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Black Jack by Max Brand
page 99 of 304 (32%)
bitter necessity of cajoling the youngster whom he detested. A fine life,
truly! An almost noble anguish of the spirit came upon Vance. He was
urged to the very brink of the determination to thrust out into the world
and make his own living. But he recoiled from that horrible idea in time.

"Yes," he said, "that was the worst step I ever took. But I was trying to
be wholehearted in the Western way, my dear, and show that I had entered
into the spirit of things."

"As a matter of fact," sighed Elizabeth, "you nearly ruined Terry's
life--and mine!"

"Very near," said the penitent Vance. "But then--you see how well it has
turned out? Terry has taken the acid test, and now you can trust him
under any--"

The words were literally blown off ragged at his lips. Two revolver shots
exploded at them. No one gun could have fired them. And there was a
terrible significance in the angry speed with which one had followed the
other, blending, so that the echo from the lofty side of Sleep Mountain
was but a single booming sound. In that clear air it was impossible to
tell the direction of the noise.

Everyone in the room seemed to listen stupidly for a repetition of the
noises. But there was no repetition.

"Vance," whispered Elizabeth in such a tone that the coward dared not
look into her face. "It's happened!"

"What?" He knew, but he wanted the joy of hearing it from her own lips.
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