The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-12-27

years, and its crumbling shacks, only
one of which seemed to have survived
In habltable entirety, scattered among
the frs Of the gulch.
At the top of the rise the horsewom-
an drew rein and shaded her eyes
with gantleted hand. On n bench
beside the door on the single tenanted
cabin n man was sitting. and she saw
him stand TO answer her hund-wave.
A few minutes later the man, gaunt
young fellow with one arm in sling
and the pallor of long confinement
whitening his face and hands, was try
ing to help the horsewoman to dis
mount in the cabin dooryard, but she
pushed him aside and swung out of
the saddle nnaided, laughing at him
out of the slate-gray eyes and saying !:
How often have got to tell you that
you simply can't help q woman out Of
u mans saddle?"
The man smiled Mt that
|, 'Tt's automatic" he returned. 'T
shall never get over wanting to help
you, guess. Have you come to tel!
me that I can goT"
Flinglng the bride reins over the
head Of the wlry little cow-pony which
was thus left free to crop the short,
sweet grass of the creek valley, the
young woman led the man to the house
bench and made him sit down.
"You are frightfully anxious to go
and commit suicide, aren't your" she
teased, sitting beside him. Every time
/ come it's always the same thing:
When can / goT You're not well
yet"
I'm well enough to do what I've
got to do, Corona; and until it's done.
: Besides, there Is Jibbey."
i"Where is Mr.. Jlbbey this morning?"
HE has gone up the creek, fishing.
I made him go. If didn't take club
to him now and then he'd hang over
me all the time. There never was
another man like him, Corona. And
at home we used to call him the black
sheep and the failure and cross the
street to dodge him when he'd been
drinking too much"
He says you've made q man of
him; that you saved his life when you
had every reason not to. You never
told me that, John"
"No; I didn't mean to tell anyone.
But to think of his coming out here
to nurse me, leaving Verda on the
night he married herl A brother Of
my own blood wouldn't have done It."
The young woman was looking up
with shrewd little smile. "Maybe
the blood brother would do even that,
IL you had just made 1t possible for
him to marry the girl he'd set his
heart on, John"
"Piflew growled the man. And
then: Hasn't the time come when
you can tell me little more about
what happened to me after the doctor
put me to sleep that night at the
DAMP?
"Yes. The only reason you haven't
been told was because we didn't want
you to worry; we wanted you 10 have
Il chance to get well and strong again"
The mans eyes filed suddenly. and
he took no shame. He was still shaky
enough In nerve and muscle to ex-
cuse 1t. "Nobody ever had such
friends, Corona" he said. "You all
knew I'd have to go back to Lawrence
Vile and fight It out, and you didn't
want me to go handicapped and half
dead. But how did they come to let
you take me away? I've known Mac
nuley ever since was In knickers. He
Is not the man to take any chances"
The young woman's laugh was
'Mr. Macauley wasn't
asked. He thinks you are Dead" she
said.
"Whatw
'Tt's so. You were not the. only one
wounded in the fight at the dam.
There were two others-two of
MGraw'S men, Three days later inst