a fishin'-pole. But them teeth give him a standin' in society; they look like money in the bank. Nothing to his business, though, Duke; no sentiment or romance or anything." "Not much. Who else is there sitting in this Alta game?" "Young feller with a neck like a bottle, off of a ranch somewhere back in the hills." Taterleg mentioned him as with consideration. Lambert concluded that he was a rival to be reckoned with, but gave Taterleg his own way of coming to that. "That feller's got a watch with a music box in the back of it, Duke. Ever see one of 'em?" "No, I never did." "Well, he's got one of 'em, all right. He starts that thing up about the time he hits the steps, and comes in playin' 'Sweet Vilelets' like he just couldn't help bustin' out in music the minute he comes in sight of Alta. That feller gives me a pain!" The Duke smiled. To every man his own affair is romance; every other man's a folly or a diverting comedy, indeed. "She's a little too keen on that feller to suit me, Duke. She sets out there with him, and winds that fool watch and plays them two tunes over till you begin to sag, leanin' her elbow on his shoulder like she had him paid for and didn't care whether he broke or not." "What is the other tune?" "It's that one that goes: _A
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   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:

feller

 

Taterleg

 

romance

 
coming
 
business
 

Nothing

 
sitting
 

sentiment

 

consideration


bottle

 
mentioned
 

Lambert

 

concluded

 

reckoned

 

playin

 
leanin
 

shoulder

 

Vilelets


couldn

 
starts
 

bustin

 
minute
 

affair

 

diverting

 

comedy

 

smiled

 

tricks


pretty
 

Courtin

 

regular

 

bother

 

blankets

 

played

 

railroad

 

change

 

Specially


office

 

boards

 

Jedlick

 

bartender

 

Sounds

 

standin

 

society

 

slappin

 

fishin


children

 
raisin
 

shootin

 

rumblin