The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-31
Thou9ht He Killed . Man in Painted Rock
By MORLEY ROBERTS
IN: Brood A:-:- IN: w..sa:s.

why I knew him. and it was the reason that
Susy Habersham became acquainted with
Samuel l. Weekes. who owned cattle-ranch
on the upper waters of Wolf Creek. a saloon at
Big Springs and a store in Painted Rock itself.
Habersham was big. loose -jointed. slop-
built ''SimpIe Simon" who took to erecting
windmills for irrigation. as he had raked up
an agency for some new kind of wind faxcment
on the strength of which he came West. He
worked for himself at first. and then became
partner. as far windmills were concerned.
with Weekes. He fitted up number Of them
in the town. One he put up for Ginger Gillett
who had great notion for flowers and fruit both
hard things to raise in the neighhorhood Of
Painted Rock. He fixed another for my friend
Gcsige. the gambler from Georgia. who had
shack outside the city limits with what he
delighted to call park" 1t was four acres
Of dust. sand and alkali and prairie-dogs. and
his wines" were a measly lot Of creepers that
died at the first south wind. If any survived
the March nor,hers Habersham called Florida
Gods country" When q man out West does
that you may reckon him failure. The man
who doesn't fail is he who takes enough root for
the time to forget the State he came from. That
Is what Ginger Gillctt said and did.
II don't reckon to palavcr none about where
I came FROM" said Ginger with decision. ''noe
do reckon to wall any about what left behind
There's complete and finished set Of plumb
rank failures howling in Painted Rock about
this and that State being Gods kcntry.' They
make me sick and tired. Gods kentry' Is
finished. and the State of Texas is still in
hands to work up and put the polish on. But
the women is the worst at it, They don't remind
ME none Of the women Of 'a9 that old timers
tells about. They had grit and could stand
OF Injuns. These ladies' caynt stand of a
mos quito. and they weep sadly at a ccntircdc.
Mis- fiabcrsham's that Kind and cayn't cut a
steak without making faces at the jint she
hacks it off Of with averted face. The women
from Gods kentry amt tit to raise Texans The
raise too much mot over trifles."
But she a pretty little woman. and eve
the fas,idous Ginger Gilett lowered his bull voic
IN her presence and was exceedingly polite when b
n.et her on Main-st. The cowboys said she W.
"a daisy" when they staggered past her Wit
cropped heads. toothbrush in their waistcoa
pockets. and a high opinion Of themselves in the
little minds.
''Thcre'n be trouble over Mis- Halersham yet.
said Keno" Gedgc. who knew the world and had
wife who had fccn pretty enough to bring one ma
to the grave and two into a hospital before sh
quoted down in double harness shes
danger to this lonely society Of bachelors. my so,
ard you lay what you like on it. II was Habe
sham. Id see she had no sort Of conversation wit
Sam Wcckes. Wcckcs amt to lie trusted wit
womcn-you can see that in his eye. il his rccor
didn't prove it,
They said his record did prove it.
Does Haiersha,n know it," asked.
''Ha.ersham don, know nothin''' said GetiS
bitterly. "He knows enough about oranges {
L. froze ont Of Florida. and enough abou, windmill
o. Sc; one UP in any park that won't draw water.
Keno" Gcigc. according 10 Hatrrsham believe
tia; a windmill created water in a dry We'll.
We ain, good terms over that dry windmill.
said Gcigc ''or Id get Mrs. Gclge to drop hin,
hint that Wcckcs is after Mrs. Ha!crsham lie
the only man in Painted Ro,k that dom, L.:
Tha. true enough I found ont after
month 81. There An extraordinary n
l,,,ancc among the Guietcr inhabitants Of sf
town ,o saw ANYTHING about the Il was n
ones business hu. Hahersham's. and Hafrrsha,
VAS lust the man TO kill there and then the fo'
Who warned him Nevertheless there was talk an
tho bassr minded sort avcrred that the talk Ia
, sound basis 60 So There Was a strange TO