As the three stood waiting in silence Giova came pres-
ently among them, the beast Beppo lumbering awk-
wardly at her side.
"Did he find anything to eat?" asked the man.
"Oh, yes," exclaimed Giova. "He fill up now. That mak
him better nature. Beppo not so ugly now."
"Well, I'm glad of that," said Bridge. "I haven't been
looking forward much to his company through the
woods to-night--especially while he was hungry!"
Giova laughed a low, musical little laugh. "I don'
think he no hurt you anyway," she said. "Now he know
you my frien'."
"I hope you are quite correct in your surmise," re-
plied Bridge. "But even so I'm not taking any chances."
o o o
Willie Case had been taken to Payson to testify be-
fore the coroner's jury investigating the death of Giova's
father, and with the dollar which The Oskaloosa Kid
had given him in the morning burning in his pocket had
proceeded to indulge in an orgy of dissipation the mo-
ment that he had been freed from the inquest. Ice
cream, red pop, peanuts, candy, and soda water may
have diminished his appetite but not his pride and self-
satisfaction as he sat alone and by night for the first
time in a public eating place.
Pages:
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165