Alias John Alden By John Keith Bassett Read online

  Thrilling Ranch Stories, November, 1933

  Alias John Alden

  By John Keith Bassett

 

  Two Men And A Girl Form a Western Love Triangle in this Fascinating Story of a Proposal by Proxy HE soft wind of early May blew gently

  homeward way. But Nita scarcely saw them.

  on Nita Martin's tanned cheeks and

  She was thinking of Cliff Graham of

  T rippled her rough tweed skirt and white the Bar T Ranch, and Fred Beckly, owner of blouse as she stood pensively in the doorway

  the prosperous Slash Circle.

  of the district schoolhouse. Down the road to Nita thought she knew how Cliff felt

  Prairie Dog and south over brown rangeland,

  toward her, and she was surer every day of her little knots of her pupils wended their fondness for him. But the tall, habitually

  Thrilling Ranch Stories

  2

  smiling Graham was diffident and shy. Soon

  instant she could not speak. “You mean that—

  Fred Beckly would press her with a definite

  that he sent you here to—to ask if I would

  proposal of marriage which she would be marry him? That you are a sort of, well, unable to side-step as she had overlooked his ambassador, supposed to arrange everything?

  increasing ardor of the last several months.

  Propose to me in his name?”

  If only Cliff spoke first, so that she

  He nodded. Then as her stunned look

  would not have to refuse Beckly!

  faded and she laughed aloud, Graham jerked

  She had not noticed a wide-shouldered

  worriedly erect. He stared hard at her as his rider coming from the west, and was startled

  face slowly colored, Nita laughed again, as

  when he turned into the schoolyard. With a

  though she found it extremely amusing. “It’s

  woman’s impulsive concern for her like the poem I’m reading to my pupils,” she appearance, she patted the glossy brown hair, gasped finally.

  combed smoothly back from her forehead,

  “You know, Cliff—the Courtship of

  glanced hastily over her costume, and felt tell-Miles Standish, by Longfellow. In which

  tale warmth in her cheeks as Graham swung to

  Standish sent John Alden to ask Priscilla’s

  earth and strode grinning toward her.

  hand. He didn’t dare go himself—he, who had

  “How are you, Nita?” He doffed his

  fought Indians without knowing fear! But

  sombrero. “I—er—just happened to be Alden was more of a ladies’ man.”

  headin’ for Prairie Dog, so I thought if you

  “Reckon I never read that one,” the

  were ready to go home—”

  Bar T owner broke in hastily. “Don’t reckon

  He left off, bashful as ever. “Why, yes,

  Fred ever read it, either.”

  Cliff. I expected you for the dance tonight, but

  “Then I must tell you, Cliff. It was

  of course I like company riding home. Will

  back in early New England, in the first

  you please get my mare while I lock up?”

  Pilgrims settlement. Priscilla was the girl John Alden loved. But Miles Standish asked John

  SHE fastened the doors and dropped the key

  to arrange for her to become Mrs. Standish.

  into her pocket. Her heart seemed to speed,

  How could he refuse his best friend? So he did and a flush deepened in her cheeks. She could ask Priscilla, though John wanted her himself!

  not help wondering what had brought Cliff—

  Then—”

  unless it was that he had summoned

  “But Nita, what’s this got to do with

  courage—Nita resolved to help. At the dance

  Beckly and me? Gosh, Fred’s well fixed. He’s

  tonight Beckly might propose, unless word got a mighty good cattleman, and I reckon—”

  around beforehand that she and Cliff—

  “Please, let me tell you the rest of the

  “I—er—came on a sort of errand,” he

  story. Priscilla listened while John Alden told said hesitatingly, while their horses trudged what a wonderful man Miles Standish was,

  down the dusty road. “Fred Beckly asked me

  what a great fighter, a great leader—and a

  to speak to you about something.”

  bachelor. When at last he finished, there was a

  “Fred asked you to? What is it?”

  long silence. Priscilla knew with a woman’s

  “Well,” he said, staring at his saddle

  intuition that Alden loved her. So she asked: horn, “I didn’t want to ask you, but he ‘Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?’”

  insisted. In fact, Nita,” Cliff blurted out, “Fred

  “Sure, but Alden had promised to fix

  wants me to find out if you’ll marry him. He’s things for this other chap. Wouldn’t have been a mighty fine—”

  right for him to go throwin’ his own rope

  Her startled look stopped him. when prob’ly Standish was pacin’ the floor of Amazement crossed her face, and for an his ranch house, dog-eager to learn how John

  Alias John Alden

  3

  made out with the gal!”

  and of a sudden she bolted, the bit between

  Cliff stopped abruptly. His eyes met

  her teeth, eyes dilated and nostrils distended’

  Nita’s, then each glanced away. Cold fear

  as she burst into a headlong run.

  swept over her that perhaps she had said too

  One of Nita’s small booted feet loosed

  much, shown herself immodest in thus from its stirrup. She would have toppled off speaking out.

  had not Graham, acting with the instant

  They rode on in silence save for the

  decision of a trained horseman, spurred close clop-clop of hoofbeats. Finally Graham beside and snatched her bridle. Thrusting an heaved a long sigh. “I don’t hardly reckon

  arm around her waist, he lifted her completely Fred ever read that poem, Nita. Anyhow, he

  free while the startled animal tugged at the

  asked me to speak to you about him. Of reins Cliff had instantly dropped over his course, I had to say I would, although most

  saddle horn.

  times a man ought to do his own proposin’.

