Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-04-20
CHAPTER III.
A DISTURBING SUGGESTION,

CHAPTER III.
A DISTURBING SUGGESTION.
IF Jess warn't so good lookin', Mar
tin,' said kilrain's sister to him that
Venlng after she had made ready for
him the foreman's place by the cleared
supper table, she wouldn't be so
headstrong, an if she warn't so head
strong she'd be more good lookin'-
whlch You can look at from behind side
fore. or t'other way, as you please. If
meanin' the same thing whichever way.
Jess is spoiled, and spoiled bad, am
L amt the one what's done the spoilin'"
Agnes kllraln had come to her broth
er from the east at the time when. his
Vile dying, he had been left with Jess,
d prattllng child, upon his hands.
She was a capable woman with a
VIII OF her own which, as the girl grew
up, was not always in harmony with
that OF her charge, and a tongue which
was not always in harmony with her
really kind heart. Kilrain idolized his
daughter, and stood somewhat in fear
or his slster-facts which the girl had
long since found out to her w advan-
tage.
Indeed, Jess Kilrain was something
of a puzzle to those who knew her best
she was always in hot water with
ner aunt, She leased and bullied her
ldliief' she was scornful and unkind
10 SUCK Brannon. whose heart. she
knew she held in the hollow of her
hand. NJ
she was by turns gracious and un-
gracious to the rest of the outfit. Even
70 Earle Worthing himself Jess not
lntrequently INDUCED in the caustic
!lhgs of her tongle that made her
sohlcthihS OF Il wasp in the social life
OF the Loop.
Where is JESSE" asked Kilrain of his
sister, lor she mad spoken with an I'M
USUAL disapprGyal of ner niece.
Agnes l>lltain shrugged.
where" she echoed "Tm s,r, I
dent ka3W. With the owls oui alone
on the plains, where she hadn't ouoht
TO pc. shes never indoors. Day an
tl5'it, shes always somewhere else.
j amt right, Martin. 'Tain't proper"
ki'rain's face sobered. He was an
easy going man in his own household.
ana sometimes ne might have wished
Agnes We're not quite SO determined.
The girl means no harm" he said;
but III speak to her"
Gals don't have to mean harm, 70
get INTO harm, though l amt so sure.
Martin that Jess wouldn't grapple with
the devil himself just 10 see what his
horns was made of. Jess is powerful
p~ernlckety. An you know what comes
OF hobnobbin' witt the deyil!"
'k1lraln looked up with some impa-
tlence at his sisters pertinacity. lay
ing aside the Stock Gazette he had been
making am attempt to read and pro-
ceeding to relight his pipe with one OF
the long. twisted paper lighters of
which Agnes made a supply each week,
She was herself rather aimlessly
n u M Yir Or - hNNpt ~ 49,
though eXpectant of the question her
brother vas to put.
An who's the particular devil Jess
is feelin the horns of, Agnes?"
The woman lost her INDIGESTION at the
pointed inquiry. turning abruptly.
"Blass Cardross."
"BlasS Cardross!"
"Aint o ever heard his name,
Martin k%ilrain?"
He looked at her now more than half
inclined to be angry.
"Blass Cardross is a squar man.
he said slowly. 'if he is on the wrong
track bout some things. don't see
what you drivin' at, Agnes"
She came nearer to him. any trace of
lesser irritation gone from her voice
and manner alike.
Just this. Martin. Is he square
enough to. marry the gal if he might
make her love him-or is he too fineY"
Only recently the realization that his
daughter had grown into woman's es-
tate had come upon Martin Kilrain
with a shock of surprise. Another and
u more numbing shock ran through him
now. A mother would never have been
thus taken by surprise about her
daughter. Martin kilrain was a a
Il don't like to think Of Jess mar
ryin'," he said, his face grave.
"That isn't going to keep her from
thinkin' Of tt.",
+ Helpless under this logic, he was ST.
She left him at that, going into
the kitchen. andtKilrain took UP the
Gazette once more, but he could not
read.
Where was jess?
After q time, Kilrain threw down
his paper. rose. and went out Of the
house. HIS sisters words had taken
an unpleasant hold upon his mind.
With his arms upon the gate he
stood smoking. The night was dark.
soft with the hint Of the coming sum
mer, very still and motionless over the
Towering prairies. Most Of the sur
rounding cabins were already In UNI
lightened silence, for the boys Of the
outfit were given to early turning in.
kilrain opened the gate, stepping out
into the sroad. beyond. and noiselessly
letting the latch fall back into place.
He was not conscious OF this care he
took to be unobserved. It was born on
the vague disquiet Of his mood.
Going down the lane, he reached the
lower barn lots, h orchard lying fur~
Their to his left, pungent with tho fra
GRANGE OF its full bloom. Kilrain turned
his back southwark across the prairie
TO the distant woods that formed 1t