Dorothy Garlock - [Dolan Brothers] Read Online Free

o’clock.”
    “The sign on the window says that the papers are available at four on Wednesdays. That doesn’t give him much time.”
    “P’shaw! That boy dawdles around and don’t pay attention to what he’s hired to do. He’s lucky he’s got a job when men are walking the streets every day, looking for work.”
    “I’ll ask him to get it to you as soon as he can.”
    When the woman left, Kathleen pressed her fingertips to her temples. A few more like that one and she would have a splitting headache.
    The next person to come into the office was the owner of the men’s store. He was quite proper and introduced himself as Leroy Grandon, president of the Chamber of Commerce. He was aware that she was Adelaide’s partner and invited her to a Chamber meeting. Kathleen sold him a two-column-by-three-inch display ad. She quickly sketched the ad for his shoe sale. At the top she printed, WALK IN MY SHOES . He was pleased and decided to run it in the next two editions. He lingered in the office until a woman came in with another item for the “Back Fence” column.
    By six o’clock Kathleen was tired and hungry. She still had to find a place to spend the night. In her correspondence, Miss Vernon had said that there were several good boardinghouses in town. Paul was still at the linotype machine. If she could get him to turn it off, she’d ask him to direct her to one.
    The screen door opened as she was on her way to lock up the office for the day. A tall, lanky man came in.
The cowboy.
He lifted a hand and pushed his hat back off his forehead.
    “I was just about to close,” Kathleen said.
    “Adelaide didn’t waste time putting you to work. I came by to see if you’d made it here all right.”
    “I made it. Did you tell the sheriff about the two crooks who tried to steal my car?”
    “Yup. He knows about ’em.”
    “How did you know that I was coming here?”
    “You might say that a tumbleweed told me.”
    “I might, but I won’t.”
    “I saw your car out front. You’ve not unpacked it.”
    “I haven’t had time. Miss Vernon had an accident—fainted, I guess. Anyway she got a bump on the head that knocked her out.”
    “Is she all right?”
    “I think so. Paul took her upstairs to rest.”
    Johnny’s eyes roamed Kathleen’s face. He liked the way she looked and talked. She was a woman, yet she was a girl, too.
    “Where are you staying? Can I give you a hand unpacking your car?”
    “Thank you, no. I’m not sure where I’ll be staying. I need to talk to Paul, or Miss Vernon if she’s able.” She looked at him with wide, clear eyes—waiting for him to leave so that she could lock the door.
    “I should have introduced myself. My brother-in-law, Tom Dolan, would skin me alive if I didn’t help his niece settle in. I’m Johnny Henry.” He held out his hand, and she put hers into it.
    “Glad to meet you. I’m Kathleen Dolan, but I guess you know that.”
So this is the Johnny Molly told me about.
    “Yes. I also know your Uncle Hod and Aunt Molly. I was just at the post office and picked up a letter from Hod. He said that you were on your way and for me to look out for you. ’Course, I’d already had instruction from Tom.”
    “It was good of them to be concerned for me. You more than did your duty today by helping me with the hijackers.” Kathleen pulled her hand from his.
    “It wasn’t a duty, it was a pleasure. The sheriff may ask you to sign a complaint.”
    “I’ll do that gladly. Now if you’ll excuse me. Paul has turned off the linotype, and I’ve got to talk to him.”
    “Hi, Johnny.” Paul came out of the back room and placed a sheet of newsprint on the counter. “Adelaide proofs this before I lock the type into the frame.”
    Kathleen glanced at the headline: Lead stories were, BRITAIN IS PLEDGED TO FIGHT and AMERICANS TOLD TO RETURN HOME .
Despite her being so tired, Kathleen’s interest was piqued. This was heavy stuff for a small-town paper out here on the edge of