  She clung to him, her cheek against his

  Er—don’t you think so, Nita?”

  checkered shirt, her chestnut hair touching

  Cliff’s chin. There was an intimate, worried

  SHE nodded, smiling bravely. “Yes, he pressure which with a sudden pang of certainly should. A man ought to speak out

  conscience he relaxed. He lowered her gently

  what is in his heart.” Graham turned and to the road, swung from his own mount, and looked at her. “There’s no doubt about him

  set about quieting the mare.

  bein’ crazy about you. He can support a wife, When he turned it was to find Nita’s

  too, give her just about everything. Got one of eyes soft and glowing, while two spots of

  the finest spreads around here.”

  color burned in her cheeks. “Thank you,” she

  “You have a good ranch too, Cliff.”

  said coolly. “At the very least you saved me a The words escaped her almost before she sprained shoulder.”

  r
ealized she was going to speak. His swift

  “Shucks, that wasn’t anything. Reckon

  alarm made her afraid to face him, and she

  Fred would’ve been handier’n I was. Fred

  waited with blood pounding hard at her would have—”

  temples. Out of the corner of her eye she saw

  “Oh, please!” she burst out. “Don’t

  Graham re-seat his curl-brimmed sombrero.

  talk Fred, Fred, Fred to me! You know very

  “Oh, my place is all right. Fred’s got a

  well, Cliff Graham, or you certainly ought to few enemies around the county, but I reckon

  know, that I never could marry him. I half

  in general he’s pretty, well liked. Reckon Mrs.

  believe Fred Beckly would never look at me if Beckly would sort of be somebody.”

  Uncle Bob’s share of the Ace Mine mightn’t

  be worth a great deal!

  NITA could not know her mare would shy at

  “But I’d rather drive one of Uncle’s

  that bit of paper lying in the road. One instant stages from Prairie Dog to Sundance every

  the animal trudged with drooping head, and

  day of my life, or be a schoolmarm till I’m

  the next it lurched violently to the right. The seventy, than to marry a man I don’t love. No jerk came with such breathless speed that for matter how important a citizen he is, nor how thought of Cliff’s loyal efforts to praise his fine a spread he owns! I—”

  friend, the schoolmistress was wholly

  unprepared.

  HER face flushed hotly as Graham’s jaw

  The shoulders of the two horses slacked in astonishment. Suddenly she felt smacked together and Cliff’s roan reared ashamed of her outburst, ashamed of making frightenedly. That increased the mare’s panic him feel badly. “I’m sorry,” she said in a low

  Thrilling Ranch Stories

  4

  tone. “I’m afraid you’ll have to report that

  SHE nodded. “Yes, he proposed for you,

  your mission wasn’t successful. Cliff, a person Fred.”

  should speak what is in his own heart, and not

  “Darned nice of you, Cliff. Say,” he

  just be content to run errands for others!”

  hinted, and jerked his head. “I’ll meet you

  Nita Martin climbed astride her mare.

  later, eh? Now, Nita,” the Slash Circle owner Clicking bootheels to its ribs, she started at a went on as he took both her shapely hands in

  brisk trot for Prairie Dog, lying just over a low his stubby palms, “what say we tell your

  swell. Graham, she knew without looking uncle? And how soon do you reckon we’ll get back, followed close behind. He was so—so

  hitched?”

  awfully helpful to others that he sacrificed his She eyed him with cool disdain while

  own interests merely because someone more

  very firmly she withdrew her hands. “Fred,

  cunning asked a favor.

  I’m not a horse that you speak of my being

  She had never before said that about

  hitched. If you mean married, the answer is

  Beckly having an eye on Uncle Bob’s mine

  never.”

  stock; nevertheless she meant it. Just the other A scowl followed the initial blank look

  day he had offered to buy the stock, and had

  of the man. He stepped back with incredulity, become angry when told it was not for sale.

  drooping the corners of his mouth. “You—

  Nita, whose only relative was the elderly stage turned the proposition down?”

  driver, would some day inherit that stock. The Nita Martin could scarcely hide the

  Ace Mine was booming with two new veins of

  thrill of triumph that surged warmly through

  gold that promised untold wealth. Uncle Bob

  her at putting Mr. Fred Beckly in his place.

