The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-23


See that ranch down there?'
aueried Frisco, pointing with his pipe
stem to a cluster of white buildings in
q setting of dark green. miles away
down the valley.
nodded.
We were far uo on the side of the
mountain. and in the clear Colorado
sunshine every detail of the view stood
out with vivid distinctness.
That's Scotty Williams place Never
told you how I helped Scotty to get
married. did II"
The idea of Frisco in the role of
matchmaker was so irresistibly comic
that l grinned.
Fact" said he. IF it hadn't been
for me Scotty d still be roaming over
the earth foot-lOose and gladstone, in
stead of being a respectable member of
1T was like this: j was punching
steers for the Three X outfit up at
the headwaters of Bear river when
Scotty drifted in from New Mexico.
Our range lay for ten miles along the
valley. pretty as a picture, The fore
mans name was Kennedy. He was a
little man with lots of ginger and no
sense of humOr. Knew his business all
right, but was apt TO rear up on his
nilu fcSS ana scatter QSdln anu ueSO-
lation broadcast when anybody rubbed
his fur the wrong way. Had a most
uncertain temper and lightning-like
way of pulling a gun.
'Kennedy's daughter kept house for
him, he being widOwer and they had
a place all to themselves about half a
mile from the ranch house. Nita-that
was the girls name-was nearly is
then. and just about as pretty and
\
I'm shoes. Must have been pretty lone
some for her not another woman with
in a hundred miles, and her daddy not
being what you'd call a genial and
cheerful companion. and only a lot of
rough and reckless cOwpunchers to
meet day after day. but she never let
on but what she liked it. always hay-
ing a smile and a pleasant word for
the boys, all of whom, of course, being
ready TO lay down and let her walk
on them if she cared to-which she
didn't.
II reckon we were all in. love with
her-I know / was. good and plenty
but we had to let our passion gnaw in
secret, for her daddy didn't have no
notion of letting her marry cow
puncher-not one. Every new man
that Joined the outfit Kennedy'd lead
one side, serious and confidential, and
impress on his mind that there wasn't
any lovemaking included in the con-
tract. Very convincing his arguments
were, too, and none of them ever had
TO have their memory freshened up on
that point. Not but what any of them,
including me. would have taken
chances in a gunplay With the old man
If thered been any engagement
from the girl-which there wasn't.
When Scotty blew along the old man
omitted his usual -to-heart talk,
not sizing Scotty up for a gay Lo-
thario-he being so calamitOusly home
ly that il looked like a woman would
go into hiding at sight of him. Right
there was where the old man showed
his ignorance of female human nature.
''Scotty was all feet, hands and
freckles TO look at. but his moral quail
ties stuck o : so insistent that when
you got 10 know him his lack of beauty
didn't seem so glaring. He was sure
white all through, was Scotty, if he
wasn't no chrSflo, and when l see he
was fixing his young and tender affec-
lions on Nita / felt plumb sorry for
him. The rest of us had had the fever
in various stages and was convalescent,
except Jacko, who was cook for the
outfit, and he didn't count. Jacko was
a first rate cock, but he had to get
somebody to do his thinking-he hav-
ing the non compos mentiS bad.
"As I said, the rest of US was able
to set up and take our liquor regular,
but il looked like Scotty was just go
ing TO pine away untimely. He sure
was going the limit. One night / comes
into the clubhouse and finds him sit
ting on the edge of his bunk and sigh
ing pretty frequent.
'Toothache?' / asked, thinking TO
arouse him from his melancholy with
gay and festive conversation, but he
only looks at me sort of reproaehful
and signs some more. Then l says,
Look a-here. my lovelorn swain, this
IS getting to be too much like funeral
round here It's sure a whole lot wear
ing ON the nerves TO witness your con-
tinual grief. If you'll just say the
word III get the drop on the old man
and hold him up while you talk with
him quiet and peaceable. 1t amt no
ways likely he'll say bless you, my
children / says. but if you get it over
and know the worst, maybe you'll be-
gin to feel better
No use,' says Scotty, it amt the
old man I'm afraid GIFTS the girl
Then / begins to see daylight and
goes out and sets on a stump and does
a lot of thinking. The next day hangs
around and watches the old man till
he rides off TO the range, and then |
lopes over to see Nita. / was sure rat
tied, not knowing what to say or how
10 say It, but after I'd made few
leads she began to see what the game
was. Then ] had the surprise of my
life. When she grasps the fact that
Scotty is just fading away gradual for
love of her she begins TO look sorry
and thoughtful, and pretty soon she
begins to cry. ] wants 10 kick myself
then. hard, hut she nuts her hand on
nv arm and says; Frisco. you've been
awful good TO me, and l trusts you a
whole lot. I know you wouldn't be
saving this to me if Scotty wasn't
straight, and IL he's got anything to
say to me III listen Then she drops
down sudden on her knees by chair