Kilgour & Co Read online

  that here was one young female without When I gaze back upon the scene, I can see anything the matter with her. She was as easy now where we erred in hiring a young female to look at as a paying-teller pushing a lot of with so many brains. We should have

  yellow stuff toward you, and she had a soft, employed a moderately stupid assistant, about drawling voice that would make a canary our own mental caliber, preferably out of the come down off a tree and play bean-bag.

  county home.

  Marie had a way of wearing things in her hair, Well, Kilgour & Co. began to pick up and when she smiled you felt sorry you ever in a brisk and amazing manner. The women of said harsh words about women. Several of the Tulena came into our busy store and bought

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  dry goods right and left, and every so often ought to have let well enough alone, but we Jim and 1 would look into the rising tide at the didn’t. I used to glance at Marie Newlands, cash-register and then go across to Ike flitting hither and yon about her department Dorman’s and buy a few wet goods. It was all and remark to myself that here was a regular very pleasing and genial—too much so to last.

  girl. Jim was also suffused with similar Likewise, the gents’ department caught

  thoughts, and one night we got together and some of the impetus, and the young men of began discussing things.

  Tulena began to show signs of life. They came

  “We’re paying Marie eight dollars a

  in and asked about silk garters with ivory week,” Jim said, with a thoughtful look in his snaps, and bought our colored mufflers.

  eye, “and for a young concern like us eight On the street Pop Treadwell met me

  bucks is a lot—I’ve been thinking.”

  again and took a long look at my new silk

  “I have, too,” I said. “What’s your

  shirt, which I had drawn down instead of some thought?”

  cash profits.

  “Well,” Jim went on deliberately,

  “Listen,” said Pop. “You and Jim will

  “Marie’s a nice young girl, and I was thinking be coming back to the ranch pretty soon now, this. If one of us was to marry her, it would and I want to repeat that your old jobs are cut down expenses, because as our wife—as waiting any time you show up.”

  the wife of one of us—she would go right on

  “Pop,” I said, affecting a certain working, and there wouldn’t be any eight pomposity of manner. “You ain’t got us right dollars paid out Saturdays. Get me?”

  at all. Jim and me are on the highroad to

  “Yeh, I got you. Continue.”

  commercial affluence and integrity. Ten years

  “Right now, Marie is only a clerk for

  from now, when this town is a metropolis, Kilgour & Co. If she married one of us, she people will point to me and Jim as pioneer would be a sort of partner in the enterprise, merchants. Most likely, we’ll own the and as such she would work harder for the principal sky-scrapers, and the chances are I’ll firm. As part owner and one man’s wife, she be president of the Chamber of Commerce.”

  would also work without any salary, because Pop was chewing tobacco, as usual,

  nobody is going to put his wife on the pay-and at this point he disgustedly drowned a roll. We save money.”

  family of red ants, which had been going

  “Yeah, and we get a fine wife, too,” I

  through the day without a suspicion of trouble.

  put in at this point. “But the question naturally I could tell he didn’t regard me as material for arises, which one of us marries her? You ain’t the future president of anything.

  given that a proper amount of thought, it

  “You misguided galoots will have to

  seems to me.”

  have some place to sleep,” he went on, as

  “Me,” Jim said unhesitatingly. “I’m

  though he was talking to himself, “so your old the most eligible member of this firm, so it bunks will be waiting. Myself, I wouldn’t take looks as if I ought to marry her.”

  you back, because you’re a couple of lunatics,

  “No,” I said, meaning no, and nothing

  but Mrs. Treadwell seems to feel sorry for else.

  you.”

  “Yes,” Jim argued. “I suggested it first, Then he walked away, and I went into

  so I ought to have first crack at the idea. You Kilgour & Co. to help Jim count over the cash know it’s just possible that Marie might not receipts for the third time that morning.

  want to marry.”

  As I say, the business outlook was

  “She might not want to marry you,” I

  excellent and getting more so each day. We observed. “At this minute I think Marie is a

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  smart girl, but if she marries you it’s a sign to join this active and growing firm of Kilgour I’m wrong.”

  & Co.?”

  “We’ll split this up,” Jim continued.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” she

  “I’ll go to Marie in the morning and tell her answered.

  that it’ll be best for everybody if she marries

  “I’m offering you my hand in

  me. If, by any chance, she declines the offer, matrimony,” I continued, cheerful enough.

  you take your turn. But I propose first because

  “Jim tells me he tried and skidded. Now I’m I thought of it first.”

  trying. By marrying me, you not only become

  “Go ahead,” I said without pleasure.

