Wild Norene by Johnston McCulley Read online

  All-Story Cavalier Weekly, July 11, 1914

  Wild Norene

  by Johnston McCulley

  CHAPTER I.

  in a far corner, at which there were two

  The Girl in the Doorway.

  chairs, both unoccupied.

  As he sat down he glanced over the

  room.

  ENOR GUERRERO led the way

  There was a bar along one wall,

  down the dark and narrow alley and

  with a crowd of men before it. There were

  S softly opened the door. The man scores of tables to which silent-footed behind him waited close to the wall.

  Chinese carried liquor. On a platform in

  A shaft of light pierced the one corner was an old piano, a woman darkness. With it came the sound of strong

  playing it. Another woman stood beside her

  voices raised in ribald song and the tinkling

  and sang in a cracked voice.

  of a piano scarcely heard above the din.

  In another corner were poker-tables,

  Feet shuffled, liquor gurgled, where the players silently eyed one glasses rang as they were placed on the

  another, speaking in low voices only when

  tables.

  it was necessary. There were faro-tables

  Foul air rushed out, bearing odors

  and roulette-tables. And there were women

  of stale tobacco-smoke and cheap liquor. In

  who mingled in the throng, painted women

  an instant the clean smell of water-soaked

  dressed in gaudy gowns.

  pine was gone, and the breeze that swept

  “It is a place,” said Captain Adams

  up the street from the river and the distant

  slowly and with conviction, “where a man

  sea seemed instantly polluted.

  would expect to find a traitor.”

  “The coast, I think, is clear,” Senor

  Strong men of the sea called Adams

  Guerrero whispered.

  king. He was a relic of the days of bucko

  He slipped inside, and Captain Bill

  mates. He had slain a man with a single

  Adams followed and stood against the wall

  blow of his fist. He had quelled mutiny

  for a moment while Guerrero closed the

  single-handed.

  door behind them.

  His name was a synonym for fear

  Captain Adams had a soft hat from Valdez to Cape Horn, in Honolulu, in pulled down to his eyes and his coat collar

  the ports of China and Japan, Australia, and

  turned up in an attempt to pass without

  the South Seas.

  being recognized. There was no disguising

  That name also was coupled with

  his broad shoulders, great hands, and justice, for Captain Adams never gave a massive form, yet the risk was small, for

  demonstration of brute force without good

  those men in the room who knew him were

  and sufficient provocation.

  scattered in the crowd or sitting at tables

  He

  always

  showed his strength at

  near the street door.

  sea, never on land. The usual haunts of

  Adams’s lips curled in scorn as he

  sailormen did not know him. He left his

  followed Guerrero along the wall to a table

  ship only to transact business. He was an

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  2

  abstainer, and morally clean.

  a long voyage,” suggested Guerrero.

  Because he never appeared in a

  “This isn’t relaxation! They spend

  gathering to refute them, seamen told great

  two months’ wages here in a night,

  tales of his strength and brutality when

  drinking vile liquor, trying to beat

  provoked, thus making his reputation in

  gambling games that cannot be beaten. I’ve

  that regard thrice what he deserved.

  been a sailor for thirty years, and I don’t

  Now he bent forward at the table,

  need this sort of relaxation. And the

  his keen eyes taking in the scene before

  women—”

  him. Guerrero had ordered liquor, and as

  “That tall one who was playing the

  soon as the Chinese waiter had gone piano is Sally Wood,” said Guerrero.

  Captain Adams had thrown his in a “Every one in Astoria knows her. She has a cuspidor.

  history.”

  “If our suspicions prove true—”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  Guerrero began.

  “Not the sort you think, senor. She

  “We’ll say nothing until we are lived in Seattle as a girl. A man won and certain,” the captain interrupted. “It’s a bad

  married her. Then he took her aged father’s

  thing to accuse a man of unless there is an

  savings and deserted her, left her penniless

  abundance of proof.”

  with a baby— the old story.”

  “And if we get the proof?”

