Gunnison news-champion., 1911-06-23

to anything they might ~ n come TO
me
ITS possible. maam.- said ssandi.
most al the old veterans and seffiars
got their land certificates ISSUED. and
located long age. stiH. we can loos
tha; sp IN the land Office. and be- sure.
Your fafhers name. nov. Wae--
Amos GOWN sir"
Good Lord" exclaimed ssandiser.
rising and anbuttonine his tight coat.
daughter Why ma am. Amos Coivin
and me we're thicker than two hoss
thieves for more han ten years We
fought kiowas. drove cattle and ran
Eered side By side nearly all over
Texas ! remember seeing you once
before. nov Noa were a kid about
seven. a.riding a little yellow pony up
and down. Amos and me stopped si
vour home for a little grub when We
were trailing that band Of Mexican
cattle thieves down through Karnes
and Bee Great tarantalas' and you're
Amos ColvH's little girl Did you
ever hear YOUR father mention Luke
Standifer lust kind Of casually as
Il he'd met me once or twice."
A little pale smile fitted across The
lsdy's white face
IT seems 20 me" she said. 'rhat !
don't remember hearing him tar
about much else. Every day there was
some story he had to tell about what
he and YOU had done. Mighty near
the last thing ! heard him tell was
about the time when the Indians
wounded him. and you crswled out TO
him through the grass. with . canteen
of water. while they"
Yes, yes well-oh. that wasn't
ANYTHING" said standifer. ''hemming"
loudly and buttoning his coat again.
briskly. And now, ma am. who was
the Internal skunk beg your pardon,
ma 'am-who was the gentleman you
married."
Benton Sharp"
The commissioner pumped down
again into his chair with q eroan
This gentle, sad little woman. in the |
rusty black gown. the daughter of his |
oldest friend. the wife of Benton
Sharp Benton Sharp, one of the most
noted bad" men In that part of the |
state-a man who had been q cattle |
thief. an outlaw, a desperate. aud was
now a gambler. a staggering bully. |
who piled his trade In the larger
frontier towns, relying upon his record |
and the quickness of his gun play to |
maintain his supremacy. Seldom did |
anyone take the risk of going "up |
against" Benton Sharp. Even the law |
officers were content to let him make |
his own terms of peace. Sharp was a |
ready and an accurate shot and as
lucky as brand-new penny at com
ing clear from his scrapes. Standifer |
wondered how this pillaging eagle |
ever came to be mated with Amos |
Colvin's little dove. and expressed his
wonder
Mrs. Sharp sighed
You see. Mr.. Standifer. we didn't
know anything about him. and he can
be very pleasant and kind when he
wants to. We lived down in the little
town OF Goliad Benton came riding
down that way. and stopped there a
while. ] reckon ] was some better
looking then than | am now. He was
good to me for a whole year after we
were married. He insured his life for
me for five thousand dollars. But for
the last six months he has done every
thing but Kill me. | often wish he had
done that. too. He got out of money
for a while, and abused me shameful
ly for not having anything he could
spend. Then father died. and left me
the little home in Goliad MY husband
made me sell that, and turned me out
into the world. I've barely been able
to live. for I'm not strong enough to
work. Lately. heard he was making
money in San Antonio. so 7 went |
there, and found him. and asked for a
little help. This" touching the uvid
bruise on her temple. ''is what he gave
me. So ! came on to Austin TO see the
Devernor. l once heard father say
mat there was some lard. or a pen-
sion. coming to him from the state
that he never would ask for"
Lure oldhdllef rose TO his feet and |
pushed his chair back. He looked
rather perplexedly around the bic Of.
fice. with its handsome furniture
It's long trail to follow he said.
slowly, trying to get back dues from
the government There's red tame ana
lawyers and rulings and evidence ana
courts to keep you waiting. I'm pot
certain" continued the comnissi,ner
with profoundly meditatfve frovn
whether this department that I'm tbe
bo OF has any Jurisdiction or not
Its pnly Insurance. statistics ana hi..
for ma'am, and II don't sound a. ~
4 c, aid cover the case. Blu, sor,e-
lines q saddle blanket can be pas. IN
stretch. You keep your seat. inst scr
few minutes. ma'am, till I step into
ne next room and see about it
The state treasurer was seated r,tN.
n his massive. complicated raiIinss.
'eadins . newspaper Business sur
ne day was about over. The cler$s
oiled at their desks. awaiting tSs
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