  Mrs. Shorty Kilgour, but you horn in as one of

  “If you have any bad luck, you’ll know who the partners. Besides that, I might as well wished it.”

  admit that I think you’re the finest girl I ever The next morning, when I saw Jim, he

  knew. I’ve been foolish about you ever since was as gay as a lark, waiting for Marie to you and your ma moved in here, and while show up. He remained as gay as a lark, you may not love me madly now, you’ll have roughly, about twenty minutes, and the next plenty of time to learn.”

  time I noticed him he was coming up out of Marie smiled a sad, wan smile, and it

  the cellar where we keep the unpacked goods.

  dimly dawned on me that the rest of the firm He looked a little as if he was coming up out was about to hear some bad news.

  of a grave. If he had been run over by a coal-

  “Shorty,” she said, “I like you, and I

  train he couldn’t have worn a more like my job. I would also like to become disappointed expression.

  somebody’s wife in this business, because I

  “Well,” I said, “did you ask her?”

  see a great future for the store. But I can’t

  “I did,” said Jim in a low voice.

  marry you.”

  “What did she say?” He looked at me

  “Why not?” I demanded.

  like a dying duck, swallowed his palate, and

  “Because

  I

  can’t.”

  grunted.

  “Why?”

  “She said she couldn’t marry me.”

  “Because I can’t,” she said.

  “Fine,” I replied, slapping him on the

  I suppose she would have kept this up

  back. “Now I’ll go and ask her. You ought all day, so I changed to something else.

  never to have proposed, anyhow, Jim. You’re

  “Ain’t I a good-looking, husky young

  nothing but a rough ranch-hand. And it don’t fellow, with a future?” I inquired. “Wouldn’t I really matter which one of us she marries, as make a good husband and treat you kind and long as it’s me.”

  gentle? Wouldn’t I let you buy all the clothes you wanted and rent a piano and bring up the III.

  children in my religion? Ain’t I as good a prospective—“”
r />   THEREAFTER I hung around the ladies’

  “All of that and more,” Marie said,

  department of Kilgour & Co. for one hour by breaking up the thought. “You would make an the clock, before trade thinned out enough for ideal husband, Shorty, but I can’t marry you.

  me to have a quiet talk with Marie. She had a Now let’s not talk about it any longer, because blue ribbon in her hair and her eyes sparkled. I it distresses me.”

  thought, as I stood there beholding her, that I

  “All right,” I said in conclusion. “It

  had never before seen anything that made the distresses me, too. Remember, I feel sore state of single blessedness so repellent.

  about this. I won’t fire you, because 1 still

  “Marie,” I began, “how would you like

  have some sense, and anyhow Jim wouldn’t

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  let me. But I’m bitter, and I’m going across to Alf Redding’s deputies. The total perquisites Ike Dorman’s and get bitterer.”

  of a deputy sheriff in Tulena County perk

  “Won’t you shake hands with me?”

  about fourteen dollars per annum, so you can Marie asked when I started for the door. She see that Peyton Gaines was no plutocrat.

  looked up at me and smiled.

  “That was a good joke on you, wasn’t

  “Yes, I’ll shake hands, but you have

  it?” Peyton asked, leaning against the livery wounded me deep, and I won’t get over it.”

  horse block and looking at me with mild Then I shook hands, and three minutes

  sympathy.

  later I congregated all my woes under Ike’s

  “What was a joke on me?” I asked,

  roof and started to drown them. I felt that I because this was the first news of it.

  didn’t want to see Jim until some of the early

  “About you and Marie.”

  sorrow had worn off. Ike helped me to wear it I regarded the long-legged hellion with off, and after a while I went back to work.

  a cold eye, wondering just how much he

  It is a well-known fact that wherever a knew.

  woman is she’s bound to make trouble, and I

  “I don’t quite get you yet,” I answered.

  regret to state that from the fatal morning

  “Proceed; and if you think you’re trying to kid when we both proposed and had the tinware somebody, you’re liable to run into a swift tied to us, life didn’t run along as smoothly as punch.”

  of yore. I could see that Jim regarded me with

  “I’m not trying to kid you,” Peyton

  sullen looks. He wasn’t as polite as formerly.

  went on seriously. “Only I know you asked Now and then I would find him brooding

  Marie to marry you, and she turned you

  about something, and when I’d speak he’d down.”

  strangle his desire to answer me with harsh

  “You know that, do you?” I said

  and insulting words.

  politely. “How’d you find out?”

  On the other hand, I no longer loved

  “Marie told me,” he said calmly.

  Jim with that deep and abiding affection

  “If that’s the case, I suppose my

  which has been a deathless bond between us. I sentimental affairs are just the same in this began to loathe the sucker, and why I cannot town as the morning police news.”

  explain, unless it was Marie. I think now that

  “No, not that bad,” Peyton said. “She

  it was.

  didn’t tell anybody but me.”

  Business went along the same as usual.

