The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-02-13
A SHERIFF'S
STORY
The Only Life He Took
That Troubled Him.
By WILLARD BLAKEMAN

OeSeS~e$@~SSSSe$SS 'e@e&EeHN0&%NeHND
Jake Rodman was sheriff in the
then territory of Dakota. He had land
ed more desperadoes alive and dead
than any other sheriff. but it must be
admitted that by far the larger num-
Der were dead when captured, for very
few Of them could be taken alive. Be
sides, Rodman didn't take any chances,
for an officer of the law was no more
immune from these people than any
one else. l once asked him If he had
any shrinking at killing one Of them
or any qualms afterward He replied
that if he had been built that way they
would have landed him instead of his
landing them.
But there was one killin'," he said,
that has troubled me ever since 1
wake up nights some time and get to
thinkin' about it and always feel the
same sinkin about the heart. 1t was
his way:
Before was made sheriff | was
workin' on ranch owned by a gen.
tleman as had come out from the east.
He had been banker or somep'n like
that. but had given up the business to
bring his daughter, little gal about
nineteen, who was threatened with
consumption, out here, hopin' the air
would do her good. Havin' plenty of
money. the natural thing fer him to
do was to buy a ranch and stock it.
But he didn't care nothin' about that.
except to give him somep'n to do. He
was bound up in his daughter Susie,
just as everybody else was. Talk about
heart winners, Susie could slaughter
more people that way than any one /
ever seen. There wasn't any one on
the ranch or off'n it that wouldn't
swaller dose o. lead fer her.
II never could tell jist what it was
about her that had this effec', but !
allowed the principal part Of it was
that her heart went out to every
body. When they was hankerin' to
do sumpin fer her she was worryin'
. because they was putin themselves
0ut'n their way on her account. Be
sides, delicate people allus attract
strong ones. Susie was so frail she
looked as If the fust good wind that
blew would carry her away. But be-
sides all this thur was somep'n win
min about her that no one could reck-
on on.
II got ahead of every one else with
her this way: owned a blooded mare
that was as easy managed as a kitten
and could git along like the wind
Nothin' Susie liked better'n to ride on
horseback, but she wouldn't ride any
other horse than my Kate. l used to
go with her lots o. times, fer her ia
Their wouldn't let her go alone and
didn't like to have her go under the
care O. any one else. ] was only about
ten years older than Susie and I'M
married; but, laws, I'd as soon cal
cuIated on maxim love to some gal as
, come down from heavenl But this
didn't matter nohow, fer there was
young gent as he'd left college to go
" AduCu1H L1ldL 0uO1C Ad0 AuCS anu
tumbled to. In our rides together she
got confidential with me and tole me
all about it; tole me when the Teller
hisself didn't know nothin' at all about
it. In fac l was the only puss0n as
knowed it except the little gal herself.
'4This young mans, Dick Walcott's,
ranch was matter O. fifty miles from
ourn, which was known as the Court
ney ranch from Shsie's father, who
owned it. But Walcott used to come
over quite frequent, maxim excuses
all the time, to see Susie. Gosh, how
the young Teller was wrapt up In herl
He would any time have crawled on
the ground before her. She tole me
she didn't let on she cared any more
fer him than any one else. because she
wasn't strong and healthy and wasn't
willin' to pull any man down by mar
ryin' him. Jist think o. this angel
confdin' this to rough Teller like me
when nobody else knowed It'll
''There was one o the herders In Mr..
Courtney's employ that was bad egg.
He TUX some sort o. malice agin young
Walcott. ] didn't know the reason at
first. jist reckoned that Walcott had
treated him like the galoot he was.
This herder. Jim Stiggs. was not only
a powerful man, but was one o. the
quickest and straightest shots ever
seen. allus allowed that If had a
dispute with him / wouldn't do much
sleepin'. but would keep my right eye
on him continually till the fracas was
settled l was sorry he'd turned agin
Walcott, for Walcott was no match
fer him whatever-more of Teller to
handle books than revolvers Mind
you, ! wasn't thinkin' of Walcott
was fearful for Susie. KNOWN mighty
well that If anything happened to him
it would knock her into smithereens.
well, one day the secret Of Stiggs'
dislike came out with vengeance.
Susie came to me all Of a-dutter and
a-wringin Of her hands and said:
".Jim Stiggs has left here to go to
the Walcott ranch to kill Dick. Stiggs
has made love TO me-
"'WhatI That galoot made love to
your
eyes; and of course wouldn't lis
ten to it. He has inferred how feel
toward Dick. and he went away say
ing he would kill Dick this very night.
Can't you do something to stop himY
How long has he been goneY
q NEARLY two hours
"'Why didn't you tell me beforeY
81 didn't think of telling you
without another word / ran to the
barn and got out Kate, saddled her,
mounted and was about to ride away
when Susie came up pantin'. She put
her arms about Hates neck and said,
Kate, dear. take him in time to save
him-for my sake-and I'll love you
forever
mot wishin' to lose time. broke
away from her. / seen blood on her
lips, and knowed the excitement or
the runnin' to the barn or both had
brought on hemorrhage
Don't kill Kate heard Susie say.
and that was the last, for then was
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