Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-11-28
POOR DEAR EMILY
BY lola FORESTER.


Emily Greeley had been specia
care on the entire familys mind evel
since she had passed thirty without
approaching the privileges and honOrs
Of wedock. Brothers and sisters fel
in love and married from the Greeley
homestead with customary regularity
through Emily's girlhood and young
womanhood. And Emily helped then
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 puzzle contest q
homestead grant out in Idaho.
II am sure it must be a very charm
ing place to live in," said Emily, hap
PLY.
"But you can't live out there alone"
said Mr.. Greeley, blandly. 'Be rea-
sonable, my dear Emily"
"With a big dog and revolver, !
can live anywhere" replied Emily,
calmly.
Just three weeks later, Emily took
her departure, accompanied only by
Tink, her big collie, and brand new
automatic. Four days later she stepped
off the train at Arapahoe, Idaho, and
cizod I'M tho opurouoto ne local to1opt
visible to the naked eye. There were
three carryalls, one blackboard and
four bronchos. Her two trunks and
four packing cases occupied the bag
gage truck. Five individuals sat there
on.
as there such a thing asa hotel in
this placer" she asked Of the five, col
lectsvely. "Where is 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-
planned, courteously, that Arapahoe
had no official place for housing tran
sient guests, and that the gulch was a
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 on 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
~ as he gave his message.
"You can wire back East to those
sons Of guns that that land transfer up
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
1t Scott King"
Emils's hazel eyes narrowed and she
pursed her lips. AS she climbed into
the carryall beside Spike she asked
casually who the young man was on
the strawberry pinto.
'"That's King, former owner Of the
Caribou ranch up in the Ballyho gulch.
II ncfi% rirrh tn, rov
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. -. .
"It's no place for woman to live
alone" he said. give stood all this
nonsense about your being 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-
II didn't take it away from you. I
won it in fair, legal contest" re-
sponded Emily calmly, "and I'm quite
capable of taking care of myself. !
think your timber men are bluffing. 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 clearing where
a sudden vista of the mountainside
opened up, Scott caught sight Of
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 tell you," he retorted,
shortly, and for the first time in her
life Emily Greeley obeyed a man.
It was a week later that the family
received the announcement Of Emliy's
marriage to one Scott King.
1.-THE ranch was his in the first
place." she wrote. "He lost it and I
won it. Now he's won me, so we're
partners in fair deal, and I'm not
coming East this year."
Copyright, 1917. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)