  “Well,” said I, “where’s the joke you

  Marie did her work perfectly, and we fussed just mentioned?”

  around the store selling shirts and things, but

  “Don’t you know why Marie won’t

  underneath there was a smoldering volcano of marry you, Shorty?”

  discontent. I began to feel sorry I ever left Pop

  “No,” I admitted. “If you know, tell

  Treadwell and embarked upon the perilous sea me.”

  of barter and trade.

  “Because she’s going to marry Jim

  Then I unexpectedly ran into Peyton

  Caldwell.”

  Gaines and picked up an earful of news that I looked at Mr. Gainer to see if he was just about shot away all my upper works. I’ll drunk and disorderly, but he seemed all right.

  explain that Peyton Gaines is our deputy

  “Going to marry Jim.” I murmured.

  sheriff in Tulena, and hasn’t worked in nine

  “What kind of talk are you handing me,

  years. He had no money and no prospects, but anyhow. Jim asked her to marry him, and she he dressed pretty well for an insolvent gent, turned him down.”

  and for the last two years he has been one of

  “She didn’t turn him down, though.”

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  9

  Peyton Gaines assured me. “He just told you

  “She loves me and admits it. But she must she turned him down. In reality, they fixed it marry some one with a future. She won’t wed up to get married. Marie don’t want you to a guy with one pair of pants and no job.”

  know their plans, because she thinks you’ll get

  “Listen,” I said suddenly. “Would you

  sore. So she told Jim to make you think she marry this girl?”

  had turned him down cold.”

  “Would I!” said Gaines. “Now you are

  “The snake-in-the-grass!” I said, kidding me. I tell you, I’m nutty about Marie.”

  maintaining my poise. “The low skunk. And

  “Would she marry you—right away—

  to think that Jim Caldwell would pull such a say on Saturday?”

  trick on an old pal. This beats his worst

  “Why, certainly she would—if I was

  record.”

  like Jim, with a bright future.”

  “It does.” Peyton agreed. “It’s a

  “All right.” I said briskly. “You’ve got deceitful piece of work, but you’ve got to one of the brightest futures in Arizona. You remember that you don’t know Marie didn’t have five minutes ago, but you have Newlands like I do.”

  now. I’m going to sell you my half of Kilgour

  “Like

  you do,” I said in some & Co., and as you have no coin I’ll sell out to astonishment. “What have you got to do with you for one dollar, which makes it legal. I this?”

  ain’t doing this because I like you, but because

  “Not a thing,” Peyton went on bitterly.

  I want to stick a prong into Jim Caldwell and

  “Not a solitary thing, only Marie is my girl by twist it.”

  rights. She’s been my girl for a long time; and

  “You mean you’ll sell me your half?”

  now I lose her. Maybe you don’t know it, but Peyton asked, somewhat stunned.

  Marie promised to marry me, Shorty, but after

  “For a dollar,” I shouted. “Now go and

  she looked over my financial affairs and my get the dollar.”

  prospects she put me off. Marie is the kind In about an hour he looked me up, and

  that won’t marry a poor man, and I’m that.

  he had the dollar. We hurried over to the She wants to be successful, and so she’s going Tulena County court-house, and in ten

  to marry Jim Caldwell because she sees that minutes I sold out my share of the business to he’s a successful business man with a future.

  Peyton Gaines.

  So I get thrown down. Have I got a kick

  “And just so we don’t slip up on this,”

  coming or not?”

  I said to him. “I’m going to hold these legal

  “You h
ave,” I said sympathetically. “I

  papers until the wedding starts. I don’t want didn’t think Marie was that sort of a girl.”

  anything to happen to this marriage. I want to

  “She craves worldly success.” said the

  be sure that Marie marries you. Now go ahead deputy sheriff mournfully. “Not only is she and fix it up with Marie.”

  going to marry a man she don’t love, but she The next morning I saw our head clerk

  still confesses that I’m the one she does love.

  of the ladies’ department. She came to me In brief, she sacrifices true love on the altar of with a tear in her eye and shook me by the ambition.”

  hand.

  “You mean Marie would marry you, if

  “Shorty.” she said, with deep meaning,

  you were a successful young galoot, with “you have made us very happy.”

  some dough in the bank and a few stray

  “I don’t like you as well as I thought I prospects?” I demanded, thinking of the trick did,” I said to her. “Anyhow, I have other Jim played on me.

  reasons for doing this.”

  “In a holy minute,” Gaines answered

  Then I tried to hire the Temulachai

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  band for the wedding day, but couldn’t, There they go, kid. And I sent ’em.”

  because it was busy. However, I hired an

  “You must be clean out of your head,”

  automobile to start the happy pair away on Jim said, somewhat puzzled. “Who said she their honeymoon, and then I sat down and was going to marry me? Didn’t I tell you she waited for Saturday morning.