The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-10-17

| came to marriage pure as any
bear, or wolf, or fox expecting to find
my mate the same as me, getter and
! giver of life, true to the earth. and
fearless in doin' right
Folks said / was young to marry at
nineteen, but full nine years I'd
earned my living, fought my way, and
done my share of making happiness.
| I'd been served with a mouth full
wide enough for laughin', face which
made folks smile when l was sad, eyes
to see fun, the heart to take a joke
If any offered, and when things hurt,
wasn't first to squeal. No: as long as
the joke was on me l done my best to
take it like a man.
But suppose-Well, I'd best explain
that the English tenderfoot was at our
wedding breakfast, and gettin encour-
aged, he put up his best prize Joke.
He was all hoo, hoo, hoo at first, so
funny he couldn't speak, the fellows
waitin' each with his grin gettin' stale,
and Polly laughing just to encourage
him on. Then words got out which
made the boys uneasy. Jake Haffer
ing, the Bar T foreman, told the hog
to shut up, while others moved to get
clear was sort of stupid, wanting
the point explained, couldn't believe
it possible the joke was on my wife.
although I'd rose by then, with gun
hand free. Then | saw, but the room
seemed dark, and the tendeTioot all
indistinct, backing away. and reaching
| QlnUnnlU for WI Whi1o htII
let smashed in his shoulder 1t slued
him around as he dropped
1t was old Jake of the Bar who
spoke out then, and spoke straight.
my boy" says he, put up your
gun. That's right. This here tender
foot is bleedin by spurts, arterial
Bull, see if Doc Stuart is sober" Bull
ran for the doctor. "Only a tender
foot" says Jake, insults a cowboys
wife-which is death from natural
causes. Ma'am," he wagged his finger
at Polly, "'tain't long since you come
among us. 'Tain't more'n day since
you told me and others present that
you was marryin' for fun. You laughed
at warnings, and this here Jesse would
have shot the man who warned him.
You are a lady and this boy you mar
ried for fun, is goin' to see you treated
as lady. l own he got ratified first
shot, missing this tenderfoot's heart,
which amt up tC average practice;
but it's time you began to see the
point of the joke"
They took the tenderfoot away, and
we were alone, me watching the pool
of red blood turning brown. Polly
sat drumming tunes on the table, her
face turned white, staring out through
the window at the noon heat of the
plains. | remember took a bottle of
champagne wine, filled a big goblet,
and drank it off. 1t made me laugh to
think she'd taught me drinking, SO
had another. 81 see." says Polly. 81
understand now" At that she began
to scream.
should have told you, that after
our boys of the Flying Zee quit Abb
lene, | pitched a little A tent on the
prairie back of Polly's house. Thar
| could see my ponies at grass, and
snuff the air clear of that sinking
town.
house, thar was something disturbing
my nose-something uneasy--oh, l
don't know what it was, back of all
house smells, which gave me a sense
of evil, so | could hardly bear to stay
indoors.
Comm from town one night-she'd
sent me there seen a mans shadow
cross the parlor blind. | fired, missing,
a FOOLS act, for it warned him, and
gave him time. The lamp was out be-
fore | reached the house, and Polly
with some Mysteries getting in my
way
1t wouldn't be sense to show a
match guiding the strangers aim, or
to stand against a window, or make
sounds. Rather stood right still, and
after a while Polly surprised herself
into a dead silence. | couldn't hear
that man, or feel, or see him /
sensed him. Can't explain that--no.
You just feel if man stares hard.
fired at that. Then Polly, of course,
went off into all sorts of fits.
Next morning ! tracked blood sign
to the hospital. Seems a young per-
son from the bank had took to conjur-
ing and swallowed lead.
1t was still before breakfast that
told Polly to pack her dunnage, cause
we was moving out from Abilene
claimed l could earn enough to keep
my wife without her needing to go
out into society.