Evening journal., 1912-10-24
MARY
SIMMONS
ByT. L. BURBANK

hOt around the open nuODe nfepldceo
nnd was comfortable. I didn't have no
fireside and il I'd got one I'd had to
set by It alone, not havin' any wife or
children. Consequences was / was
thlnkin' O. diggin out when sumpin
happened to keep me.
was ridin along a road when
peen a gal on horseback ahead o me
caught up with her ana sed How
de-" and Its fine day" and neigh
borly things like that. She was good
lookln' and cottoned TO me to onct,
asllin' me where ! come from, where
was goin and all that l tole her I'd
come from tho settlement and was
goen arter some hosses that wus need
ed there and I'd bought 'spectin' to
make a reasonable profit on EN-.
Waal we talked a lot. and got
kind a confidential. told her that
was alone IN the world and livin'
among married people. She allowed 1t
was kind lonesome livin alone.
axed her II that was her fix and she
allowed IL was. We got thicker and
thicker and at last ! up and fired a
/ question at her IL she would hitch ontaf
me and set up a home with me.
She said It was kind o. suddent. but
want bad idee. aud she'd think il
over She was livin' with an aunt on
sheep ranch and was goin' there
then If Ia wait a spell she might
decide to double up, and If she did Ia
hear from her When we come to the
cross roads we separated and l went
ON and bought my hosscs.
Comm back with dozen hosses.
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, loolSin
down the road we crossed, we saw a
lot O. men gallopln' toward MS. 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 oul
hosses away
The day arter I got back Mary Sim
mons, the gal overhauled ON tn,
road come into the settlement anc
when she found me said she'd been
thinkin' o. my proposition and was
favoraby inclined TO It, but It seemed
unnatural TO make up with man on
such n small acquaintance and she
list thort that n she could get SOME
sort Of n job in the settlement fol
awhile SOS we could do some courtin
It would be all right tole her th'
only thing knowed there was plent,
Of washin'. aud she said she was
good washer aud ironer. SO ! go
board for her at Mrs. Finnegan's, sh
payin' her own board and keepln' in
dependent.
There had been so much hoss stealir
goin on that we concluded 70 keep NJ
the hosses in the settlement in on
barn when not usin' EN-. and W
wouldn't keep 'em in any one bar
two nights runnin' We thort that 4
that way we'd keep the thieves fron
fndin' list where the hosses was ant
they wouldn't know where TO 20 +
get EN- But one night they run Il
on MS and made straight for the bar
where the hosses WAS There har
pened to be only six hosses in the sci
tlement that night, but the thieves so
'em all
There wasn't no more hosses tooke
for ten days. and then we lost anoti
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 hcered an,
thing Of 'em How they'd come
find out where we KEEP the stock NJ
body could imagine. There wasn't M
body IN the settlement but owne
some stock themselves, aud the
wasn't likely 10 give information
xustlers about EN-.
7, bein' someat IN the hoss tradh
line and havin lost some hosses. a
lowed I'd 60 and get some more.
seen Mary the night afore ] went an
got her to promise that when ] g
back she'd marry me. So l wei
away feeln' better'n I'd felt for a lor
while
Waal. I bought my hosses and star
Sd back alone with 'em, cause
couldn't get no one to come with m
allowed I'd sleep in the stable vii
'em till the stealin' was over and 2
bead on one on EN-. When I g
near the crossroads / sor woms
there. and when I come near her WI
should il be but my promised brid
7 didn't have time to ask her VIII
she was dom there when some m'
vode up from different places. al
Mary said TO me. motionin' to one
EN-:
"Allow me to introduce my hu
band"
And allow me" said the feller,
n. relieve you Of your bosses"
They TUX the whole lot Of EN-. a
Mary rode away with 'em too.
a. didn't keer so 1o1ch fog the stock. b
10 be treated that away by the wo
'rt an expected 20 marry was like piz,
~ OF course it was Mary. in leag
~ with the thieves. who got word to >,
~ Just where the animals was kept eve
ne night As rode on 10 the settlems
Ii b;meby ] begun TO get mad WI
tic got there l got up posse to hr
se them rustlers often the face Of
in earth. Aud I KEEP my word We K
lil ed an Of 'em but Mary. hut | ma
ps her a widder with my own hand.
OF
he r-Dn NJ A mo