The Monticellonian., 1917-05-17
POOR DEAR EMILY
By IZoLA FORESTER.
.:.:.:.:s:s:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:e:.s.3..s:.;...:s:


 
 Emily Greeley had been q special care on the entire family's mind ever l since she had passed thirty without approaching the privileges and honors of wedleek. Brothess and sisters fell in love and married from the Greeley homestead with customary regularity through Emily's girlhood and young womanhood. And Emily helped them start off in life with tact and cheerful ness. Though she had chances" she cast them aside and hiked life's high way in state of solitary enjoyment and freedom that left the family stunned with helplessness.
 Therefore it came as shock when Emily announced that she had drawn as first prize in a puzzle contest d homestead grant out in Idaho.
 T am sure it must be very charm ing place to live in," said Emily, hap oily.
 But you can't live out there alone" said Mr. Greeley, blandly. Be req sonable, my dear Emily"
 With big dog and revolver, can live anywhere" replied Emily, calmly
 Just three weeks later Emily took her departure. accompanied only by link, her big collie and a brand new automatic. Four days later she stepped off the train at Arapahee, Idaho, and sized up the aggregate of local talent visible to the naked eye. There were three carryalls, one blackboard and four bronehos. Her two trunks and four packing cases occupied the bag gage truck. Five individuals sat there on.
 ''Is there such a thing as a hotel in this place?" she asked of the five. col lectively. "Where is a person supposed to put up. and does anybody know where Ballyho gulch is?'
 There was stir of interest among the five. Spike MacDougall rose and came toward the lady settler. He ex- plained, courteously, that Arapahoe had no official place for housing tram sient guests, and that the gulch was matter of 16 miles northwest, but that, if she wanted to, she Could probably put up at the Kenton place, four miles out of town. Spike added, modestly, that he'd take her over in the carry all, and they could manage the two trunks oil top of the carryall. The packing cases would have to come later.
 Emily hardly heard him. Her atten- ton was fixed on a man who came at a dead gallop down the wide, dusty street. He was tall. broad shouldered and heavy set. The newcomer and Emily looked each other over with calm, approving scrutiny before he sauntered into the telegraph office. She caught his deep baritone voice perfect ly as he gave his message.
 'You can wire back East to those sons of guns that that land transfer up at the gnleh has been declared Illegal by the court here and it don't hold good. I am prepared to protect my rights on it in any and all ways. Sign it Scott King"
 
 pursed her lips. As she climbed into the carryall beside Spike she asked casually who the young man was on the strawberry plnto
 "That's King, former owner of the Caribou ranch up in the Ballyho gulch. He lost it one night in poker game with some strangers, and they turned it over into cold cash with an Eastern syndicate running some advertising scheme"
 Three months later she rode up the mountain trail from the gulch beside Scott King
 Its no place for q woman to live alone" he said. i've stood all this nonsense about your being a free and capable individual who can look after herself quite as long as I'm going to. You used me for doormat ever since you came here, Emily, and took my land away from me"
 .I didn't take it away from you. won it in a fair, legal contest" re- sponded Emily calmly, "and I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I think your timber men are blufling. If they try any midnight excursions over my line, cutting out my best trees they'll get all that's coming to them"
 As they came into a clearing where a sudden vista of the mountainside opened up, Scott caught sight of a lifting wing of smoke.
 They've started it" he cried. You ride back and rouse everybody on the road to Arapahoe. I'll get the Benson boys and fight this.'
 But I want to come too," said Emily.
 "You do as I tell you" he retorted shortly, and for the first time in her life Emily Greeley obeyed man.
 IL was week later that the family received the announcement of Emliy's marriage to one Scott King.
 "The ranch was his in the first place." she wrote. He lost it and won it. Now he's won me, so we're partners in fair deal. and I'm nor coming East this year"
 Copyright, l9l7 by the Mcclure Newspa per. Syndicate)