  “And she turned to this sort of

  Captain Adams straightened his thing?”

  shoulders and waited a moment before

  “Again, senor, not as you think. She

  replying.

  turned to this sort of thing because she can

  “If we get the proof I’ll attend to the

  play a piano, and because she gets more

  matter personally,” he said. “You are not

  money here in a night than she could any

  concerned in it, senor, except that you are a

  place else in a month. The sailors worship

  sort of guide for me ashore.”

  her, senor. Sometimes when she plays they

  “Not concerned in it!” exclaimed

  throw silver and gold on the platform,

  the other hoarsely. “Not concerned in it?

  showers of it, and she thanks them

  When there may depend on it success or

  prettily.”

  failure?”

  “Pity she wouldn’t take her silver

  “Screech, senor, and tell our and gold and get out of here, then.”

  business to the world,” the captain advised.

  “She stays because she needs much

  “There are some in this place, I believe,

  silver and gold. Every one seems to know

  who would be glad to hear.”

  the story. She is laying it by. When she has

  “I beg your pardon,” Guerrero said,

  an adequate amount she intends trailing the

  and fell silent.

  man who deserted her, and when she finds

  Captain Adams looked over the him—ah, senor, when she finds him! Such room again. The woman at the piano had

  a woman will know how to take her

  ceased playing and was standing at the end

  revenge.

  of the platform, talking with some men.

  “Her child is a girl—she keeps the

  She was tall, graceful, and fair, despite her

  little one in a school. I admire Sally Wood,

  painted face; but there were lines about her

  senor; she mingles here with the scum of

  eyes and a wistful look was about her lips.

  the earth, yet is not defiled. She is a good

  �
��What a place!” Adams gasped.

  girl; countless men will tell you so.

  “Sailors must have relaxation after

  Countless men would fight for her in an

  Wild Norene

  3

  instant to avenge an insult. They know her

  “He has the making of a man in him

  story, tell it to every newcomer, help her in

  then,” the captain decided. “Sailorman out

  every way.”

  of a job, eh? I need a couple more men.”

  Captain Adams showed sudden

  “A very devil of a fellow, senor; I

  interest.

  have seen him. I do not know, of course,

  “If that story is true, if she is a good

  whether he would be the man for our

  girl and can mingle with this sort and keep

  business. He has an independent way about

  her goodness for such an object, I pray

  him. Speak of the angels—”

  Heaven she finds the man,” he said

  Voices near the door had been

  earnestly.

  raised in eager greeting! The throng parted,

  “There is also another story,” and through it strode a man the appearance continued Guerrero. “There is a man of whom made Captain Adams’s eyes hereabouts by name Jack Connor, a sparkle.

  pleasant giant, a happy-go-lucky devil of a

  More than six feet he stood, with

  sailorman of the usual sort. He is at present

  shoulders almost the equal of the captain’s.

  out of a place, and is here in Astoria His hair was yellow, his eyes blue, his face visiting his aged father. He is a favorite of

  boyish. He walked with an easy swagger

  men and women. He drinks with the men—

  that betrayed his agility.

  but he has no use for the women.”

  Such was Jack Connor.

  “Half sensible, at any rate,” said the

  Friends crowded close to him;

  captain.

  voices called to ask him what his drink

  “Sally Wood, so the story goes, rebuked

  would be. A bartender, smiling in

  him on a certain night because he was

  welcome, brought forward a private bottle

  drinking heavily. The proprietor of this and sat it on the bar before him and place even lets her do such a thing as that,

  polished a glass and sat beside it.

  for it delights his customers to see one of

  He and his friends drank.

  their number the subject of a sermon. Jack

  “Jack, the woman-hater, caught at

  Connor treated the girl courteously, but last!” one of the men shrieked in laughter.

  continued drinking. If he had done as she

  Guerrero tapped the captain on the

  requested she would have forgotten him;

  shoulder.

  since he refused to obey her wish, she

  “The man who is talking, the one

  loved him.”

  with his arm on Connor’s shoulder, is his

  “Womanly,” said Captain Adams.

  best friend, a sailorman by name Morgan,”

  “So she loves him?”

  he whispered.

  “In her own sweet way, senor. All

  “Listen!” the captain commanded.

  have noticed it. Her eyes follow him

  There had come a flush into Jack

  continually when he is here. And he Connor’s face not caused by liquor. He continues to treat her courteously, but that

  turned toward Morgan menacingly, but still

  is all.

  smiling.

