The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-23

yICEE that ranch down there?' auer-
led Frisco, pointing with his
pipe stem to a cluster of white
buildings in a setting of dark green miles
away down the valley.
I nodded.
We were far up on the side of the
mountain, and in the clear Colorado sun
shine every detail of the view stood out
With vivid distinctness.
That's Scotty Williams's place. Never
tbld you how l helped Scotty to get mar
lied, did To-
The idea of Frisco in the role of
matchmaker was so irresistibly comic
that l gripned.
Fact" said he. "If it hadn't been for
ne Scotty'd still be roaming over the
ehrth foot-loose and gladstone, instead of
Icing a respectable member of society
with a pretty wife and two kids.
l.sIt was like this: I was punching
teers for the Three X outfit up at the
Aeadwaters of the Bear river when Scot
" drifted in from New Mexico. Our
hnge lay for ten miles along the valley
iretty as a picture. The foreman's name
vas Kennedy. He was little man
fifth lots of ginger and no sense of hui
nor. Knew his business all right, but
vas apt to rear up on his hind legs and
cater death and desolation broadcast
when anybody rubbed his fur the wrong
yay Had most uncertain temper and
! lightning-like way of pulling gun.
/. .Kennedys daughter kept house for
lin, he being a widower, and they had
4 place all to themselves about half a
nile from the ranch house. Nita-that
vas the girls name-was nearly Is then,
md Just about as pretty and modest as
any female that ever walked in shoes.
Must have been, pretty lonesome for her.
nit another woman within a hundred
niles, and her daddy not being what
you'd call genial and cheerful compan-
ioh, and only a lot of rough and reck-
less cowpunchers to meet day after day,
bit she never let on but what she liked
itl always having a smile and pleasant
word for the boys, all of whom, of
course. being ready to lay down and let
hIl walk on them if she cared to-which
sic didn't.
it'I reckon we were all in love with her
Il know | was, good and plenty-but we
hid to let our passion gnaw in secret, for
hfr daddy didn't have no notion of let
ting her marry a cowpuncher-not one.
Hennedyd lead one side, serious and con-
fiential, and impressed on his mind that
there wasn't any love making included
II the contract. Very convincing his ar
ruments Were too, and none or them
over had to have their memory freshened
10 on that point. Not but what any OF
item, including me. would have taken
finances in a gunplay with the old man
IL there'd been any encouragement from
Tho pir1-whiph- thpra wasn't.
when Scotty blew along the old man
omitted his usual heart-to-he heart talk, not
Sizing Scotty up for n gay Lothario-he
being so calamitously homely that 1T
looked like a woman would go into hiding
Mt sight of him. Right there was where
the old man showed his ignorance OF fe-
male human nature.
"Scotty was all feet, hands and freckles
to look at but his moral qualities stuck
out SO insistent that when you got to
know him his lack of beauty didn't seem
50 glaring. He was sure white all
Through, WIS Scotty. if he wasn't no
chromo. and when | see he was fixing
his young and tender affections on Nita
ii felt plumb sorry for him. The rest OF
us had had the fever in various stages
and was corvalescent. except JACKIE. who
was cook for the outfit, and he didn't
count. JACKIE was first rate cook but
he had to get somebody to do his think