The Marshall republican., 1911-03-17
ICoNTTNUL.D.1
CHAPTER III.

OF tue nOtei. UuU 0eE tltS ~
lowed his upright figure till u
entered me vf the shops. II,
had precisely N. look aud bearing ~
young lieutenant In the regulni
army. She returned to her " rom
I strangely hcartcned By her Talk with
( The ranger.
She was stili pondering when her
mother came In.
How'd you sleep lnst nightT'
Lee Virginia could not bring herself
60 lie. "Not very we'll" she admitted.
Neither did |. Fact of the matter "
your coming fairly upset me. I've been
kind NJ used up for three months.
don't know what alls me. I'd ought 10
60 up to sulphur to see u doctor. but
there don't seem TO he any free time.
I pear TO have lost my grip. Food
don't give me any strength. saw you
talking with Ross Cavanarb. There's q
man. And i,cddy- Rcddy ~ what you
call n fancy runchcr: goeS In for nj.
fatty and fruit aud all that. He isn't
In the forest service for the pay or Tor
graft He's got a regular palace up
there above sulphur-hot and cold
water all through the house. n furnace
In the cellar and two bathrooms, = @
they tell me: I never was In the place.
You better keep out OF the cnffy. N
amt n az place for you. Fact Is. ]
wasn't expecting anything 80 dne NJ
you are iaid awake TIL 3 O'Clock last
night figuring on whnt 10 do. ] reckon
you'd better go back and give this out.
Iht up as n bad Job. ! used 10 tell Ed
you didn't belong to neither OF us. and
you don't. I can't see where you did
come from anyhow. ! don't want the
responsibility Of having you here. Why.
you'll have half the men In the county
hitchIng to my corral. You're too good
for any OF them. You just plan TO pack
up and pull out tomorrow"
She went out with n dragging step
thnt softened the girls heart. Lies
daughter cnmc nearer to loving her ut
this moment than nj any time since
her nfth year.
In truth. Lie had risen that morn.
ing intending ito whirl In aud clean
mp the house." being suddenly con-
scious 10 soinc degree OF the dirt and
disorder around her. but she found
herself phi, sically unequal TO the task.
Her brain seemed misted. ana her food
had been a source Of keen pain TO her.
She ave sharp answers TO all the
men who came up 10 ask after her
daughter. and TO one who remarked on
the girls good looks and demanded an
introduction she said: Get along.
You fellers want TO understand I'll kill
the man TINT sets out to fool with my
girl. ! tell you that"
While yet Lee Virginia was wonder
Ing how 10 begin the days work some
one knocked on her door. and In an
swer to her Invitation n woman stepped
ina thin blond bag with a weak
smile aud watery blue eyes. rs this
little Lee virginnyg' she asked.
The girl rose. "Yes."
swell. bowdy?" She extended her
1 hand. and Lee took Il. my names
Jacksou-Mrs. Orlando Jackson.
knew yore pm and you before the
war Are ye back fer to stayw
"No. I don't think 30. WIN you sit
down.
Mrs. Jackson took a seat. Come
back to see how yore ma was. I reck.
on? Found her pretty porely, didn't
YEP She lowered her voice. II think
she's got canoe Of the stummIck-
now that's my guess"
Virginia started. "What makes you
think sof"
swell, | knew q woman who went
Just that way. Had that same habby,
funny iook-and that same distress
after eatin'. l told her this mornin'
she'd better go up to Sulphur and see
that new doctor"
what did you mean by the warp
asked Virginia.
"why. you remember tho rustlei
war? We date everything out here
from that year. You was here. for
saw ye."
"0h~ exclaimed Virginia. II under
stand now. Yes. ! was here. I saw my
father at the head Of the cowboys"
"They weren't cowboys. They wert
hired killers from Texas. That's wha'
let yore pa out o. the state. He wer,
on the wrong side, and II It hadn't "a
been for the regular soldiers he'd a
been wiped out right hyer. As 1t wal
he had to skip the range aud hahn
nsvsr been back. ! don't s'pose folk
viii lay It up aGip yoa-bein' 4 girl
but they couldn't no son OF IA Weth
srfOtd rome back hsrs and settle. no
Tor \ minute. Why. ycre ma has hal
10 bluG tbs whole county a'most-no
that I lay anything up astn her. ] tel
folks she was thar bswitchsd with "a
she couldn't ~ things any way bu
HI Way. ne fought 10 nave his rnneI
and f1aHk. bei shs couldn't de MOTHS