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for a facetious sympathy； and； dolorously grasping the hand； found himself
holding a lump of bills。 Sheer amazement relaxed him； and the cow…
puncher's matted wealth tumbled on the floor in sight of all people。 Barker
picked it up and gave it back。 〃No； no； no！〃 he said； mirthful over his own
inclination to be annoyed； 〃you can't do that。 I'm just as much obliged；
Lin；〃 he added。
〃Just as a loan； Docsome of it。 I'm grass…bellied with spot…cash。〃
A giggle behind the counter disturbed them both； but the sharp young
lady was only dusting。 The Governor at once paid haughtily for
Tennyson's expensive works； and the cow…puncher pushed his
discountenanced savings back into his clothes。 Making haste to leave the
book department of this shop； they regained a mutual ease； and the
Governor became waggish over Lin's concern at being too rich。 He
suggested to him the list of delinquent taxpayers and the latest census from
which to select indigent persons。 He had patients； too； whose inveterate
pennilessness he could swear cheerfully to〃since you want to bolt from
your own money；〃 he remarked。
〃Yes； I'm a green horse；〃 assented Mr。 McLean； gallantly； 〃ain't used
to the looks of a twenty…dollar bill； and I shy at 'em。〃
From his facethat jocular maskone might have counted him the
most serene and careless of vagrants； and in his words only the ordinary
voice of banter spoke to the Governor。 A good woman； it may well be；
would have guessed before this the sensitive soul in the blundering body；
but Barker saw just the familiar； whimsical； happy…go…lucky McLean of
old days； and so he went gayly and innocently on； treading upon holy
ground。 〃I've got it！〃 he exclaimed； 〃give your wife something。〃
The ruddy cow…puncher grinned。 He had passed through the world of
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woman with but few delays； rejoicing in informal and transient
entanglements； and he welcomed the turn which the conversation seemed
now to be taking。 〃If you'll give me her name and address；〃 said he； with
the future entirely in his mind。
〃Why； Laramie！〃 and the Governor feigned surprise。
〃Say； Doc；〃 said Lin； uneasily； 〃none of 'em ain't married me since I
saw yu' last。〃
〃Then she hasn't written from Laramie；〃 said the hilarious Governor；
and Mr。 McLean understood and winced in his spirit deep down。 〃Gee
whiz！〃 went on Barker； 〃I'll never forget you and Lusk that day！〃
But the mask fell now。 〃You're talking of his wife； not mine；〃 said the
cow…puncher very quietly； and smiling no more； 〃and； Doc； I'm going to
say a word to yu'； for I know yu've always been my good friend。 I'll never
forget that day myselfbut I don't want to be reminded of it。〃
〃I'm a fool； Lin；〃 said the Governor； generous instantly。 〃I never
supposed〃
〃I know yu' didn't； Doc。 It ain't you that's the fool。 And in a wayin a
way〃 Lin's speech ended among his crowding memories； and Barker；
seeing how wistful his face had turned； waited。 〃But I ain't quite the same
fool I was before that happened to me；〃 the cow…puncher resumed；
〃though maybe my actions don't show to be wiser。 I know that there was
better luck than a man like me had any call to look for。〃
The sobered Barker said； simply； 〃Yes； Lin。〃 He was put to thinking by
these words from the unsuspected inner man。
Out in the Bow Leg country Lin McLean had met a woman with thick；
red cheeks； calling herself by a maiden name； and this was his whole
knowledge of her when he put her one morning astride a Mexican saddle
and took her fifty miles to a magistrate and made her his lawful wife to the
best of his ability and belief。 His sage…brush intimates were confident he
would never have done it but for a rival。 Racing the rival and beating him
had swept Mr。 McLean past his own intentions； and the marriage was an
inadvertence。 〃He jest bumped into it before he could pull up；〃 they
explained； and this casualty； resulting from Mr。 McLean's sporting blood；
had entertained several hundred square miles of alkali。 For the new…made
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husband the joke soon died。 In the immediate weeks that came upon him
he tasted a bitterness worse than in all his life before； and learned also how
deep the woman； when once she begins； can sink beneath the man in
baseness。 That was a knowledge of which he had lived innocent until this
time。 But he carried his outward self serenely； so that citizens in Cheyenne
who saw the cow…puncher with his bride argued shrewdly that men of that
sort liked women of that sort； and before the strain had broken his
endurance an unexpected first husband； named Lusk； had appeared one
Sunday in the street； prosperous； forgiving； and exceedingly drunk。 To the
arms of Lusk she went back in the public street； deserting McLean in the
presence of Cheyenne； and when Cheyenne saw this； and learned how she
had been Mrs。 Lusk for eight long； if intermittent； years； Cheyenne
laughed loudly。 Lin McLean laughed； too； and went about his business；
ready to swagger at the necessary moment； and with the necessary kind of
joke always ready to shield his hurt spirit。 And soon； of course； the matter
grew stale； seldom raked up in the Bow Leg country where Lin had been
at work； so lately he had begun to remember other things beside the
smouldering humiliation。
〃Is she with him？〃 he asked Barker； and musingly listened while
Barker told him。 The Governor had thought to make it a racy story； with
the moral that the joke was now on Lusk； but that inner man had spoken
and revealed the cow…puncher to him in a new and complicated light；
hence he quieted the proposed lively cadence and vocabulary of his
anecdote about the house of Lusk； but instead of narrating how Mrs。 beat
Mr。 on Mondays； Wednesdays； and Fridays； and Mr。 took his turn the odd
days； thus getting one ahead of his lady； while the kid Lusk had outlined
his opinion of the family by recently skipping to parts unknown； Barker
detailed these incidents more gravely； adding that Laramie believed Mrs。
Lusk addicted to opium。