Brand Blotters - Page 163/180

"Have you any in the house?"

"My daughter and a girl friend of hers are sleeping upstairs. I'll call

them, Mr. Black--er--I mean Mr. MacQueen."

The outlaw went with the squire to the foot of the stairs, whence Latimer

wakened the girls and told them to dress at once, as quickly as possible.

A few minutes later they came down--towsled, eyes heavy with sleep,

giggling at each other in girlish fashion. But when they knew whose

marriage they were witnessing, giggles and sleep fled together.

They were due for another surprise later. MacQueen and his bride were

standing in the heavy shadows, so that both bulked vaguely in mere

outline. Hitherto, Melissy had not spoken a word. The time came when it

was necessary for the justice to know the name of the girl whom he was

marrying. Her answer came at once, in a low, scarcely audible voice: "Melissy Lee."

An electric shock could scarce have startled them more. Of all the girls

in Mesa none was so proud as Melissy Lee, none had been so far above

criticism, such a queen in the frontier town. She had spent a year in

school at Denver; she had always been a social leader. While she had

always been friendly to the other girls, they had looked upon her with a

touch of awe. She had all the things they craved, from beauty to money.

And now she was marrying at midnight, in the dark, the most notorious bad

man of Arizona!

Here was a wonder of wonders to tell the other girls to-morrow. The only

pity was that they could not see her face--and his. They had heard that he

was handsome. No doubt that accounted for it. And what could be more

romantic than a love match with such a fascinating villain? Probably he

had stormed her heart irresistibly.

The service proceeded. The responses of the man came clearly and

triumphantly, those of the girl low but distinctly. It was the custom of

the justice to join the hands of the parties he was marrying; but when he

moved to do so this girl put both of hers quickly behind her. It was his

custom also to kiss the bride after pronouncing them man and wife; but he

omitted this, too, on the present occasion. Nor did the groom kiss her.

The voice of the justice died away. They stood before him man and wife.

The witnesses craned forward to see the outlaw embrace his bride. Instead,

he reached into his pocket and handed Latimer a bill. The denomination of

it was one hundred dollars, but the justice did not discover that until

later.