  Martin’s small interest might conceivably For from the astonishment on his round amount to a tidy fortune, and it was not countenance, he had not even regarded it as a beyond Beckly to consider that in asking remote possibility that she would refuse!

  Nita’s hand.

  Cliff hesitated a few yards away,

  They drew rein before a neat white

  watching them. Of a sudden Beckly came to

  cottage at one end of Prairie Dog’s single

  life. Lunging under the hitch rail, he strode to street. Fred emerged from a pool hall half a

  his ambassador. “You double-crossed me,

  block away and, spying them, hurried nearer.

  Cliff Graham—dead-set on purpose!” Nita

  His round, ruddy face wore a confident smile

  heard his teeth grind for the rage that

  as, ducking under the hitching rail, he took

  possessed him. His hand sought the Colt that

  Nita’s reins and tied them himself.

  rode on his thigh. “I got a good mind to drill Then Beckly doffed his Stetson in an

  you for it! I’ll—”

  awkward imitation of the cavalier. “S’pose

  “Stop!” With bootheels clicking on the

  Cliff’s been kind of discussin’ things with

  board sidewalk, she darted between them.

  you, Nita?” he said in his booming, vibrant

  “Don’t you dare to draw!” Nita cried in

  tones. “You know, it sort of makes a man

  withering scorn. “Oh, I—you think I’m a

  uneasy to brag about his own virtues and how

  horse, talking about being hitched. You send

  he’d be willing to hitch up with some gal

  another to ask your question, just to prevent that’s young and purty.

  him from speaking for himself!

  “In fact, someone like yourself,” he

  “It’s all very plain,” she hurried on

  hazarded with increased confidence. Fred before he could speak. “Yet you seem to think chuckled. “I might as well come out with it!

  I’m so stupid I can’t see. Why didn’t you ask Cliff proposed, didn’t he?”

  me yourself? Because you wanted to trap

  Cliff. You knew he—I—we both—”

  Alias John Alden

  5

  Nita knew that already the affair was in full NITA’S eyes had encountered the sway, with a large attendance of townsfolk, thunderstruck Graham. She choked back hot

  cowgirls, punchers, and ranchers and their

  words that pelted to her lips, and simply gazed wives from all parts of the country.

  at Fred with such contempt that of a sudden he

  “Well, I don’t feel so awful coltish,”

  released the butt of his gun. With a sullen,

  Cliff said.

  vengeful look back, he strode off down the

  “Why

  not?”

  sidewalk.

  Before he could reply, Jack Hallman,

  Cliff

  stood

  twisting

  the tongue of his

  who operated a weekly newspaper and job

  cartridge belt. “Gosh!” he breathed. “I sort of printing establishment, worked closer through wish you hadn’t flown off the handle, Nita. It the throng. “I got proofs to them posters, Cliff; isn’t that I’m scared of Fred. There’s nothin’

  want to see ’em?”

  I’d like better than to knock that wooden

  He handed over several printed sheets

  block of his into the dust.” He frowned which Nita could not help but see. Her eyes downward. “But if I know Beckly, there’ll be

  widened startledly at a single word in large

  plenty o’ trouble now!”

  type across the top. It was “AUCTION.”

  He stepped to his roan, mounted, and
br />   “Why!” she whispered. “Are you

  headed at a fast gallop down the street and out selling out?”

  of Prairie Dog, toward his Bar T Ranch.

  During dinner with her Uncle Bob, the

  HE returned the posters. “Guess they’ll do all girl kept wondering whether Cliff would right, Jack.” Surrendering his tickets to the forget their engagement to attend the dance at doorman, he steered Nita inside the hall. But the Town Hall. She was too well known to be

  as they started over the waxed floor in a waltz, absent from such an affair without causing

  her worried eyes held on his face and she

  comment, especially in view of her presence

  demanded why he planned to auction his Bar

  at every dance during the last six months with T holdings.

  either Graham or Fred Beckly.

  “Got a note,” was the brief answer.

  “Can’t meet it or extend it.”

  BUT Cliff did come, driving a buckboard and

  “But surely you could get someone to

  stopping before the cottage, a little after eight.

  loan you the money?”

  There was something strange in his manner,

  “No, reckon not.”

  an invisible wall between them as though he

  She watched him anxiously. “Who

  bore a great weight on his mind.

  holds your note?”

  Nita kissed Uncle Bob, who was “Oh—Fred

  Beckly.”

  staying behind to guard the Ace Mine

  The girl caught her breath. “And

  shipment of gold his stage had brought, and

  because of this afternoon, he won’t renew?”

  which he would take to the railroad tomorrow.

  “Well, it’s a pretty big note. Fred

  She tripped down the sidewalk with her hand

  thinks I deliberately spoiled his chances with on Cliff’s arm, chatting in masked gaiety.