The Range Boss - Charles Alden Seltzer (best life changing books txt) š
- Author: Charles Alden Seltzer
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The tale was related in strictest confidence, and Uncle Jepson did not repeat it.
But the main fact, that Randerson had killed another man in his outfit, found its way to Ruthās ears through the medium of a roaming puncher who had stopped for an hour at the ranchhouse. Ruth had confirmed the news through questioning several Flying W men, and, because of their reluctance to answer her inquiries, their expressionless faces, she gathered that the shooting had not met with their approval. She did not consider that they had given her no details, that they spoke no word of blame or praise. She got nothing but the bare factāthat Randersonās gun had again wrought havoc.
She had not seen Masten. A month had slipped by since the day of his departure, when she got a note from him, by messenger, from Lazette, saying that his business was not yet concluded, and that possibly, two weeks more would elapse before he would be able to visit the Flying W.
Had Randerson, standing near the chuck wagon on the night of the shooting of Kelso, known what effect the news would have on Ruth? āI reckon she would have wanted it different,ā he had reflected, then. And he had been entirely correct, for the news had destroyed something that had been growing and flourishing in her heart. It had filled her soul with disappointment, at least; repugnance and loathing were not very far away. She had almost been persuaded, that day when he had taught her how to use the pistol. The killing of Pickett had grown dim and distant in her mental vision; Randerson had become a compelling figure that dominated her thoughts. But this second killing! She could no longer interpret the steady, serene gleam in his eyes as mild confidence and frank directness; as she saw them now they reflected hypocrisyāthe cold, designing cunning of the habitual taker of human life.
She had been very near to making a mistake; she had almost yielded to the lure of the romance that had seemed to surround him; the magnetic personality of him had attracted her. He attracted her no longerāher heart was shut to him. And, during the days of Mastenās continuing absenceāin the times when she reflected on her feelings toward Randerson on the day he had taught her the use of the pistol, she bitterly reproached herself for her momentary lack of loyalty to the Easterner. She had been weak for an instantāas life is measuredāand she would make it up to Mastenāby ceasing to be irritated by his moods, through paying no attention to his faults, which, she now saw, were infinitely less grave than those of the man who had impressed her for an instantāand by yielding to his suggestion that she marry him before the fall round-up.
In these days, too, she seriously thought of discharging Randerson, for he had not ridden in to report the killing and to offer a defense for it, but she remembered Vickersā words: āRanderson is square,ā and she supposed that all cowboys were alike, and would shootāto killāif they considered their provocation to be great enough.
But these thoughts did not occupy all of her time. She found opportunities to ride and sew and talkāthe latter mostly with Aunt Martha and Uncle Jepson. And she kept making her visits to Hagar Catherson.
Of late Ruth had noticed a change in the girlās manner. She seemed to have lost the vivacity that had swept upon her with the coming of her new clothes; she had grown quiet and thoughtful, and had moods of intense abstraction. Ruth rode to the cabin one morning, to find her sitting on the edge of the porch, hugging Nig tightly and whispering to him. Her eyes were moist when Ruth rode up to the porch and looked down at her, but they filled with delight when they rested upon her visitor.
She did not get up, though, and still held Nig, despite the dogās attempts to release himself.
āHave you been crying, Hagar?ā Ruth inquired as she dismounted and sat on the edge of the porch close to the girl.
Hagar smiled wanly and rubbed her eyes vigorously with the back of her free hand, meanwhile looking sidelong at Ruth.
āWhy, I reckon not,ā she answered hesitatingly, āthat is, not cryinā regular. But I was just tellinā Nig, here, that heās the only sure enough friend Iāve gotāthat can be depended on not to fool anybody.ā
āWhy, Hagar!ā Ruth was astonished and perhaps a little hurt by this pessimistic view. āWhat an odd idea for you to have! Who has fooled you, Hagar?ā
āNobody,ā said the girl almost sullenly. She dug her bare toe into the deep sand at the edge of the porch and looked down at the miniature hill she was making, her lips set queerly. Ruth had already noticed that she was dressed almost as she had been at their first meetingāa slipover apron that Ruth had given her being the only new garment. It was the lonesomeness, of course, Ruth reflected, and perhaps a vision of the dreary future, prospectless, hopeless, to be filled with the monotony of the past. Her arm stole out and was placed on Hagarās shoulder.
āI havenāt fooled you, Hagar,ā she said; āhave I?ā
āNo, maāam.ā Her lips quivered. She glanced furtively at Ruth, and a half frightened, half dreading look came into her eyes. āNobodyās fooled me,ā she added with a nervous laugh. āI was just feelinā sorta dumpish, I reckon.ā
āYou mustnāt brood, you know,ā consoled Ruth. āIt ruins character.ā
āWhatās character?ā
āWhyāwhy,ā hesitated Ruth, āthe thing that makes you yourselfāapart from every other person; your reputation; the good that is in youāthe good you feel.ā
āI aināt got any,ā said the girl, morosely, grimly.
āWhy, Hagar, you have! Everybody hasāeither good or bad.ā
āMineās bad, I reckonāif Iāve got any.ā She suddenly buried her face on Ruthās shoulder and sobbed.
