Evening journal., 1912-10-11
MARY
SIMMONS
ByT. BURBANK


dnd was comfortable. didn't have no
iireside and II I'd got one I'd had to
set by It alone, not havin' any wife or
children. Consequences was WAS
thinkln O. diggln' out when sumpin
happened to keep me-
] was ridin' along road when
seen gal on horseback ahead O. me.
/ caught up with her and said. How
de-" and It's a fine day." and neigh
borly things like that She was good
= lookln' and cottoned to me to onct, /
Rskin, me where l come from, where /
was goin' and all that. l tole her I'd I
come from the settlement and was
goen arter some hosses that wus need /
ed there and I'D bought 'spectin' to
make a reasonable profit on 'em.
Waal. we talked a lot. and l got
kind a confidential l told her that ]
was alone In the world and livin'
among married people. She allowed it
was kind a lonesome livin' alone ]
axed her il that was her fix and she
allowed it was We got thicker and
thicker, and at last l up and fred a
question at her If she would hitch onter
me and set up home with me.
She said il was kind o. suddent, but
want q bad idee, and she'd think il
over She was liyin' with an aunt on
sheep ranch and was goin' there
then. II I'D wait spell she might
decide TO double up and if she did I'd
hear from her. When we come to the
cross roads we separated and / went
on and bought my hosses.
Comm back with a dozen hosses. i
brought some men with me, well
armed, for boss thieves was mighty
thick thereabouts, and l didn't know
what might happen. Sure enough
when we got TO the crossroads, lookin'
down the road we crossed, we saw
lot o. men gallopin' toward US. But
We was too quick for 'em and reached
wood before they could git near us,
and in there we had the advantage
over 'em. for we could see 'em and
they couldn't see us. So we got our
hosses away.
The day arter l got back Mary Sim
mons. the gal l oyerhauled on the
road, come into the settlement and
when she found me said she'd been
thlnkln' o. my proposition and was
favorably inclined TO it. but 1t seemed
unnatural TO make up with a man on
such a small acquaintance. and she
list tifort that If she could get some
sort of a job in the settlement for
awhile SOS we could do some courtin'
1t would be all right I tole her the
only thing l knowed there was plenty
OF washin'. and she said she was a
good washer and ironer So | got
board for her at Mrs. Finnegan's, she
pawn her own board and keepin' in
dependent.
There had been so much boss stealin
ROin' on that we concluded 20 keep all
the hosses in the settlement in one
barn when not usin' 'em. and VIC
wouldn't keep 'em in any one barn
two nights runnin' We thort that in
that way we'd keep the thieves from
fndin' fist where the hosses was and
they wouldn't know where to so tc
get EN-. But one night they run in
on us and made straight for the barn
where the bosses was. There hap
pened to be only six hosses in the set
tlement that night. but the thieves go'
'em ALL
There wasn't no more hosses tooker
for ten days. and then we lost anoth
or lot. the thieves goin, as before. e
the barn they was in. We knoweC
that they knowed where the hossei
was. cause none O. the men near an,
OF the other bosses seen or heered any
thing of EN- How they'd come 4
find out where we KEEP the stock no
body could imagine. There wasn't no
body in the settlement but owneC
some stock themselves, and the.
wasn't likely to give information &
rustlers about 'em.
/. bein' someat in the boss tradin
line and havin lost some hosses. al
lowed I'd 20 and get some more.
seen Mary the night afore ! went an
got her to promise that when 90
back she'd marry me. SO / wen
away feelin' better'n I'd felt for lon
while.
Waal. I bought my hosses and star
I'd back alone with 'em. cause
couldn't get no one to come with mi
] allowed I'd sleep in the stable wit
'em till the stealin' was over and &c
bead on one on 'em. When 1 &C
near the crossroads / sor woma
there, and when / come near her VIII
should It be but my promised brid
didn't have time to ask her whs
she was doin' there when some me
rode MP from different places. an
Mary said to me. motionin' to one O
'em:
ALLOW me to introduce my hu
band"
"And allow me-" said the feller, "a
relieve you Of your hosses."
They TUX the whole lot OF 'em, an
Mary rode away with 'em too.
didn't keer so much for the stock. b'
b be treated that away by the won
an expected 70 marry was like pize
or course It was Mary. in leagr
with the thieves. who got word to e
Just where the animals was kept evel
night. AS / rode on to the settlemel
bsmeby begun to get mad. Whe
I got there / got up a posse to hui
them rustIers often the face of Il
earth. And KEEP my word. We XII
ed all Of EN- but Mary. but ! mad
her a widder with my own hand.
ACCUSE BOYS OF THEFT.
DOVER, Del, Oct 11.-Special o.