Ronicky Doone's Reward by Max Brand (best ereader for students .txt) 📖

I took you for a wolf of a man, Blondy, but finally I seen that all you were was just a miserable, sneaking coyote. And that’s the way I’m going to hound you, and I’m going to kill you in the end! But the time ain’t come yet. I’m not going to let the law finish you. I want to leave that for myself!”

And to crown the horror, when the girl finally looked at her pseudo husband, she found him shaking and quivering and begging like a whipped dog. She got up from the chair, cold and perfectly calm, and walked straight to Ronicky and took his hand in both of hers.

“I’ve been a great fool,” she said, “and you’ve saved me from myself!”

So she turned and left the room, as quietly as though she were slipping out to let the patient get his rest undisturbed.

“Ah,” said the minister, “what a woman she is! And what a God’s blessing, young man, that you came when you did. Now let’s find the sheriff!”

But from that resolution Ronicky carefully dissuaded him in a long argument which lasted until the light burned low and until Christopher was nearly dead with fear and shame on the bed. Then the minister gave in, and he took Ronicky home with him.

At the gate they parted.

“It’s made me young again.” said the minister, “listening to you talk. It’s made me young again. But what I continually wonder at, Ronicky Doone, is where you get your reward?”

“Why,” said Ronicky, “I’ve been thinking about that myself. I figure a gent gets his reward when he sees other people happy. As long as I can help other people to their happiness, I don’t require no other reward. But I’m going to stay around here and wait.”

He added this with a little emphasis, and the minister chuckled.

“I see,” he said. “I see perfectly. Yes, I think that would be the best thing to do after all — just wait!”

And he was still chuckling when he went into his house.

But Ronicky went back down the street full of a sad happiness and with his brain full of Elsie Bennett. He could not guess — that night — that she was watching from an upper window of the hotel every step he took that night.