Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-09-07


Rising In hLs Stirrups, nc Traced hts hat tn
greeting.
face were working however, as though
be were thinking words which be did
not care TO utter.
did you know it, CraIg?" asked
IAsle suspiciously.
Know IL? No, How should know
1t? What do you think / ana clair
voyaptY'
But you believe 10 now. do you not p
"Of course l believe II. How could 1
help believing IL? The only wonder is
that was such an idiot as not TO see IL
at once. ] ought to have seen II, and
now, viewed in the light OF understand
Ing l suppose did see II without rec
ognizing IL. When ! first came TO this
God forsaken country. used 20 pros
pect for gold over there in the SIerras.
and I've picked up pay dirt and chuck
ed IL away again good many times.
without knowing what II was. That's
Just how II was this time. Well. kid.
before we go any deeper into this sub
ject, I've got Just one thing TO say
I'm going TO be father and mother and
brother and sister and the hull billing lot
or relatives 10 you from this on. with
out regard TO conventionalities, and fCE
the present while | turn this thing
over in my mind two or three times,
I'm going TO think. and while I'm
thinking I'm going to treat you as I al
ways have-tcst az IL you were a boy
and lastly, before ] speak very decid-
eddy on the subject. I'm going to have
q liz witch
whole team with boss behind and a
dog under the wagon. Let's ride on"
There was silence between them aft
er that, neither speaking until the
ranch was before them; then II was
Craig Thompson who spoke.
4 brought Hank Smith along with
me-" he said Hes handy with tools
and can make a coffin ia Hffy. Where
shall we break groundT"
"It makes no difference to me-"
Il mean where do you want the old
man buriedY-
II understood you 1 do not care.
Bury him where you please. Ii Is all
the same TO me-"
'Humph! Look here, Lisie. | under
Itapd how you feel, but you don't want
20 do anything now that you'll be sorry
| for later on, aud 1t amt fair TO try and
convict a man without hearing him In
his own defense. Dick MaxweIrs gone
where he can't be heard, and don't be-
lIeve that you are made of the sort OF
stun that's going TO hit a man when
he's down-ieas.wlse that amt exactly
the way THAI sized you up
What DO you want me to dor
-fotIr duty. not TO him particularly.
| n you don't like IL that way, but TO
| yourself and to others-to me- to the
COWBOYS on your ranch and to the
| world. It's the worst kind of cow
ard that turns tail at q time like this.
You so to yo4R room and wait for me.
Think II over. A man may have lots
OF reasons for doing things, and they
may be OF the sort that be cant ex-
| plain, but there's one thing that is! dead
| certain. and that is that every son and
every daughter In the world has got
a credit as well as a debit account in
the names OF the old folks, and any
1 body who won't study both sides of the
ledger before making out the balance
sheet amt fit to be menesened in polite
society. and, Isle, the only really po-
lite society In the world is the one
that's made up of honest people"
Lisle reached out one hand and rest
ed IL upon the arm of her friend.
"You are right, Craig" she said.
There is no need for me to think 1t
over. You have done that for me In the
few wOrdspthat you have uttered. Be
fore you leave me, however, there is
one question which must ask YOU"
"What Is 1t, kidT"