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

family got under their own roof and /
sot around the open adobe fireplaces
and was comfortable. | didn't have no
fireside and II I'd got one I'd had to 4
set by It alone, not hayin' any wife or
children. Consequences was was
thinkin' O. diggin' out when sumpin /
happened to keep me.
1 was ridin along a road when | ]
seen a gal on horseback ahead O. me- :
l caught up with her and said. How !
de" and IT'S fine day. and neigh
borly things like that She was good
lookin' and cOttoned to me to onct,
Rskln' me where come from, where !
was goin' and all that. / tole her I'd
come from the settlement and / was
goen arter some hosses that wus need
ed there and I'D bought 'spectin 70
make reasonable profit on 'em.
Waal, we talked a lot, and l got
kind a confidential. | told her that
was alone in the world and livin'
among married people. She allowed it
was kind a lonesome livin' alone.
axed her II 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 a home with me.
She said it was kind o. student, but
want a bad idee, and she'd think il
over She was livin' with an aunt on
sheep ranch and was goin' there
then. If 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 aud / went
on and bought my bosses.
Comm back with a dozen bosses. l
brought some men with me. well
armed for boss thieves was mighty
thick thereabouts, and | 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
a 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
h0sses away.
The day arter l got back Mary Sim
mons. the gal ! overhauled on the
road. come into the settlement and
when she found me said she'd been
thnkln' o. my proposition and was
favorably inclined TO II. but 1t seemed
unnatural to make up with a man on
such a small acquaintance, and she
jlst thort that if she could get some
sort Of a job in the settlement for
awhile SOS we could do some courtin'
II would be all right | tole her the
only thing / knowed there was plenty
Of washin', and she said she was a
good washer and irOner. So I got
board for her at Mrs Finnegan's, she
payin her own board and keepin' in
dependent
There had been so much boss stealth
goin' on that we concluded TO keep al
the hosses in the settlement in on'
barn when not usin' 'em, and W.
wouldn't keep 'em in any one barr
two nights runnin' We thort that IL
that way we'd keep the thieves from
hndin' list where the bosses was and
they wouldn't know where to go t
get 'em. But one night they run II
q on us and made straight for the BARI
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 tookel
for ten days. and then we lost anoth
er lot the thieves goin', as before. {
the barn they was in. We knowe'
that they knowed where the hosse
was. cause none O. the men near an
OF the other hosses seen or heered ans
thing Of 'em. How they'd come I
find out where we KEEP the stock Nc
body could imagine There wasn't nj
body in the settlement but owne
some stock themselves. and the
wasn't likely to give information
rustlers about EN-.
I. bein' some'at in the boss tradil
line and havin' lost some bosses.
lowed I'd 20 and get some more.
seen Mary the night afore ] went an
got her to promise that when ] s.
back she'd marry me. So / wei
away feelin' better'n I'd felt for lor
while.
Wsal. bought my hosses and star
I'd back alone with 'em. cause
couldn't get no one to come with m
1 allowed I'd sleep in the stable vii
'em till the stealln' was over and 2
a bead on one on 'em. When 1 2
near the crossroads 1 sor a woms
there. and when come near her WI
should II be but my promised brid
didn't have time to ask her VIII
she was doin' there when some ms
rode up from different places, al
Mary said to me, motionin' TO one
'om:
ALLOW ma to introduce my HI
band"
"And allow me-" said the Teller,
relieve you Of your hosses"
They tux the whole lot Of 'em. al
Mary rode away with 'em too.
didn't keer so much for the stock. b
b be treated that away by the woi
an expected TO marry was like pize
or course It was Mary. in lesg
with the thieves. who got word to q
Just where the animals was kept eve
night As ] rode on to the settleme
bimeby I begun TO get mad. VIII
got there got up a posse to hu
them rustlers often the face of /
earth And KEEP my word. We k
ed all Of 'em but Mary. but l ma
her a widder with my OWE hand.
ACCUSE BOYS OF THEFT.