Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-04-12


division superintendent and then
met General Cornish. He is one Of the
directors OF the line | was with at the
time. Three months ago he made me
an offer to take hold here, and SO here
am"
And you've never been back home,
Dannief'
"Never once I've wanted to go, but
couldn't"
He hoped his father would under
stand.
We'll, there amt much to take you
there but her grave. | wish she might
have lived. You'd have been n great
happiness to her, and she got very lit
tie happiness for her portion any way
you look at it. We were only just mar
rled when the war came, and | was
gone four years. Then there was about
eleven years when we were getting on
nicely. We had money put by and
owned our own home. Can you re-
member ii, Dannie, the old brick place
on the corner across from the postof
fee? A new Methodist church stands
there now. 1t was sold to get money
for my lawyer when the big trouble
came. Afterward when everything was
spent, she must have found II very
hard to make living for herself and
you"
"She did" said Dan gently. But
she managed somehow to keep roof
over our heads"
when the law sets out to punish 1t
doesn't stop with the guilty only. When
went to her grave and saw there
were flowers growing on 1t and that
II was being cared for It told me what
you were. She was a very brave wo-
man, Dannie. You know that was an
awful thing about Sharp"
Dan turned toward him quickly.
"Why do you speak Of 1t? It's all
past now"
'Id sort of like TO tell you about It."
There was a long pause. and he con-
tinued.
SHARP and had been enemies for
long time. 1t started back before the
war, when he wanted to marry your
mother. We both enlisted In the same
regiment, and somehow the trouble
kept alive. He was bit Of bully,
and | was counted a handy man with
my fists too. The regiment was al
ways trying TO get us into the ring to
gether, but we knew It was danger
GUS. We had sense enough for that
won't say he would have done II, but
never felt safe when there was a fight
on in all those four years. It's easy
enough to shoot the man in front Of
you and no one be the wiser. Many a
scores been settled that way. When
we got home again we didn't get along
any better He was n drinking man
and had no control over himself when
liquor got the best Of him | did my
share in keeping the feud alive. What
he said OF me and what said Of hin
generally reached both Of us In time
as you can fancy.
"At last, when | Joined the church
/ concluded II wasn't right TO hate I
man the way | hated Sharp, for, yot
see, he'd never really done anything {,
me
zone day 1 stopped In AT the smithl
he was II blacksmith 10 have a tan
with him and see n we couldn't patel
1t up somehow nnd be friends. It wa'
a Saturday afternoon, and he'd becI
drinking more than was good for him.
II hadn't hardly got the first wordi
out when he came at me with biz
sledge in his hand. all In a rage and
swearing he'd have my life. pushet
him of and started for the door. saw
I It was no use to try to reason with
him, but he came at me again, and this
time he struck me with his sledge. II
did no harm, though IL hurt, aIh !
pushed him out Of my way and backed
off toward the door. The lock was
caught, and before / could open II be
was within striking distance again
and had to turn to defend myself. |
snatched up a bar Of Iron perhaps Il
foot long / had kept my temper down
until then, but the moment / had Il
weapon In my hand II got clean away
from me, and In an instant | was fight
ing-just as he was fghtlng-tO kill"
/ Roger Oakley had told the story Of
the murder in a hard emotionless
voice, but Dan saw In the half light
that his face was pale and drawn
Dan found II difficult 10 associate the
thought OF violence with the man at
his side, whose whole manner spoke OF
C,ptiu1.I ON rat,. q