Bellefonte, Pa., September 19, 1913. | Rex Beach Adventure Stories The Shyness of Shorty By REX BEACH Copyrieht by Rex Besch PROLOGUE. | As a teller of adventure tales Rex Beach ts without an equal én America. Years of experi- ence as a miner in Alaska made him familiar with a little known quarter of the globe where life Slows at full tide; consequently hus stories are not only intensely interesting, but they are abso- lutely true to nature. Most of his characters are real people, changed somewhat to suit the motives of the particular story in which they appear. He has been in many an Alaskan gold rush and has had many narrow escapes. One of the stories in this series describes a [fright Jul experience in a blizzard in an Alaskan pass. Beach par- #icipated in a trip of this very character and barely escaped being frozen ts death. One of the Ind«ans who accompanied hum died of exposure. Beach made his first great hit with ““The Spoilers,” a remarkably interesting tale of life near the arctic circle, and this was fol- lowed by "The Barrier” and “The Silver Horde.” His Ad- venture Slortes are varied in character and full of thrilling ancidents and humorous epi- sodes. In appearance he resem. bles a college football player, being six feet two inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. AILEY smoked morosely as he scunped the dusty tral leading down across the “bottom” and away over the dry, gray prairie, toward the hazy mountains in the west, He called grufily into the silence of the bouse, and his speech beld the surliness of his attitude: “Hot Joy: Bar X outfit coming. Git supper.” A Chinawanp appeared In the door and gazed at the sis mule team de- scending the distant gully to the ford. “Jesse one man, bey? All ught'” and he siid quietly back to the kitchen. Whatever might be said, or, rather, whatever might be suspected, of Bailey's roadhouse—for people did not run to wordy conjecture in this country —it was Known that it boasted a good cook, and this atoned for a cntalogue of shorteomings So It waxed popular among the hands of the big cattle ranges near by. Those given to idle talk beld that Bailey acted strangely at times, and rumo? painted occasional black doings at the -— He Seemed to Bounce Galvanically, Landing on Joy's Back. Bacienda, squatting vuiture-like above the ford, but it was nobody’s business, and he kept a good cook Balley "did not recam the face that greeted bim from above the three span ms they swung In frout of nis corral, | But the brand on their flauks was the Bar X, so he nodded with as pear an approach to hospitality as be permit ted It was a large tace, strong featured and rugged, balanced ou wide, square shoulders, yet some oddiess of posture held the gaze of the (other till stranger clambered over the wheel the ground. ‘I'hen Bailey re brier and beaved tempestuously in &hroes of great and silent mirth, it was a dwarf. The head of Es® g Titan. the body of a whisky barrel, rolling ludicrously on the tiny limbs of a bug, presented so startling a sight that even Hot Joy, appearing around the corner, cackled shrilly. His laugh. | ter rose to a shriek of dismay, v ever, as the lite man made a with the rush and roar of a ball In Bailey's amazed eyes he ing on Joy's back with such vicious suddenness that the breath fled from bim in a squawk of terror. Then, seizing bis cue, he kicked and bela- bored the prostrate Celestial In fever ish silence. He desisted and rolled across the porch to Bailey. Staring truculently up at the landlord, he spoke for the first time. ‘Was | right in supposing that some thing amused ye?" “No, sir; | reckon you're mistaken. 1 ain't observed anything frivolous yet.” i *(:lad of it,” sald the little man. *1 don’t like a feller to hog a joke all by himself. Some of the Bar X boys took to absorbing humor out of my shape when | tirst went to work, but they're sort of educated out of it now. | got an eye from ove and a finger off of another. The mst one donated a ear” Batley readily conceived this man as # bad antagonist, for the heavy corded neck pad spin buttons from the blue shirt, and be glimpsed a chest hairy and round as « druus, while the brown arms showed knotty and hardened. “let's liquor,” he =ald and led the way into the big, low room serving as bur. dining and living room. From the rear came vicious clarterings and siammings of pots, mingled with orien- tn! mmentations, indenting an aching body rather than an chastened spirit “won't see ye often,’ ne continued. with a toueb of implied curiosity. “No. the old mais don't lemme get uwey much: He knows that dwelling close to the ground, as [ do, | pine for . spiritual elevation,” with a melting glance at the bottles behind the bar, doing much to explain the size of his first drink. “Like it, do ye?" questioned Bailey, indicating the shelf. “Well, not exactly. Booze is like alr -] need It. It makes a new man out of me and usually ends by getting both me and the new one laid off.” “Didn't hear nothing of the wedding over at Los Huecos, did ye? “No Whose wedding?” “Ross Turney, the new sheriff.” “Ye, don't say: Him that's been elected on purpose to round up the Tremper gang, hey? Who's his un- tagonist? “Old man Miller's gai. He's cele- brating his election py getting spliced 1 been