The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-24
THE EVENING STORY
Heart of JOY.
(By Maude j. Perkins.

Joy drew rem at the dip OF the Dulte
above Bon Ami ranch. She would
have to pass it on the way down to
| Ripping Ford, or take a roundabout
trail that would land her in town at
night
Back at the home ranch lay Piute
Joe with a fractured shoulder and his
ribs ripped like shavings. 1t was the
aftermath of a steer fight. And while
she didn't particularly care for Piute
| or his code of life he was too good
foreman to let die without even a run
| ming chance. So while her father had
| sworn and tried to pacify Piute with
| frequent applications of rye extract,
Joy had saddled Babe and ridden after
| a doctor.
Down near the bars she could see
| Steve. He was bridling a pony and
whistling. Babe cooked her ears, and
| whinnied shrilly, nosing the air.
Steve looked up, and waved his hat
! in the air in swift salute, and JOY
| dug her little high heels in the mares
| sides.
She would show him that she had
no intention whatever of calling at
the Bon Ami. She gathered the rein
twirled, then headed on a run for
| the corral. In front of the bars she
| stopped short.
| Steve came slowly toward them, his
| situation. JOY was scolding the pony
! and punching her with her knees, but
| Babe never stirred. Instead she went
further, and played the traitor out
right by nosing out to Steve as he
neared them.
Then JOY lost her temper. She
would not stand there and allow him
to talk to her. Rising in the stir
rups she dashed Babe for the first
time. Babe danced lightly laid her
ears back and took her medicine, but
| stood her ground
Did you want her to go along,
Joy?" asked Steve.
do you think Id turn in here Of
town. and tnok the short cut"
Pretty late for a town trip tonight.
girl. Anything wrong"
JOY hesitated, her face turned from
him. She didn't want his help or adj
DOC Cassidy's here now. Just hap
pened along, and 1 thought if you
needed him"
ooh. we do" Joy forgot her own
anger at the remembrance of that
agonized figure stretched out on the
bunk at home. "Piute's been gored
by steer Fathers afraid he's all in
this time
to be doing any favors for" said
Steve, carelessly. 81 hope that steer
amt got in ahead of me. I'd like to
finish Piute myself
''WhY?' stormy ana DlII6T JOY
waited sitting very straight in her
saddle, her face rather white. her
hands ice cold, they gripped the
slack reins. For the first time she
met Steve's eyes, and there shone in
them the full memory of their last
meeting. She had told him then
plainly that any man who rode down
to Passwords Saturday nights couldn t
travel the same trail with Babe and
her.
''who says 1 ride there?'' Steve had
asked.
II heard you did"
Its a lie, JOY"
Then where were you Saturday |
II can't tell you that, girl dear. It
was private business"
Where's your nugget pin 81
Steve's hand had reached for his
tie. The pin had been Joys birthday
gift to him. and it was gone.
81 can get it back. 1 kind of mis-
laid it."
kind of mislaid it! You know,
Steve Carteret. you gave it to Dolores
Passwords Saturday night
''Piute told you that, didn't he"
What does it matter who told me.
as long as it's true?"
And suddenly Steve had reached
for her and held her close in his arms,
his face near hers.
at amt true. You know it amt.
Joy. Piute's been trying to steal you
away from me ever since he came
here as foreman
Then tell me where you were Sat
urday night, Steve; please tell me-"
''It amt any affair of mine, Joy, so
I can't tell it. Piute knows about it,
too. He's a friend of the fellows.
same as I am, and I thought we all
stood together on it, but guess Pluto
was dealing double. I can't tell,
though"
She had asked Piute himself the
next day. as she sat mending a
snapped stirrup strap.
"Steve's just trying to square him
self" Piute drawled lazily, comfort
ably, shifting his cigarette. Il see
him let Dolores take the pin herself
out of his tie, and 1 bought it from
her afterwards, just to prove ne was
there. knew you wouldn't take my
word for it,
Maybe 1 don't even now. Hand
me that rivet punch, will you,
please?" said Joy with dignity.
''Steve's a mighty good friend of
mime
Mighty good friend to Dolores,
too" laughed Piute. and he lodged
the iron rivet punch just in time to
save his head. You little cat" he
muttered. You know it's the truth
just the same
And Joy had her doubts. Somehow
she had managed to convey to Steve :
those doubts without going into de-