The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-02-02
CHAPTER III.
LIE AND HER DAUGHTER.

NdE1 parted on the little porch
Of the hotel, and her eyes fol-
lowed his upright figure till he
= entered one Of the shops. He
had precisely the look and bearing Of
young lieutenant In the regular
army. She returned to her own room
strangely heartened by her talk with
the ranger.
She was still bordering when her
mother came In.
How'd you sleep last night?"
Lee Virginia could not bring herself
to lie. mot very WELL" she admitted.
Neither did l. Fact Of the matter is
your coming fairly upset me. I've been
kind Of used up for three months. l
don't know what ails me- I'd ought to
90 up to Sulphur to see a doctor. but
there don't seem to be any free time.
pear to have lost my grip. Food
don't give me any strength. saw you
talking with Ross Cavanagh. There's a
man. And Reddy-Reddy is what you
call a fancy rancher; goes in for al
fatty and fruit and all that. He isn't
in the forest service for the pay or for
graft. He's got regular palace up
there above Sulphur-hot and cold
water all through the house. a furnace
in the cellar and two bathrooms, so
they tell me; / never was in the place
You better keep out of the caffy. 1t
amt a fit place for you. Fact Is,
wasn't expecting anything so fine as
you are. / laid awake till o'clock last
night figuring on what to do. l reckon
you'd better go back and give this out
fit up as a bad job. | used to tell Ed
you didn't belong to neither of u.s. and
you don't. | 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 a dragging step
that softened the girls heart. Lies
daughter came nearer to loving her at
this moment than at any time since
her fifth year.
In truth, Lie had risen that morn
ing intending ito whirl in and clean
up the house." being suddenly con-
scious to some degree of the dirt and
disorder around her, but she found
herself physically unequal to the task.
Her brain seemed misted. and her food
had been source of keen pain TO her.
She gave sharp answers to all the
men who came up TO ask after her
daughter. and TO one who remarked on
the girls good looks and demanded an
introduction she said Get along.
You felers want to understand I'll kill
the man that sets out to fool with my
girl. tell you that!'
While yet Lee Virginia was wonder
ing how to begin the days work some
one knocked on her door, and in an
swer to her invitation woman stepped
ina thin blond bag with weak
smile and watery blue eyes. rs this
little Lee Virginny?" she asked.
The girl rose. YES"
"Well, howdyY She extended her
hand and Lee took It, "My names
Jackson-Mrs. Orlando Jackson. l
knew yore pa and you before the
war Are We back fer TO stay?"
mo, don't think so. Will you sit
down."
Mrs. Jackson look a seat. Come
back to see how yore ma was, i reck-
on? Found h'r pretty porely, didn't
yer" She lowered her voice. Il think
she's got cancer of the stummick-
now that's my guess"
Virginia started. What makes you
think so?"
.'WelI. | knew II woman who went
just that way. Had that same tinbby'
funny look that same distress
after eatln'. told her this mornin
she'd better go up TO Sulphur aud see
that new DOCTOR
what did you mean by the war;
asked Virginia.
'Why, you remember the rustier
war? We date everything out here
from that year. You was here, Tor
saw ye."
"Ohw exclaimed Virginia. IL under
stand now. Yes, was here. ! saw my
father at the head of the cowboys"
"They weren't cowboys. They were
hired killers from Texas That's what
let yore pa out O. the state. He were
on the wrong side, and If 1t hadn't a
been for the regular soldiers he'd a
been wiped out right hyer, AS 1t was
he had to skip the range and hain''
never been back. don't s'pose folks
viii lay II up agin you-beln' girl
but they couldn't no son OF ed Weth
erford come back here and settle, moi
for a minute. Why, yore ma has haC
TO bluff the whole county a'most-no
that lay anything up agln her. tel
folks she was that bewitched with 10
she couldn't see things any way bu
his way. He fought to save his rancl
and stawk. but she couldn't do nothin
and then to have him go back on he
the way he did--slip out 'twixt two day
and never write that Just about sho