expecting of ‘em across this way tonight, but | guess they took the Black Butte trail. Ye heard what | he sald, didn't ye? Claims that in. side of ninety days he'll rid the coun- | ty of the Trempers and give the re- | ward to his wife for » | present. | Five thousand dollars on ‘em, ye know." Balley grinned evilly and continued: “Say. Marsh Tremper 'll | ride up to his house some night and make him eat his own gun in front of ' his bride, see If be don’t. Then there'll | be cause for an inquest and an elec- tion,” He spokej with what struck | the teamster as unuecessary Beat. a brash young feller, | hear, but he's | game. "Taint any of my business, though, and | don't want none of his contrac’. I'm violently addicted to peace and quiet. | am Guess I'll un. hiteh As the saddened Joy Iit candles in | the front roow there came the rattle | of wheels without. und a buckboard stopped In the bar of light from the door. Bailey's anxiety was replaced by a mask of listless surprise as the voice of Ross Turney called to him: “Hello, there, Baller: Are we In time for supper: If not. I'll start an insurrection with that Boxer of yours. He's got to turn out the snortingest supper of the season tonight. It isn't every day your shack 1s honored by | i i in a fury, as the tall young map gazed | sheriff. | peace. ; ¥e big wart, or I'll trample them new | clothes and browse urcund on some of ". und, spying the girl, blushed to the | ~der the labor of bis discomfort: seemed to bounce galvanically,-land- | , Turney.” | the Bar X outtit. All his life he nad | tions. Undoubtedly it must be quench “Dunno,” said the other. ““lurney’s k °¢ 8 bride. Mr. Batley, this is my wife, since 10 o'clock a. wm." He Introduced a8 blushing, bappy girl. evidently in the grasp of many ewotions “We'll | stay all night, | guess.” i “Sure,” sald Balle. “I'll show ye | | a room,” and be ied them up beneath | the low roof where an unusua! clean- ; liness betrayed the industry of Joy. ' The two men returned and drank to ! the bride. Turney with the reckless i i lightness that distinguished tim, | { Balley sullen and watchful, | “tiot another outtit bere, haven't | , you” questioned the bridegroom. “Who Is it?" | Betore answer could he made, from ; the Kitrben arose u tortured howl and i | the smashirz of distes, mingled with stormy rumbiings Che door burst wn. wird. and an agoulzed Joy fed, tap pig out oto the might, while behind hii rolled the caricature from Bar X. “lI just stopped for a drink of water.” boomed the dwarf, then paused at the twitching face of the sherify. He swelled ominously. tike a great pigeon. purple and congested with rage Strurting to the newcomer, he glared insoiently up nto nis smiling face. “What are ye laughing at, ye shave. tail? His bands were clinched till tis arms showed tense and rigid, and the cords in bis neck were thickly swollen. “Lemme in on it! wor. I'm strong on bu- What in b—1 alls ye?” pe yelied, fixedly. and the glasses rattled at the bellow from the barreied-up lungs. “I'm net laughing at you.” said the “Ob. ain't ye?" wocked the man of “Well, take care that ye don't, your features. I'll rake ye apart till ye look like cut feed. Guess ye don't know who | am, do ye? I'm"- “Who 1s this man. Ross? came the unxious voice of the bride. descending the stairs. The little man spun like a dancer color of a prickly pear, then stammered painfully, while the sweat stood out un “Just ‘Shorty,’ miss.” be finally qua vered. “Plain ‘Shorty’ of the Bar X- er—a miserable, crawling worm for disturbing of ye.” He rolled his eyes belplessly at Bailey while he sopped witb his crumpled sombrero at the glistening perspiration. “Why didn't ye tell me? he whis pered ferociously at the host, and the volume of his query carried to Joy niding out in the night “Mr. Shorty,” said the sheriff grave 15, “let me Introduce my wife, Mrs The ovbride smiled sweetly at the tremulous little mau, who broke and fled to a bigh bench in the darkest corner, where be dangled his short legs 1D a silent ecstasy of bushfulness. “1 reckon I'll have to rope that Chink, then blindfold and back him into the kitchen, if we git any supper,” sald Bailey, disappearing. later the Chinaman stole In to set the table, but he worked with nectic aud titful energy. a fearful eye always upon the dim bulk in the corner, and ut a fancied move he shook with an ugue of apprehension. Backing and sidling, be finally announced the tien prepared to stampede madly at notice. During the supper Shorty ate raven: ously of whatever lay to his hand, but asked no favors. The agony of his shyness paralyzed nis huge vocal mus cles till speech became a labor quite impossible To a pleasant remark of the bride he responded, but vo sound issued; ther. breathing heavily into his larynx, the reply roared upun them lke a burst of thunder, seriously threatening the gravity of the meai He retired ab- ruptly into moist and self conscious silence, fearful of feasting is eyes on this disturbing loveliness As soon as compatible with decency be slipped back to bis bunk In the shed behind aud lay staring into the darkupess. picturing the awazing oe. currences of the evening At the wem ory ol ner level glances he fell a-rrem ble aud sighed ecstatically, prickling with a new, strange emotion. He