Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-01-03

There vas something which braeed
me In his caIIous frankness I hoped .
said Go on
Well. mother hated Jesse some
thin chronic Afterward when-weI.
she had to run for the British possess
sions. and we met up with Jesse again
by accident He give us a shack and
some land. but mother an me had cur
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, L
thought the world OF you, so when
mother wrote to Polly, we'd burn her
letters
What an escape for u.s.
Then you saved mother from burn
ing in that shack, and afterward she
ndIeQ Jesse worse. because Sne
couldn't hit him for fear of hurting
you. Oh. she was mad because she'd
got fond of you.
And you took US into your ranch
Charity again. and you saiiin' under
Protestant colors. both of yez. The
way mother prayed for Jesse was
enough to scorch his bones.' Billy
chuckled. Il amt religious drink,
in,
no figure with me.
Then there's the fightin' between
fathers gang and Jesses. Dad got
hung. Jesse got the dollars. Rough,
common, no-account, white trash, like
ing the Scriptures. We amt got no
feelings same as 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. 1 seen worse grub. worse treat
ment, worse times in general since 1
quit the ranch. Five years at sea"
There was the glamour. the great
ness of the sea in this lads eyes, just
as in Jesse's eyes. Sailors may be
rugged, brutal, fierce-not vulgar.
Men reach out into spaces where we
sheltered women cannot follow.
Suppose I've grown, said Billy.
We'll, mum, got a notion to go home.
Signed as A. B. in a four-masted bark
Clan Innes out o. Glasgow, for Vancou-
yer with general cargo. l quit her at
Vancouver, made Ashcroft by c. P r.,
blind baggage mostly then hit the
road afoot. I thought I'd take my de-
parture from the F'ifty-Nine.'
The old bush trail?"
Hard goin', but then l expected, of
course, mother'd be there at 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 at Hat
Creek, and KEEP the road main north.
Mother wasn't at the ranch any more.
Shed poisoned Jesse's bear. Oh, mum.
1 don't want to hurt
Go on. dear lad
"Mother'd took up with Polly at
Spite House."
Spite House?"
It's the Ninety-Nine Mile House
There's sign board right across the
road:
The NlNETY-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. lis heroic. sword versus
cockroach is heroics. Don't draw your
sword on cockroach."
This much / tried to explain to
young O'F1ynn, whose Irish blood has
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 to warn you.
Howly Mother, if I'd only the eddica-
ton to talk so I'd be understood
I'm going to try another course.
See here, mum You've heard tell of
Cachalot whales They runs say
eighty tons for full Wholesome hun
dred fifty horsepower. dunno how
many knots, full of fight to the last
& @1lasaz 20 - ~
SaS88 sa@sasE