Chapter Twenty-Five: A CASE FOR THE CLERGY

It was midmorning by the time Tip had finished telling Nora. At the end of it, she rose from the chair in the lobby and walked over to the window. Tip watched her, his eyes reserved, watchful. He had been the first to leave Bonanza canyon last night. He had wanted to tell Nora about everything. And halfway through his story, they heard the clamor out on the streets that told them Johnny and Pick Hendry had returned to Cosmos. That had been an hour ago.

Nora watched the street absently, Then she turned and came back to Tip. “It’s grand, Tip,” she said simply. “Everything bad I’ve said about Johnny Hendry, I gladly take back.”

“I knew you would.”

“I wish him all the success in the world,” Nora said quietly. “Will—will he come to see me before he leaves?” she asked slowly.

“Certainly. Besides, his outfit is here.”

They talked on a few moments more, and then the lobby door opened, and Pick and Johnny came in. Nora ran to greet Pick and gave his leathery old cheek a smacking kiss. They talked a long time, and then she turned to Johnny.

“I was wrong, Johnny, about Major Fitz.”

Johnny’s tense, clean-shaven face broke into a slow smile, but his eyes were veiled, black as night pools. “So were a lot of people, Nora—me among ’em.”

There was an awkward silence. Pick sidled over to Tip and started to talk, leaving Johnny to face Nora alone.

“Tip told me you were leaving, Johnny,” Nora said.

“That’s right.”

“For where?”

“I dunno. To see the world, maybe.”

“But you’re the rightful sheriff, Tip says. He said the commissioners are sure to recall you.”

Johnny grinned. “Turk and Hank can take care of that job better than I can. Bledsoe has promised to make one sheriff, the other marshal as a favor to me. And they’ll post a five-thousand-dollar reward to keep Wigran over the mountains. So it’ll be easy.”

“I wish you luck, wherever you go,” Nora said. Johnny looked at her face, which was paler than he had ever seen it. And more beautiful—so that it hurt him to see it. His glance traveled down her slim figure, approving of the deep-blue dress. But it rested on the ring—Tip’s ring, which she was wearing.

“And I wish you luck,” Johnny said gravely. “I haven’t had much of a chance to till now. But I do, Nora. You and Tip—you’re both fine people.”

And with that, Johnny ducked upstairs.

Nora was not in the lobby when he came down. Out on the street with his war bag over his shoulder, Pick beside him, they strolled toward the feed stable.

“I think you’re bein’ stubborn, son,” Pick said with unaccustomed gentleness. “You don’t seem to realize I’m a rich man.”

Johnny teased him. “I think you’re kiddin’ me, Pick. I won’t believe it until we ride up and see it tonight.”

“But where you goin’ from there?” Pick growled.

“Travel.”

“And leave a good job and a clean town to be a saddle bum?”

“That’s it,” Johnny said crisply. He added more gently, “Pick, a man never likes to stay around a place where he’s got a kick in the teeth, does he?”

“I reckon not.” Pick looked at him. “You mean Nora.”

Johnny only nodded. They swung in under the arch of the feed stable, and Tip Rogers, who had been leaning against one of the stalls, walked over to Johnny.

“Johnny, I’m leavin’ today,” he said simply. “I’ve got a job in Mexico.”

“Good,” Johnny said. “I hope Nora will like it.”

“She doesn’t even know about it.”

Johnny looked Tip steadily in the eye. He said quietly, “You runnin’ out on her?”

Tip nodded a little. “You could call it that, Johnny. You see, I don’t like the idea of playing second fiddle all my life. No man does.”

“Second fiddle to who?”

“You,” Tip said quietly. He stuck out his hand and smiled fondly at Johnny. “Go up there and tell her you love her, Johnny. You do. She loves you. And treat her well, Johnny. I know you will.”

Johnny took Tip’s hand, but a frown creased his forehead. “You’re a jump ahead of me, Tip. How do you know all this?”

“About her loving you?”

“Yes.”

“You can tell that when you watch her,” Tip said evenly. “She was mad at you, Johnny. I came just at the right time. But now you’re back, it’s the way it always was. She’s too loyal to send me away. She’d die before she’d admit to me that she loves you better. But I think she’ll admit it to you after I’m gone.”

Johnny wrung Tip’s hand in one violent wrench and then raced out of the livery stable and up to the Cosmos House. She wasn’t in the lobby. He slammed open the door of the dining-room, and there she was in the act of putting the silver out on the tables for the noon meal.

Johnny walked over to her, took the silver out of her hand, and dropped it on the floor with a crash, then folded her to him and kissed her time and again. She struggled violently to free herself, and when she finally did, her eyes were bright with anger.

“Johnny Hendry!” she cried, stamping her foot. “I’m an engaged woman!”

“You bet you are,” Johnny growled fondly. “Engaged to me.” He reached down for her hand and pulled the ring off her finger and threw it across the room, then, taking both hands, he said to her, “To think what a hammerhead I am! Of course you love me. Of course I love you. And we’ll be married.”

“But Tip—”

“Tip’s a right nice jasper. And smart. He had sense enough to see that both of us would die without each other, so he just rode off for Mexico.”

“But—”

“No buts. When do we get married?”

Nora gave a little moan of delight and threw her arms around his neck. “The sooner the better,” she said, and she was squeezing him so hard he didn’t have the breath to answer.