a) tll far into the might. wakeful and an | sorbed He was able to grasp the 1a but dimly that ali this dazzling per. fection was for one man. Were it nor manifestly impossible be supposed other men iu other ands knew other indies us peautifui, ana it furthermore grew upon nim olackly, in the thick gloom, that In all this world of wom unly weet hin and Lenuty no modicum of it was the misshapen dwarf of fought. furiously to uphold the empty shell of nis dignity Iu the eyes of his comrades, yet always morbidly con scious of the difference iu bis body Whisky had been bis solace, his sweer neart. It changed him. raised and be atified -bim {nto the !keness of other men, and now as he pondered he was aware of a consuming thirst engen- dered by the beat of his easller emo- He rose and stole quietly out into the Lig front room. Ferhaps the years of free life in the open nad bred “ picion of walls; perbaps he fe) « conduct would not brook discover: perhaps habit prompted nim ke the two heavy Colts from their holster. and thrust them 'luside his trouser band. He slipped across the room, siim and cavern-like, its blackness brok: by the window squares of starry sk till he felt the paucity of glasswn: behind the bar. “Here's to her.” fully. “Here's to the greom.” more alluringly. “I'll drink what | can and get bar It burned delig! It dog. to the bunk before It works” be thought, and the darkness velled the meusure of his potations. He started at a wise on the sialr- way. His senses. pot yet dulled. de- tected a stealthy tread—oot the care ‘ess step of a man anafraid, but the autious rustle and halt of a maraud- er Every perve bristled to keenest ; Rlertness as the faint occasional sounds approached, passed the open end of the i bar where be crouched. leading on tc the window. Then a match flared, and the darkness rushed out as a candle Wik sputtered Shorty stretched on tiptoe, brought Dis eye to the wvel of the bar and razed upon the borrent bead of Bailey. He sighed 1hankfully, but watched with nmterest his strange beharvior. Baliey moved the light across the window trom eft to right three times. puso, then wigwagged some code out te the might, “Hes signaling.” mused Shorty ‘Hope be gets through quick. I'm geting full” The fumes of the liquor were beating ar bis senses. and he Enew that soon he would move with dithieulty The man. however, showed no inten. tion of weaving, for. his signals com- pleted, be Liew ont the light, tirst lis- tening for any sound from above; then bis figure womed black and immobile agmnst the dim starlight of the win- duw, “Oh, Lord. | got to set down!" and the watcher squatted upon the fluor, bracing against the wall. His dulling perceptions were sutliciently acute to detect shutfling footsteps on the porch und the cautious unbarring of the door, “Getting late for visitors,” he thought as he entered a blissful doze. “When they're abed I'll turn in.” It seemed much !ater that a shot startled him To his dizzy hearing came the sound of curses overhead, the stamp and shift of feet, the crash- [Continued on page 7, Col. 1.] } Medical. Just in Time | SOME BELLEFONTE PEOPLE MAY WAIT TILL IT'S TOO LATE, Don't wait until too late, i Be sure to be in time. Just in time with kidnev ills. eans curing the backache. the dizzi. ness, the urinary disorders, t 80 often come with kidney trou. Doan’s Kidney Pills are for this very purpose, Here is Bellefonte testimony of their worth Mrs. H. 1. Taylor, 70 S. Water St., Belle fonte, Pa., hy “We think just as high. ly of 's Kidney Pills some years ago, when we pub! t fe were procured at Green's Pharmacy Co. and pruugit relief from backache and kidney trouble. On several occasions since then we have tak- en Doan’s Kidney Pills and they have al. ways been of the greatest it,” For sale by all dealers. Price 50 cents. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, New York, sole agents for the United States. | Remember the name—Doan’s—and take ! no other. 58.29 Hardware. Cabinet Dockash.. The short story of a Cabinet Dockash Let us show them to you. Olewines Hardware Waverly Oils. >; p} No carbon. 5: Waverly Gasoline - crude yc pr 7 waveaLy LAMP OILS OIL WORKS co. LUBRICANTS LYON & COMPANY. “LA VOGUE” Coats and Suits ARE HERE For Every Ladies Inspection La Vogue Garments have for many years been alluded to as “The Standard of style.” This title has been honestly earned because : they always represent the most modish thought of the world of fashion. The fashions this season show many novel effects which combine with a refreshing orig- inality of clever design. The materials used cover an impressive ar- ray of new fall and winter fabrics, all rich in appearance, some dainty and exquisite in tone, others more defined in color, but each is characterized by refinement and the entire absence of bizarre effect. Every La Vogue Garment is perfect fitting, cut in graceful lines ; is guaranteed to retain its shape until worn out and represents the most minute care as to every detail of cut- ting, tailoring and finishing. Lyon & Co. .... Bellefonte Yedger’'s Shoe Store “FITZEZY” The Ladies’ Shoe that Cures Corns Sold only at Yeager’s Shoe Store, Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, IA.
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