Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

soon's Dave Peters .s-planted-yore
troubles is over he added. grimly.
''Oh. YES said the woman. cheerfully.
"but I do wish they was women. SO they
could make It up. But Buck says it's too
late fur that now. The country can't hold
'em both
NO more 4 won't He's right; they
can't never make IL up now. with fourteen
lives between EN-. The hull country'd
take up arms To exterminate EN- CO
they'd offer TO make it up. You hev TO hev
some regards 10 follls's opinions"
"Do you know Dave Peters," she asked
suddenly, impressed by the personal way
in which he was considering the POSSIBLE
tiles.
me? Do know Dave Peters? Why
yes, m'm-hold on. little Dave or you'u
lunse overheard OF this boat-yes. MIN. l
hev what YOU might call speakn' ac-
workmanship with him. And he's a
tough old cuss. he is
Yes. I've always heard that-and q
shore shot" sha said. hopelessly But +
never heard that he was a coward with
all his other deviltry. 1 never heard THAI
yet"
II reckon that's true" admitted tl.S
man with modest reluctance. as ne passed
his hand over the sunlit gold OF the bahy's
head. while Buchanan and Becky squab
bled for the nearest place on his knee. en-
joying the mere protection o. his strong
presence. Their mother felt II, too, and
lapsed into n confidential tone with this
utter stranger that was wholly uncor
sciouS, for she deeply respected the con-
ventionalities.
You don't reckon thar'd be any chance
Of coaXin Dave Peters toto kind Of
hold off tell fall, seem what luck we've
he'd, eff body went and told him Of it. do
ye? You sec that II their paw don't git no
chance to put in his crops right soon, thar
won't be nothn' fur them young ones TO
eat. And it's about eli kin do TO take
keer Of them. Eff could find him and talk
to him and tell him how II is
1T wouldn't be no use. Mis- Hacke-
dorm You'd jest be wastin' time and
trouble. That man is a tough case. like
you heard. He's a regular terror; bed jest
as lief Kill women an chillen as not He'd
even. Nav, don't you try that, Mis-
HackedOrn. don't you never try that. II
amt safe. But I'll tell you what. You air
in bad fix. that's shore. and all these
kids-and little Dave, too. I'll tell We
something that's secret. Why. that
Dave Peters has jumped the country. Ye
hadn't heard that, had ye?"
Lord. no. You don't mean that for
truth, do ye?"
That's the sworn truth. see man
that knows him we'll, jest about night
afore last. ] think IL was, and he said
Dave told him the country round hyur was
gittin' too tame for him and it weren't
with while to stay and end up a feud
with only one man-and him with a snarl.
OF young ones-and SO he'd lit out for
the west, whar he's gOin' to ranch il.
You see. Old Man Peters is gone. and
all the other boys is planted. too, and
Dave never was no count farmin' much,
and SO he lit out
"O-o-h, Lord.' breathed the poor wom-
an in speechless reaction of JOY.
"YaS, that's straight goods I'm givin'
ye. You kin tell Buck Hackedorn 10 20
back to his family and sleep nights, for
Dave Peters won't never be seen in this
country no more. And stidder goin' back
to that washed-out swamp Of your'n you
go down toilets see who-you go down
TO Square IIegler at Doogan's Landin'
and you kin rent the Peters farm as cheap
as talk-all stocked-good buildn's-
nice frame house. all but the Kitchen
that's log, an all furnished to live in.
dishes and spoons, and white kiver on
the parlor bed and box of bed quilts In
the loft, all fixed ready to use: vas. you
kin rent that cheap Now. you do il, and
right off. too. for If Dave don't know that
his farm and beasts amt in good hands
he might git a hankerin to come back TO
tend it. This amt no chaff. The man
talked to knows Dave well. knows him
like a brother, and-here hold on tight
we're settlin' down now, SOS ] kin git
that slliff. Take the baby while / git you
all into It, an then I'll row you all down
TO Doogan's, whar the gov camp Is.
and you can git your breakfast. Why.
little man, don't We want to go to yore
own nanny? Seems like he's took Won
derful shine to me-
The house had sprung apart on the
rocks and was settling fast. The man got
his passengers all safe aboard his boat
and pulled hastily out into the stream tn
escape the suction OF the sinking house.
Then he pulled for Doogans Indy
looked back at the chimney of her disap-
pearing home with misty eyes, but she
said not word.
az kin row ye up Jefferson street as fur
as the post Office and We kin step right off
the roof of that onto the spur Of the
mounting and go UP to the camp yore-
self-you see whar it Is now And, If ye
kin git off one of them yaller curls from
little Davys head with my knife, hyur,
I'd like it the best kind. 1t might sort of
bring me good luck--in q new country.
Oh don't ye go to thankjn' me, now, l
amt done nothin' nothin whatever
That's a pretty curl; I'm obleege to We
jest drap 1t into my wallet, hyur-and
hyur we air. Wal. goodbye. kids Want
to kiss me agin. little Davy? Wal, I've no
objections. Good-day to we. Mis- Hacke-
dorm, and don't forgit about that farm"