"Been smoking too many cigs, I guess, Sis," Elmer remarked apropos of
the initial observation of Miss Engle which still rankled. "Got a
regular cigarette fiend's cough. Gave 'em up. Hitting the pipe now."
"If you knew," said Florrie spitefully, "that Mr. Rickard as you call
him had just murdered a man yesterday, what would you say then, I
wonder?"
There was a sparkle of excitement in Elmer's eyes as he swung about to
answer.
"Murdered!" he challenged. "You've heard just one side of it, of
course. Bisbee got drunk and insulted Mr. Rickard. They call him the
Kid, you know. Say, Sis, he's had a life for you! Full of adventure,
all kinds of sport. And Bisbee shot first, too. But the Kid got him!"
he concluded triumphantly. "Galloway told me all about it . . . and
what a blundering rummy the fool sheriff is."
"Galloway?" queried Virginia uneasily. "You know him too, already?"
"Sure," replied Elmer. "He's a good sort, too, You'll like him. I
asked him around."
"For goodness' sake, Elmer, when did you get to San Juan? Have you
been here a week or just a few hours?"
"Got in on the stage at noon, of course. But it doesn't take a man all
year to get acquainted in a town this size."
"A man!" giggled Florrie.
"I can see," laughed Virginia, "that you two are going to be more kin
than kind to each other; you'll be quarrelling in another moment.
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