The Last Straw

tall and trim with his handsome head bowed just a trifle. The blazing logs gave t

he asked as she c

ared waist to the short, scant skirt which showed her silken clad ankles and the modish shoes. His eyes rested on those shoes. He was thinking that they were wo

Carlotta said he had gone away, so, in spite of the fact that you wouldn't gamble with me this afternoon, I sent for you. I think that you can

ook h

venport before the fire. "Would

eyeing her c

I'll have to try to mix a cocktail in a tumbler and there isn't any i

with that small part of a smile on his features. All along the walls were books and above the cases hung trophies of the country: heads of deer and elk, a p

le left a very small stock of drinks, but as soon as I know what I'm about I'll try to remedy that defect in an othe

s to her chin's lev

future!"

the glass a slight toss and was already carrying its

ant this liquor to go where it'l

rcle to set the yellow liquid swirling. His voice had been quite casual, but when he rai

mea

u'd like to have this brace of d

at was my int

e to get a little advic

enting with her, not just sure of how she would react, not, perhaps, caring a great deal. His fingers closed on her glass and she yielded with half laughing, half protesting astonishment. He took both

e she spoke. Color had leaped into her cheeks and ebbed as quickly; her lips had shut in a

y enough: "I don't

t show how mad it m

. What made

o where it'd help your future. I thought the fire was

why

down to start the job. You have a way of makin' people think you mean what you s

the fire. She turned her face after a moment and found hi

our actions as you must be in your reasoning. You didn't object to t

Most of us drink

w you threw

for me to drink and not let you?" His smile mocked her. "Besides," dryly-"I ain't

at him in

scruples agai

e drinki

this liberty with me?"-

e. I told you you were right; most of us boys drink, but we can afford to and you can't." His manner w

g as he's honest, he gets along pretty well. But a woman: that's diffe

drink will make

verybody, man or woman, who comes into the west has to make or break by what he does here; nothin' that

re on the ranch, the neighbors down creek, the people in town. You've got to show that you're honest,

don't like to see a woman do some of the things they do. We ain't as polite as some; we ain't as gentle, when it's necessary to act quick and for sure, but maybe we m

their respect and you won't have their respect if you d

you've got. Booze never helped anybody on a job like that. If you was a man and your

vice,

s face a momen

since I grew up I've been drinking. I've never taken too much; I've

ith people. Maybe back east some of the folks wouldn't respect you if you didn't drink. There are folks like that, who think it's smart to do

same rule workin' b

ed a trifle and the glow on her cheeks was not w

e people who gave little attention to what o

There are lot

morals. I don't intend to be a permanent resident. That is, I won't if I can help it. I don't expect that I'd ever come up to your notio

enerally come west for one of three reasons: money or health or because they like the count

rimace and sat forw

oing to." She looked up at him quickly, eyebrows arched in a somewhat

, that smile only hal

se is there out here

One thing she might find

tartled laug

rse

retty hard to make money an' pile it up, but I've never seen any of 'em that got to be very successful in other ways. The more money they made the more they seemed to d

k, brows dr

o preach to me?"

hough that obvious hurting

d such. I hadn't thought about you as a sinner; I was just co

ut of life. You told me what you wanted and aske

divined in her retort what she was withholding. "Sure, I'm only an ordinary cowpuncher, ma'am. I don't seem to care much about any kind of success but I'm

as been this outfit's range for years. You ain't got a neighbor in miles because you amount to so much. Away down Coyote Creek, 'most thirty miles, is Ri

t their cattle! They made names for 'emselves. They made money, too, or at least your uncle

things, ma'am.... Perhaps you

w sense of values; Tom Beck had sensed a faint recklessness, a despair, about her and, behind all his mocke

g my brains and my grit is of greater interest. Do you mean tha

ot

uch of

his pocket and gave hi

in the last years. He let things slide. I don't know about debts and such, but I suspect there are some. There are other things, though.

that the

ty, m

how?

ite the custom here to get rich off the HC .

at particu

here's been a lively interest in crime. I told you that your

respect me becau

'specially an Eastern woman, can't make a go of it o

in but she did not and he adde

yer. Maybe if you was to take an interest in this ranch and did

nk that's i

moment bef

don't make a very

u are delici

want you to think-since you've asked me-that I believed

a slight sound and leaned quickly forward as if read

patiently and wal

asked, holding out

; do

es

e struck a match and held it towards

d fast on her the color crept upward into her cheeks, higher and brighter until

pprove of th

m, I like

e as though I were

irst good white woman

ion, looked at him and then

women out here do

'am; no

k and smoke don't want the wom

pears ab

in texture, caressed her fine-grained cheek, delicately contrasted against its alluring color. H

ell, and, if we don't, it ain't any use in our talkin

ew on h

tart right, accordin' to my notion

hink of us. It's what we think of ourselves that counts most, b

independence and self-sufficiency; it was in the pert set of her head,

t of yourself, ma'am. That's

he reached

oportions of my job," she said briefly,

uke could not b

a quick fear that despite her assurance this man was leaving her with a strange feeling of inferior

ich she picked up and examined, at first abstractedly. It was a bit of straw, the one Beck had refused and, which drawn, would have made him her righ

hand and delicate wrist. The offended feeling subsided and, wonderingly, she tried to restimulate

even, that she

t the white cylinder to her lips. Then, quite slowly, she waved the glare out and tossed the tiny stick into the coals. With a movement which was s

she moved to walk slowly to the wind

patrol. She watched him go the length of the row of trees; then followed his slow progres

rom a helpless rage and, later, a rare thril