The Iola register., 1902-04-25


Her face was flushed, her arms weary,
for she carried her pet lamb, Billy, an
obstreperous favorite, who ran away
on every possible occasion.
Billy was seasick and rebellious, and
when she stopped over her gate latch
he wriggled out of her lap and jumped
to the ground.
With an exclamation of impatience
she dismounted and began lively but
vain chase. She was in despair when
tall figure appeared on the rocks
above, and, taking him for one of the
ranchmen, she called peremptorily for
aid.
The newcomer darted down. A brisk,
undignified scramble ensued, and Billy
was placed, kicking and struggling, in
her arms, while she herself faced Her
bert Brownlow.
81 beg your pardon" she said coldly.
''If / had recognized you, l would
never have given you this trouble"
Don't apologize" returned her com
panion cheerfully. 81 am very glad to
have come to the rescue"
There's no question of rescue" said
Miss Henderson ungraciously. II
would soon have had him. Billy is al
ways easy to catch"
Every easy" murmured the other,
glancing at his scratched hands and
frayed trousers.
"And please understand one thing"
she continued-"if you ever hear me
call for help, it doesn't mean you. It's
bad enough to live close to people who
steal from you under cover of the
law
Here such an ominous expression
came over his face that she stopped,
rather frightened.
"Will you go on? should like to
hear the rest of the catalogue"
"Then you shallw the girl cried reck-
lessly. You have stolen a tract of
our land. Your men have cut our
fences and branded our strays."
Are you aware" said Herbert calm
| ly, that the man from whom your
father purchased that tract never own
ed it; that we paid hard money for it
to the true possessor; that it was so
proved in court? Your other charges
are equally unfounded. In fact, the
only instance round here of seizing
other peoples property has been the
case of certain pet lamb born on my
fathers ranch"
Miss Henderson clasped the outraged
Billy closely.
Have you the assurance to say my
lamb was stolen from your
Il could prove it If l chose. But
don't be alarmed. You are welcome
to him, only 1t might make you little
more generous In your remarks about
Others"
II never heard of anything so i'm
pertinent" gasped Miss Henderson
you think because l am girl you
can call me thief, but you shan't get
off as easily as you imagine"
Two days later man presented Her
bert with very dirty note which ran
as follows:
| Mr.. Herbert brownlow
you are Hereby summoned to attend justice
| court on the Seventeenth instant TO answer for
| deamin the Character Of miss Nelly Henderson
| the Case rests on the onershipp Of one white lam
| the complainant has been accused Of stealth the
said lam to the great Injury of her feolins and
Reputation. II you Have any Witnesses bring
! Those.
lsignedl FOSTER CAMPBELL
Foster Campbell represented all that
Clark county knew of law. He owned
n large copy of the code, in which he
could not read a word, but this did not
trouble him, as an old cripple whom
he had befriended and who was term
ed clerk read his patron to sleep on the
intricacies Of the law every night.
| The two principals in the trial reach
ed the court, which was situated on
the Justices piazza, at exactly the
same time.
Miss Henderson looked with dismay
at large crowd of spectators. 1t
dawned on her that it was Saturday
and that every ranchman within fifty
miles had taken half day to see the
trial.
what are these horrid men doing
here" she exclaimed wrathfully as
the justice helped her to alight. II
thought thered be just you and me,
the witnesses, and-and Mr.. Brown
low. I'll wait"
KANT do that" said the justice
decidedly.
Brownlow stepped forward.
Il told Miss Henderson she could
have the lamb. She may drop the
whole affair If she chooses"
''She KANT" said the justice firmly.
Neither of you kin go nolle prossin'
things around here like that. What
begins in my court finishes"
Il intend to finish" said Miss Hen
derson, sweeping past Brownlow and
taking the chair reserved for her.
The justice cleared his throat.
"The first case ON docket is Miss
Henderson versus Mr.. Brownlow. Mr..
Brownlow has aggrieved the com
plainant's feelins by calm her a
| thief
That I never did" said Herbert
| n N cri1Nr