J. Frank Davis

“ Out on the street again, Campbell said to Graney:
“What sort of place is that Monaco Cabaret?”
“Bum!” the detective answered. “But prosperous. The gang that hangs out there has plenty money, these days.”
“Bootleggers among ’em, maybe?”
“And hijackers and a few other things. And sports that like to travel with ’em.”
“Just between ourselves, did you ever hear of a young lady named Pearl Florrine?” ”

“ Campbell,” said Detective Graney unctuously, “is a guy from Texas that used to be a Roughrider. And him and me is going to do some more roughridin’—with a certain know-it-all gent to be rode—along about court time in the mornin’.”
“Moore was right at that, in a way,” murmured the ex-ranger as the patrolman left to ring for the patrol. “‘Look for the woman;’ that’s as good a rule in some killin’s in Texas as it is here in the East. And I followed his hunch and did the same thing. But down in my part of the country we use words some different. When we say women, we usually don’t mean ladies.” ”

“ West comes East—and proves that its own methods for crime detection work as well in the big city as they do in the God’s country. That star rodeo performer, but as bad an egg as ever moonlit a bronc, the “Oklahoma Kid,” wrestled his steer to a quick fall, and the voice of “Foghorn” McNamara, holding his horse quiet to face the crowded grand stand at Speedway Park, came booming across the field to where Millie Wayne, in her cowgirl clothes, stood waiting to participate in the next event on the program.
“That bulldogger was Jack Marling, the Oklahoma Kid. Time, seventeen seconds flat. ”

“ Me, I went in at the front—tonight and the other two times I’ve been there. I went there the first time with Pearl—I mean Miss Florrine——”
“Got real well acquainted for three days, didn’t you, son? Quite a few folks must have noticed it, one place and another. And it never occurred to you, I s’pose, that when Millie said she wa’n’t going to supper with you, it might be because she thought prob’ly you’d rather be out again with the new girl. I don’t know that, but I don’t guess it’s a bad shot in the dark.
“Girls are fussy that a way about dividing their time with new ladies,” he went on. ”

“ These new folks I met are right nice folks, but I didn’t really—— I don’t s’pose anything can be done to square it, but sitting here I’ve been thinking that our own kind o’ folks is our own kind o’ folks. If Millie could sort o’ forgive——”
“Curly,” said the older man, “Millie’s daddy and me were friends as long as he lived—such good friends that she’s been callin’ me ‘uncle’ ever since she was old enough to talk. I aim, when she gets married, to do anythin’ an old-timer like me can do to see she gets a fairish sort of husband. ”

“ Time, eleven and two fifths seconds. The world’s record is seven and two fifths seconds. Curly Bratton wins today’s bulldogging. Jack Marling, second. Billy Toms, third. The next event is the cowgirls’ trick-riding contest. The ladies taking part——”
Millie’s teeth shut tightly over her lower lip. Curly had not looked at her at all. He had waved his hand toward the stand—toward one spot in the stand, the same spot he had waved to yesterday afternoon, the spot where a brilliant toque hat made a splash of violent red. And under the crimson splash a feminine hand waved back. ”

“ Some city lady, is it?”
“She’s sat in the same place in the grand stand every day, wearing a red hat——”
“Me, I don’t notice ladies’ hats much,” Pres said. “Maybe, if you could give me a better description——”
“I was introduced to her, at the same time Curly was. Miss Florrine, her name is. She’s—she’s very pretty and well-dressed and city-acting.”
“H’mph!” grunted the ex-ranger. “And boys don’t have sense enough to know when they’re well off. Any more,” he conceded, “then they did when I was one. Who is she?” ”

“ Because I’m sure Curly Bratton ha’n’t got any gun except a .45. All the pistols in our outfit are that caliber. And there ain’t any way of proving it without that piece of lead, because bullets don’t always act just the same in all cases—but I’d gamble the best hawse I’ve got that this hole wasn’t made by any Colt. ”

“ Her folks are kinda old-fashioned and don’t like her to go round to dance halls where it’s lively——”
“Lots of old folks are that a way. Did you say they were father and mother both?”
“I didn’t say. I don’t know as I ever heard her mention. What difference does it make? I didn’t find her tonight.”
“That’s so; so you didn’t. Well, I’m sorry to leave you here, son, but I’ve got to. We’ll be doing all we can.”
“A habeas corpus and reasonable bail and——” Curly began, but Campbell shook his head.
“This ain’t Texas. Up in this country they don’t fix reasonable bail for homicide. But keep smilin’. ”

“ Pres replied. “But time and good fruits of repentance has given her confidence in many a hawse that was a right bad bronc when she first forked him. So long, son! Don’t go to frettin’ too much—about anything.” ”

“ Campbell, but one of your men’s been killed, downtown, and the police have just come and got another one for doing it.”
“What’s that?” Millie heard Campbell’s feet hit the floor, his room door open. “Who’s killed? How?”
“Marling. Curly Bratton did it, it seems. Shot him. The cops came out and found the pistol in his room. Recently fired. ”