The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-02-18


his face in his hands. At the jar of
heavy footsteps the boy started. but
Steve laid a kindly hand on his Shout
der. There, sonny. don't take on like
that when there amt no reason The
boys was just playin' They didn't
mean no harm unless you'd pulled that
trigger
I'D have killed him. sobbed the
boy. IF he'd touched me AGAIN.
Steve chuckled. HE was safe enough,
kid. It was the rest of us you had
scared. 1t was plumb ridiculous"
The boy apparently did not see the
comicality of the situation. for he con-
tinued crying softly, while Steve looked
on, powerless to help. A crying man
was something new in his philosophy.
''Look here, kid he said at last,
''why did you come here anyway?
You're mighty young and inexperi-
enced for this here strenuous life
81 had to- This was the only place
/ could get"
"Ain't you got no kin?'
'"They are all dead"
''Your sister-she amt, is she?"
"A1y sister? What sister? What do
you mean?"
'"The sister whose picture the boys
was admirin Of"
''Oh, she? She's living"
There was long pause. "She's a
right purity GAL" said Steve. 1--WE been
studyin' that picture. She certainly ia
vors you a heap-that is, if she has yal-
Ter hair, like yourn. Has she?"
YES" returned the boy; tits just the
color of mine"
81 reckoned so. Long, l bet, and cur
~ 1 knowed it. What's her nameY'
'EEr-Jessie'
'Jessie?" Steve pondered over the
name as if to see if it would fit his pre-
conceived notions You'll be having
her on here soon, | reckon, won't you?
I'm powerful anxious to come up with
your sister"
The boy gave a queer little laugh.
which changed to a sigh.
Il guess not now" he said, "after
what's happened. l must go away-go
back. l ought never to have come. l
didn't see it before. Oh, you can't I'M
derstand' he cried Il don't want to
go. / haven't any situation nor money
nor friendsv' He broke down, sob
bling, again.
''And run away from nothing. The
boys amt goin' to do no harm. I'll see
you don't get messed with too much
But when you amt here what would
happen? oh, if you hadn't been here
tonight No; there's no way but for
me to leave.'
Steve shifted uneasily in his chair.
''This here sister of yours" he said at
last, ''lo you reckon now she'd marry
me if / could git to ask her?" He
stopped the boy as he was about to
speak Just keep quiet, sonny, and
let me bark a spell I've been doing
lot of thinkin' since l come here this
evening, and it's been about her. I've
been driftin' around these parts for the
last ten years and more, ever since
was half as young as you, getting into
scrapes and out of 'em, riding the
ranges, roundin' up, fightin' when l had
to, drinkin' and gamblin and shootin'
up a town, just like all men does out
here, withouten there's a woman to
hold 'em steady, and tonight when l
see your sisters picture it come across
me that I wanted to settle down, and
1 wanted her to help me- That's why
4
if you do l won't git no chance to see
her and ask her. Do you reckon she'd
look at me, kid?''
The boy said nothing for moment,
while Steve watched him anXiously.
The dawn was just breaking over the
plains, and a pale light came through
the dirty windows of the station.
IL haven't any sister," said the
boy huskfly at last 81 lied to you, but
you've been too good to me, and / can't
keep it up. 1.-The picture-it's me.
Pm-oh, can't you see-I'm a girl"'
"a grill Tll-ben- Steve didn't
finish the sentence He rose and went
to the window and looked out on the
faint gray green ef the sagebrush.
Brainard continued - :, in defense:
81 had to do it. l he!.sc3 :,:y brother
in the station at home and learned to
telegraph. Then he died and 10 one
had any work for a girl-at least work
1 could do. Then 1 thought l would
come west, dressed as man, and l got
this job, and now-now you know why
I've got to 90 back"
Steve turned and came to the side of
the girl. ''You amt got to 60 back. and
you amt a-goin'-not if l can help it.
l might have known you was woman,
only / didn't know women had such
grit Look here, kid mean-that
is
Jessie was my sisters name,'' said
the girl, with a little laugh
well, I'm rough. and | don't de-
serve no such gal as you, Jessie, but
there's q heap of men git what they
don't deserve, and l amt so mighty
bad. You say you kin telegraph. Well,
You sit down then to that ticker and