The Press., 1916-01-12
Indisputable
Evidence
A Christmas Story
BY IDA SPEED
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.

When Miss Cec1lla cary come 10 tnlS
western country from back east to
teach music she was regarded as a
rank outsider.
Old man Seeberger, whose word amt
worth 10 cents. but whose signature
is worth all of $4,000, said the
first Sunday she sung before preachin'
that when she got up on them high
notes she put him in mind of bronze
when it's been throwed and gifts to
gaspin' and wheezin' as the rope is
frightened.
But old man Seeberger's opinion was
not shared by all the male population
of Clanahans, for them boys shore
swarmed. and, rattle the palmer and
boiler her vocal singin' as she would,
she couldn't git 'em to settle.
She went 20 boardin' with the Wild
ow Hughes when she first come. Bill
Hughes was gittin' up some horses one
day and was dom fast piece OF ridin'
when his mount turned over with him.
Gopher hole, you know, Bill under the
whole works.
Never spoke afterward, and in two
hours his pretty young wife was known
as the Widow Hughes, and in spite OF
much persistent courtin' she's known
as that yet.
It looked once like her and Red Mar
tin was goin' to make hitch up of it.
but that seemed to fizzle out, and he
was one of the leaders with Miss Cary
when she first come, for Red is the
leadin' kind.
He done in this case same as he had
with several women before-hit the
trail to Arizona with a herd, right
when he seemed to have a walkover,
and Hick Fuller and Sam Hartman took
his place so complete he never was
missed:
Now, maybe you've noticed how a
woman does about a solitary diamond
ring, If her folks give 1t to her OF she
buys it herself she'll always try to let
on like it come from her beau.
II a Teller gives it to her she'll init
mate that it's present from her pa.
So nobody knew where nor just when
| Mrs. Hughes come by her ring. In fact,
| very little was said or thought about
| it, as Bill had a accident policy, until
| she raised great hue and cry about it
bein' stole.
Chances are few for robbery here,
where everybody knows everybody else
and there amt no suspicious charae-
tiers, such as crooks, hoboes, promoters
| and the like, so it shore looked plumb
| odd when Miss Cecilia Cary moved
| over to the Citizens hotel to board and
| simultaneous begun to wear dia-
| mond the size as the one the widow
Hughes had lost only in Woman's
ring instead of heavy settin' like
Minnie Hughes had wore:
1 This would not have looked so bad
| by itself, but Adolph Warner. who was
the postmaster and express agent,
knew that Miss Cecilia had sent Oft a
small registered package one day just
before she changed her boardin' place.
| I He said he remembered it particular,
because while she was waitin' for her
receipt at the postofice window Red
Martin got up from off the cracker box
he was settin' on back by the stove and
told her if she was ready to go he
would walk home with her, as he was
leayin' as soon as the rest of the outfit
come by.
Il n Adolph said she told Red all right
and that she was goin' to be on the
move that day too.
Red says, "Where to-"
And she tells him the Citizens hotel
and he says, Good" and then Adolph
handed the receipt to her. and they
walked out together.
Some days later she gifts a express
package about the size of the one she
sent off by mail, and then she comes
out In that diamond ring.
Well, Minnie Hughes never accused
nobody, but she limited powerful. and
i folks come to cool off on Miss Cecilia.
She never seemed to notice it, but
inst played her hand with Sam and
Kick, who stood by her manful and
knocked the whey out of Teller OF
two apiece who merely related the
facts In the case concernin' Minnie
Hughes ring.
There was some talk of takin' pupils
Isaway from Miss Cecilia, but as her pa
irons had paid six months in advance
In order to git her to come they didn't
quite give way to their feelin's to tina,
extent,
The kids she gives lessons to all was
crazy about her anyhow, and they was
all learnin' fast.
In the store one day the little Har
man girl, Sans sister, was holdin' hel
Cary, where did that pretty ring come
from?"
i Miss Cary looked around like she was
seem who'd heard, and her face got
awful red.
II haven't got any change with me,
she says to the Hartman muchacha
s"but let's see if my credit is good for q
dimes worth of peanut candy and a
dozen apples" ...... ..
And she shuts the kids mouth by
Istuffin' it full of trash to eat.
Things rocked along until Christmas,
with more talk Of that ring than any
thing else, and then folks begun to try
to decide what they'd like to have 80
as to give 1t to some of their family
or friends for a Christmas gift, and
gossip turned to the big dance that
was to come off on the night Of the
I25th, with fireworks before and after.
Christmas eve five of them peskl
cowboys from the Lazy NJ blew into
Clanahans with flourish of six shoot
ers and rope and drag off everybody
flue that they can reach, leavin' us In
a fix when the norther come up Christ
mas mornin', so that the hall where
the dance was to be pulled off, bein
the only two story buildin' in the burg
and havin' big heater in it, was re-
| sorted t9 by young and old as warm
refuge from the storm.
Hick Fuller had Miss Cecilia Carys
company for that night, and it seemed
like all the boys tried to make up for
the way the rest of the population had
| treated her.
Minnie Hughes had got so she'd