Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-07

tell me, and crying makes me SUCH .
trump. never felt % plain. And the
eyes OF young man ore often brutally
frank to women.
Don't mind about me. Billy. Say
what you've come to toll me-"
'Been settin' It ready to say ever
since I started for England. Look
here, mum. want to 90 back 70 the
beginning. to when was . kid. an
mother KEEP that hash house In Abb.
lene. Dye mind IL l speak-1 mean
about this here Polly?"
I set my teeth and hoped he would
be quick.
well, ye sec. mum. she only done it
for joke. and the way Jesse treated
her"
II can't hear thia."
you don't mind II I say that moth
or and me haven't no use for Jssse!"
81 know that"
"Well. mother put her up to the
idea. To get shut Of him. she sham
med dead. I helped. say she done
right, mum. II ahe'd let It 90 at that
ia take her side right now"
"Billy, vas that q real marriage?"
1T was that. She's Jesse's wife all
right"
There was something which hraced
me in his callous frankness. Il hoped"
I said. go on"
well, mother hated Jesse some
thin chronic. Afterward when-well.
she had to run for the British possess
sions, and we met up with Jesse again
by accident. He give US shack and
Some land. but mother an me had our
pride. How would you like to take
charity? Mother hated him still
worse. and don't you imagine I'd go
back on her. She's my mother.
"Then you married Jesse. OF course
mother and me both knew that Polly
was alive. Father knew, too-and
father was around when no one but us
ever seen him. We knew that Polly
was alive, and mother would have
given Jesse dead away. only we stop
ped her. Father said It was none of
our business. Father liked Jesse,
thought the world Of you. so when
mother wrote to Polly, we'd burn her
letters"
What An escape for us!
"Then you saved mother from burn
ing In that shack, and afterward she
hated Jesse worse, because she
couldn't hit him for fear of hurting
Won. OH, she was mad because she'd
got fond Of you.
"And you took US into your ranch.
Charity again. and you sailin' under
Protestant colors. both Of yez. The
way mother prayed for Jesse was
enough to scorch his bones" Billy
chuckled. Il amt religious drink,
and mothers professin' Catholic cuts
no figure with me:
"Then there's the hghtin' between
fathers gang and Jesse's. Dad got
hung, Jesse got the dollars. Rough.
common, noaccount, white trash. like
mother an me. hears Jesse expound-
ing the Scriptures. We amt got no
feelings same az you"
Poor lad! Poor savage gentleman!
"You saved me from numbering
Jesse and got me away from that
ranch. Since then I've followed the
sea. There's worse men there than
Jesse. seen worse grub. worse treat.
ment. worse times In general since
quit the ranch Five years at sos"
There was the glamour. the great
ness Of the sea in this lads eyes, just
a. In JessSs eyes. Sailors may be
rugged, brutal, de1ce-not vulgar.
Men reach out into spaces where We
sheltered women cannot follow.
Suppose I've grown" said Billy.
We'll, mum. got . notion to 90 home.
Signed as A. B. in four.masted bark
Clan Innes out O. Glasgow. for vancou-
yer with general cargo. quit her at
Vancouver. made Ashcroft BY @. p. r.,
blind baggage mostly, then hit the
road afoot. thought I'd take my d.
parture from the Fifty-Nine."
The old bush trails"
lizard goin'. but then expected OF
course, mother'd be there 1T the
ranch. and you. mum. an Jesse. Of
course, and"
You must have found things
! changed when you got to the ranch"
Didn't get there. I'd news ct Hat
Creek, and KEEP the road main north.
Mother wasn't at the ranch any more.
She'd poisoned Jesse's bear. Oh, mum.
! don't want % hurt"
Go on, dear lad"
''Motherd took up with Polly at
Spite House."
| Spite House?'
ITS the Ninety-Nine Mile House
There's sign board right caross the
road:
| THE NINETY-NINE
~. MRS. JESSE SMITH
HOTEL, STORE. LIVERY.
"she did that to spite Jesse. and
they call the place Spite House"
Spite House! How right Father ia
red was. Sword versus dragon" he
| told US. "is heroic; sword versus
cockroach is heroics. Don't draw your
sword on . cockroach."
This much I tried to explain ia
young O'F1ynn. whose Irish blood has
| q fine sense Of humor. But the smile
! he gave me was one of pity, turning
my heart to ice. Jesse" he said
made that mistake. That's why I've
come six thousand miles 10 warn you
Howly Mother. il I'd only the eddica
ton to talk 90 I'd be understood!
|