comin’ whether he wants to or not.”
Now as Ace guided the wagon down the single main street of Mapleton, his jaw hardened and he nodded, speaking to himself, “He’s comin’ all right, whether he likes it or not. Why does he have to act like this?”
He had a fairly good idea of where to find Stuart, so he drew up in front of a saloon on a side street, tied the horses, and went inside. He was greeted at once by an old friend of his, Betty Marrs.
“Well, Ace, look at you!” Marrs was a hefty woman, and she wore more cosmetics than necessary. She came over to give Ace a hug. “Sit down and have a drink.”
“Before noon? I reckon not.”
Marrs laughed. “I’ve seen the time when the hour of day wouldn’t matter to you, Ace. You’re gettin’ old.”
“Reckon you’ve got somethin’ there. A man’s got to grow up sometime.”
The words seemed to disturb Betty Marrs. She heaved a big breath and said, “I guess you’re right, Ace. What are you doing over here?”
“Looking for Stuart.”
“He’s down at Cora’s house.”
“I thought he might be. I hoped I’d catch him here.”
“He’s been in and out, but mostly he’s with Cora. You know what’s going on between those two?”
“None of my business, Betty. I’ll see you later.”
Leaving the dingy saloon, Ace climbed up into the wagon and drove it slowly down the street until he pulled up on the east outskirts of town in front of a freshly painted frame house. “Whoa,” he said, and when the horses stopped, he sat quietly, wondering how he should handle the situation. “I wish it could be easy,” he murmured. “But with Stuart I doubt it. He never did like to be bossed around.” Reaching under the wagon seat, he pulled out a box and opened it. Inside was a .44, a box of shells, and a leather-covered blackjack. Ace had bought the revolver and the shells, but he had taken the blackjack away from a gambler who wanted to argue about the call of a card in a poker game. He had seldom thought of it and never carried it, but now he slipped it into the back pocket of his overalls. Pulling his hat down, he stepped out of the wagon, tied the horses, and walked up to the front steps. He knocked loudly, and for a long time, it seemed no one was there. He banged vigorously on the door and said, “Cora, open the door!”
After another long pause the door opened just half a crack, and a woman’s pale face appeared. “What do you want, Ace?”
“Let me in, Cora.”
“It’s too early. Go away.”
Ace Devainy wasted no time. He shoved at the door, forcing the woman to step backward. She was wearing a pink robe, and her face was rosy with agitation, though puffy with sleep. “You can’t come busting into my house like this! I’ll have the law on you!”
“Sure. You go call the sheriff, Cora,” Ace said easily. He had known Cora Langley for a long time. She had been the most attractive woman in the county. She was still beautiful, but her reputation was not good.
“What do you want?”
“Where’s Stuart?”
Cora’s face seemed to harden. “None of your business! Get out of here, Ace, if you don’t want trouble.”
Ignoring her, Ace simply brushed her aside and walkeddown the hall. He opened one door and saw a bedroom with the bed made up. He was conscious that Cora was pulling at his arm, but he ignored her. Opening a door on the opposite side, he paused and then stepped inside and stared down at the man in the bed. “Get up, Stuart!” he said loudly.
Cora shoved herself past Ace and turned to face him. “What are you doing here, Ace? What Stuart does is none of your business!”
Stuart heard this last statement, for he had been half awakened by the knock at the door. Now he sat up and shook his head for a moment. His black hair hung down in his eyes, and his mouth had a sour pucker to it. “What are you doing here, Ace?” He was wearing a linen undershirt, and he shook himself and seemed to come more awake. “What’s
Now as Ace guided the wagon down the single main street of Mapleton, his jaw hardened and he nodded, speaking to himself, “He’s comin’ all right, whether he likes it or not. Why does he have to act like this?”
He had a fairly good idea of where to find Stuart, so he drew up in front of a saloon on a side street, tied the horses, and went inside. He was greeted at once by an old friend of his, Betty Marrs.
“Well, Ace, look at you!” Marrs was a hefty woman, and she wore more cosmetics than necessary. She came over to give Ace a hug. “Sit down and have a drink.”
“Before noon? I reckon not.”
Marrs laughed. “I’ve seen the time when the hour of day wouldn’t matter to you, Ace. You’re gettin’ old.”
“Reckon you’ve got somethin’ there. A man’s got to grow up sometime.”
The words seemed to disturb Betty Marrs. She heaved a big breath and said, “I guess you’re right, Ace. What are you doing over here?”
“Looking for Stuart.”
“He’s down at Cora’s house.”
“I thought he might be. I hoped I’d catch him here.”
“He’s been in and out, but mostly he’s with Cora. You know what’s going on between those two?”
“None of my business, Betty. I’ll see you later.”
Leaving the dingy saloon, Ace climbed up into the wagon and drove it slowly down the street until he pulled up on the east outskirts of town in front of a freshly painted frame house. “Whoa,” he said, and when the horses stopped, he sat quietly, wondering how he should handle the situation. “I wish it could be easy,” he murmured. “But with Stuart I doubt it. He never did like to be bossed around.” Reaching under the wagon seat, he pulled out a box and opened it. Inside was a .44, a box of shells, and a leather-covered blackjack. Ace had bought the revolver and the shells, but he had taken the blackjack away from a gambler who wanted to argue about the call of a card in a poker game. He had seldom thought of it and never carried it, but now he slipped it into the back pocket of his overalls. Pulling his hat down, he stepped out of the wagon, tied the horses, and walked up to the front steps. He knocked loudly, and for a long time, it seemed no one was there. He banged vigorously on the door and said, “Cora, open the door!”
After another long pause the door opened just half a crack, and a woman’s pale face appeared. “What do you want, Ace?”
“Let me in, Cora.”
“It’s too early. Go away.”
Ace Devainy wasted no time. He shoved at the door, forcing the woman to step backward. She was wearing a pink robe, and her face was rosy with agitation, though puffy with sleep. “You can’t come busting into my house like this! I’ll have the law on you!”
“Sure. You go call the sheriff, Cora,” Ace said easily. He had known Cora Langley for a long time. She had been the most attractive woman in the county. She was still beautiful, but her reputation was not good.
“What do you want?”
“Where’s Stuart?”
Cora’s face seemed to harden. “None of your business! Get out of here, Ace, if you don’t want trouble.”
Ignoring her, Ace simply brushed her aside and walkeddown the hall. He opened one door and saw a bedroom with the bed made up. He was conscious that Cora was pulling at his arm, but he ignored her. Opening a door on the opposite side, he paused and then stepped inside and stared down at the man in the bed. “Get up, Stuart!” he said loudly.
Cora shoved herself past Ace and turned to face him. “What are you doing here, Ace? What Stuart does is none of your business!”
Stuart heard this last statement, for he had been half awakened by the knock at the door. Now he sat up and shook his head for a moment. His black hair hung down in his eyes, and his mouth had a sour pucker to it. “What are you doing here, Ace?” He was wearing a linen undershirt, and he shook himself and seemed to come more awake. “What’s
Similar Books
