Page:The Baron of Diamond Tail (1923).pdf/51

 Texas?" Barrett speculated.

"Dan Gustin?" said Mrs. Nearing. "Yes, Dan's from San Antone. You'll have to except Dan in your general arraignment, Alma."

"He might rise on occasion," Alma granted, but with no great warmth of faith.

"He struck me as a pretty fair-minded and honest boy," Barrett said, thinking of the way Dan had drawn his iron in that little controversy over the blue-eyed wolf.

"Well, I will except Dan," Alma granted, her native generosity coming to his aid.

"And many another one when you come to think," Aunt Hope added. "Some of them are bad characters, all of them are rough, but there's a lot of good in them when friends are needed."

"I've seen them roll in the dirt like dogs and bite each other's noses off!" said Alma, not greatly horrified in the recounting of it.

"Good-bye, romance!" said Barrett, waving his hand as to an evanishing dream.

They had their laugh at that, and felt better acquainted, at least the two young ones rs, Nearing only smiled, her eyes on the bowl of roses, as if she knew deep in her heart that romance was indeed gone out of the world, but it was better for men to practice on them the deceit that they might live it yet.

"The leading ambition of every cowboy's life is to kill a man, or several men," said Alma, returning to her indictment of the craft. 'Every one of them is a potential Billy. The Kid. I hope you haven't come