The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-03-05

hOllie was ont feeding her cnickens
when he arrived.
i've got three other men working
here. but they aren't bit Of good
she told him. 1.-TWO look after the
sheep, and one stays around handy to
help me here at the ranch. The place
is all run down. 1t needs mans hand
and point Of view | hope you'll get
down to business and work a straight
deal with me-
Il WILL said Crittenden. That's
what ! came for"
f'ut he did not tell her how strange
It seemed. this buckling into harness
after nearly two years of inertia. He
himself hardly sensed the keen. buoy.
ant spur of responsibility.
One day Molie stopped him as she
was riding.
Things are picking up, John" She
called him John quite naturally now.
Il think Wen pull through. There's
$500 to pay by the 10th. I've got some
saved toward 1t. and | heard today
/ those new folks down the valley want
to buy sheep. We could let bunch
90. couldn't we?"
Would you mind taking in partner
| here. Miss Owen?" asked Crittenden
slowly. IL like it, and | think could
make good thing out of it. can put
In my share. and that woulC pay off
| Dewing and give us Il start"
| The color rose I'm MOllie's face. She
did not meet his eyes. 1t was not an
/ easy thing she had 10 tell him. but she
went ahead bravery.
John. want to he frank with you.
like you. You know that. don't you?"
mo. didn't" said Cri.tenden. and
the look I'm his eyes almos, made Mol.
lie lose her courage.
you're bully foreman" she added
| firmly. But would You stick? I've
heard all about you. of course
"What have you heard:'
THAT you are remittance man."
Then Crittenden told her simply
without any show of repentance or
excuse for the past He had made n
failure OF life at home. He was no
criminal. hut he had been spend
thrift and general ne'er-do-wel. He
had come to the west to try t. find
omself to learn his bent In life. to
see whether there was groove that
/ he fitted.
IL think I've found It here" he fin
lshed. This suits me. The money
told you of Is my own. am not paid
to stay away. as the men say. | have
a small, very small. income. but il
keeps me going. The trouble has been
that I ran into debt at home. Out
here the outlook Is wide. I will make
q good partner, Miss owen"
would you promise to be rs faith
ful as you have been the past three
weeks?"
'I'll promise anything IL you'll let
me stay" he retorted. with Sudden
recklessness, and Mollie at once dis
continued the personal circuit.
She took him ut his word. Dewing
was bought ont the following week.
and Crttenden became partner at the
Upper Bend. Tacitly new basis OF
friendship had been established be.
tween the two. however He rarely
came to the home ranch. but spent his
time at the sheep camp. Mollie did
not mnd-not so very much.
One morning he rode back with a
brown and yellow pansy in the button
hole of his gray fannel shirt. The
dusky petals reminded him OF Mollie's
eyes.
That evening Molie went out in the
moonlight and looked longinrly up the
valley toward the sheep camp. -four
miles away ON the mountain side. She
caught glimpse Of the possible fu.
ture and bent TO find another brown
and yellow pansy. warming 10 her fn.
ger tips at her own thoughts.
Instead. she found Crittenden's latest
letter from London. carefully folded
as Il had fallen from his pocket
She sat down ON the low stoop. chin
on palm. weighing her loves worth
In the clear moonlight Lin Dewing
found her there. Mollie har,ly listen
ed while he explained how he had rid
den fifteen miles out Of his way to SEE
her.
"1t's on account Of this here Critten
dan you've taken IN as partner. Mol