The Colorado statesman., 1915-01-23
COURSE OF true Love
BY JENNIE H. OLIVER.
(Copyright.)


tory. 1t came out of blur of angry,
evening red, with wild sheets Of
screaming, white rain from the murlT,
boiling river. Under it the little cabin
covered like beaten hound-even the
three shadows within looming gro
tesquely backward from the fireplace,
shrinking and flaring fitfully as the
eddying flame sprang upward and
strung itself like rubies on threads of
cobweb swaying from the blackened
rafters
Between crashes of deafening thun-
Ger two of the shadows talked logged
ly and persistently.
"Yes, Steve" said one. lifting his
shrewd, calculating features in vain
endeavor to suck into life his neg
lected pipe, "yuh ricollict whut l told
yuh last time yuh asst fer Retta-May.
Conditions is jist tn same now, and
allus will be.
Gurus, Steve, yuh KANT remember
that old Ike Pedigrew don't say things
fer tn fun of hit. Twenty year / ben
wantin' that north forty. Yer daddy
and l fit hand tub hand over hit; hut
he died year too soon. Lived, an
I'd had him. Reckon I've got yuh.
Steve. instid-fer hits that north
forty, er no Retta-May."
They amt no jestice in hit, Ike"
cried the young man hotly. Hits
plum robbery. Howm l goin' to take
keer O. Retta eff give up the only part
O. my land that's wuth workin'?'
81 haint astin' yuh to take keer on
her; jest tub figger on that land with
me. Ef thar's my other way tub do
hit, so much the better, fer I've got
other plans for Retta-May. Not that
hit hain't fitten fer her tub bring me
somethin' fer her raisin', as her sisters
never done.
"They was salleT and skinny; but,
land, look at Retta-May; Blue and
peenk and gold-slim and straight;
strong as young painter. Eff she
hain't wuth more tub yuh than the
north forty, why, yuh don't hev tub
take her-that's ALL"
There was a sudden, fierce outburst
of the storm, as if the very prince of
demons had broken loose; and under
its clutching hand the stanch little
structure shuddered and ratified fear
somely. Dark streams of rain crawled
in from the sill-less door, and the girl
rose silently to sweep back the flood
and block its further entrance with an
old ragged coat.
"'Tain't jest, Ike fumed the young
man when at last he could make him
afI MI,
and mebbe gas on that paster-ridge,
and that I'm raisin' money tub work
hit. Yuh think l didn't see yuh with
that passel O. prospectors from Little
Rock, but I did. And hits mine, Ike
Pedigrew, and I don't low tub give
hit up. I low tub dress Retta like
, queen when l builds her a new house
up under that bunch O. pine,"
well, Steve" answered the old man
provokingly, slowly sucking at his re-
lighted pipe. 81 reckon hit'll turn out
by y'ur buildin' one on stills for her
over on the south forty under them
elms. Reckon yuh'll hev tub raise
rice tub keep her, fer I'm goin' tub hev
that north forty-that, er she marries
Jake Dempsey.
Don't make much difference tub
me. Jake offered me mighty nigh as
good a forty, and a fine Jersey COW
Jake fer relation-he hain't so blamed
obstinate"
Pedigrew laughed disagreeably, and
bent to throw on another log.
Reckon yuh see how hit is, Steve,
he went on, after he had gone to stuff
up broken shutter and stop the swirl
of red embers that enveloped them for
breathless moment. "Y'ur north
forty and mine bumps heads at
mighty convenient bend in the river.
Now, whin I git busy with them COM
modities that natur' has packed in
thar, kin mighty easy make use O.
natures waterway tub pack 'em off
tub companies that needs 'em. Reck-
on old man Pedigrew won't be a rich
man then-no, reckon mott"
"Whut eff Retta and / takes things
in our own hands, Ike? Whut ef-"
"I'll tell yuh. Steve, whut eff. Retts-
May'n marry Jake Dempsey in the
mawnin', list as soon's hit is good and
light. Asst him and Jestice Potter over
to witness the windin' up-be handy
tub hev 'em inyway the cat jumps.
Mother thing, Retta-May hain't her
own boss by two year and then some.
Retta-May hain't ben outen this yard
sense yuh an I tangled up in this
deal. Guess I hold the whup-hand,
Steve"
I The young man dropped his face in
US hands and sat for some time in
deep thought. The roaring light
sprang rudely over his dark head,
over the old mans hard, shrewd eyes,
and the girls beauty Around them
roared and walled and crashed the
tireless fury of the storm. Finally