Perplexed, astonished, almost dismayed, Ruth held her off and tried to look at her face. But the girl only buried it deeper and continued to cry.
āWhy, Hagar; whatever is the matter?ā
There was no answer, and after holding her for a time, Ruth succeeded in getting a look at her face. It was tear-stained, but dogged in expression, and had Ruth been experienced in reading the human emotions, she could have seen the guilt in the girlās eyes, lurking far back. She also might have seen the determination in themāa determination not to tell her secret. And a sorrow, also, was thereāaroused through the thought that she had deceived Ruth, and could not tell her.
Hagar realized now that she had permitted her emotions to carry her too far, that she had aroused Ruthās curiosity. Ruth must never know! She made an effort and sat up, laughing grimly through her tears, shaking her hair back from her eyes, brushing it away fiercely.
āDad says thereās times when Iām half loco,ā she said. āI reckon heās right.ā She recovered her composure rapidly, and in a few minutes there were no traces of tears or of mental distress. But Ruth was puzzled, and after she left the cabin she tried in vain to provide an explanation for the girlās strange conduct.
On her next visit to the cabin, Ruth was astonished when Hagar asked her bluntly:
āAināt there no punishment for men who deceive girls?ā
āVery little, Hagar, I fearāunless it is Godās punishment.ā
āShucks!ā The girlās eyes flashed vindictively. āThere ought to be. Durn āem, anyway!ā
āHagar, what has brought such a subject into your mind?ā said Ruth wonderingly.
The girl reddened, but met Ruthās eyes determinedly. āIāve got a book in here, that dad got with some other traps from olā man Cullenās girls, back in Red Rockāthey thought we was poorly, anā they helped us that-a-way. Itās āMillieās Lovers,ā anā it tells how a man deceived a girl, anā run away anā left herāthe sneakinā coyote!ā
āGirls shouldnāt read such books, Hagar.ā
āYes, they ought to. But it ought to tell in āem how to get even with the men who do things like that!ā She frowned as she looked at Ruth. āWhat would you think of a man that done that in real life?ā
āI should think that he wouldnāt be much of a man,ā said Ruth.
As before, Ruth departed from this visit, puzzled and wondering.
On another morning, a few days following Ruthās discovery of the shooting of Kelso, she found Hagar standing on the porch. The dog had apprised Hagar of the coming of her visitor. Hagarās first words were:
āDid you hear? Rex Randerson killed Kelso.ā
āI heard about it some days ago,ā said Ruth. āItās horrible!ā
āWhat do you reckon is horrible about it?ā questioned Hagar, with a queer look at her friend.
āWhy,ā returned Ruth, surprised; āthe deed itself! The very thought of one human being taking the life of another!ā
āThereās worse things than killinā a man thatās tryinā to make you shuffle off,ā declared Hagar evenly. āRex Randerson wouldnāt kill nobody unless they made him do it. Anā accordinā to what dad says, Kelso pulled first. Rex aināt lettinā nobody perforate him, you bet!ā
āHe is too ready with his pistol.ā
The girl caught the repugnance in Ruthās voice. āI thought you kind of liked Randerson,ā she said.
Ruth blushed. āWhat made you think that?ā she demanded.
āIāve heard that youāve gone ridinā with him a lot. I just reckoned it.ā
āYou are mistaken, Hagar. I do not like Randerson at all. He is my range bossāthat is all. A murderer could never be a friend to me.ā
A shadow came over Hagarās face. āRex Randerson has got a clean heart,ā she said slowly. She stood looking at Ruth, disappointment plain in her eyes. The disappointment was quickly succeeded by suspicion; she caught her breath, and the hands that were under her apron gripped each other hard.
āI reckon youāll take up with Masten again,ā she said, trying to control her voice.
Ruth looked intently at her, but she did not notice the girlās emotion through her interest in her words.
āWhat do you mean by āagainā?ā
āI heard that youād broke your engagement.ā
āWho told you that?ā Ruthās voice was sharp, for she thought Randerson perhaps had been talking.
Hagar blushed crimson and resorted to a lie. āMy dad told me. He said heād heard it.ā
āWell, it isnāt true,ā Ruth told her firmly; āI have never broken with Mr. Masten. And we are to be married soon.ā
She turned, for she was slightly indignant at this evidence that the people in the country near her had been meddling with her affairs, and she did not see the ashen pallor that quickly spread over Hagarās face. Had Ruth been looking she must have suspected the girlās secret. But it took her some time to mount her pony, and then looking back she waved her hand at Hagar, who was smiling, though with pale and drawn face.
Hagar stood rigid on the porch until she could no longer see Ruth. Then she sank to the edge of the porch, gathered the dog Nig into her arms, and buried her face in his unkempt shoulder. Rocking back and forth in a paroxysm of impotent passion, she spoke to the dog:
āI canāt kill him now, Nig, heās goinā to marry her! Oh Nig, Nig, what am I goinā to do now?ā And then she looked up scornfully, her eyes flashing. āShe wonāt let Rex be a friend of hers,
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