  “Jack Connor, say his friends, has

  “ Hold him while I tell the story!”

  little use for women. He respects them—

  Morgan cried. “It is too good to keep.”

  the good ones—too much to ask one of

  “If you open your mouth—”

  them to share his lot, he says; and the other

  Connor began.

  sort he does not respect enough to consider

  But, laughing, three of them held

  at all.”

  him. The others in the room had grown

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  4

  quiet to listen.

  out anew.

  Morgan ran away a few paces and

  Jack Connor and half a dozen of his

  faced them.

  friends made their way across the room to a

  “We were walking down table within fifteen feet of where Captain Commercial Street,” he said. “A girl Adams and Guerrero were sitting.

  passed. Her eyes met Connor’s. My friend

  The captain turned toward the wall,

  Jack was done then and there!”

  his back to the room, and there he

  “Love at first sight, eh?” cried remained, talking with Guerrero in another.

  whispers, until he heard his own name

  “Wait!” Morgan cried. “He insisted

  mentioned. It was Jack Connor speaking.

  on following her. Think of that—Jack “The

  Amingo is the cutest little

  Connor, who never looks at a woman! Oh,

  steam schooner that ever carried a cargo of

  he did it in a proper fashion! He never took

  lumber,” he was saying. “I never saw her

  his eyes from her. She dropped a until she dropped down the river from handkerchief—”

  Portland this morning, but I’ve heard a few

  “They always do something like things about her and her skipper.”

  that,” interrupted another.

  “Who hasn’t?” Morgan asked.

  With a roar of rage Jack Connor

  “If all I hear of Cap’n Adams is

  hurled away the men who held him and

  true—”

  looked into the crowd.

  “You can bet it is,” Morgan

  “Understand

  me?”

  he cried. “The

  interrupted, and the others nodded their

  young lady— lady, I said—dropped her heads.

  handkerchief. I ran forward and picked it

  “Then I’ve got to set eyes on the

  up. I’m not ashamed of it. I never saw her

  old sea-dog some time. He’s turned some

  before—I don’t know her name!

  good tricks in his day, but he’s getting

  “But she’s a lady—and not to be

  careless. Must be feeling his age.”

  talked about in a crowd like this.

  Captain Adams’s shoulders

  Understand me?

  straightened, but Guerrero warned him and

  “I walked down the street with her,

  he slouched forward in his chair again.

  talked with her while Morgan waited. She’s

  “Meaning just what?” Morgan

  the sweetest girl I ever saw. I’m not worthy

  asked.

  to speak of her, and if I am not, neither are

  “What’s his old scow doing?” asked

  any of you. So we’ll drop the subject. Connor.

  Understand?”

  “Lumber, Portland to Mazatlan,”

  There was no answer; no man’s said Morgan.

  eyes met his. He smiled at them again and

  “Oh, she carries a deck-load of

  motioned toward the bar. The men crowded

  lumber, all right,” said Connor, laughing.

  forward.

  “But what she carries in her hold is the

  “He strikes me as pretty much of a

  joke.”

  man,” said Captain Adams to Guerrero in

  “Contraband?” one of the men


  their corner.

  asked.

  Sally Wood, sitting at her piano,

  “Not so loud, friend. We don’t want

  had heard. Now she began playing to queer Cap’n Adams’s deal. Only he’s furiously, and some of the men near the

  getting careless. I know what he’s up to;

  platform began to sing, and the noise broke

  and if I know it, what must persons know

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  5

  whose business it is to find but. He isn’t

  wait for vengeance—that to betray himself

  carrying opium or chinks, if that is what

  now meant to spoil their enterprise.

  you mean. But he’s got an interesting

  Morgan and the others were

  cargo, all the same.”

  laughing.

  “Meaning?” asked Morgan.

  “Why, she won’t even look at a

  “Meaning it is none of our man,” said Morgan. “She’s waiting to find business,” said Connor. “Only I’d hate to

  one that measures up to her uncle, Cap’n

  see an old sea-dog like Cap’n Adams spend

  Bill Adams; and she’ll have a long wait,

  his last years in a Federal prison.”

  I’m thinkin’.”

  The face of Captain Adams flushed,

  “If what I hear is true, she’ll have a

  then grew ashen as the meaning of the

  long wait,” assented Connor. “Won’t look

  man’s words came to him.