The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-03-07
CHAPTER XVII-continued.

as he was coming up to the house
"Well, how bad is it, Mr.. Seabeck?'
she asked sharply, just because she
felt the imperative need of factS-ShC
who had struggled so long in the quick
sands of suspicion and doubts and
fears and suspense.
"Hmmm-mm-how bad is tin the
house" he cOuntered. "The real crime
has been committed there, ii seems to
me. A few head of cattle, more or less,
don't count for much against the bro
ken heart of an old woman"
"Oh!" Billy Louise, her hands
clenched upon the gate, stared up
wide-eyed into his face And this was
the real SeabeCk, whom she had known
lmpersOnally all her life! This was
the real man of him, whom she had
never known: n flawless dian Ond of n
soul behind those bright blue eyes and
that pointed, graying beard; poet, phi
losOpher, gentleman to the bone. "Oh !!
You saw that, too! And they're your
cattle that were stolen! You say it
oh, yOure-yOure-"
"IImm-mm-a human beirg, l hope,
Miss Macdonald, as well as mere
cattleman."
Marthy did not attempt to rise when
Seabeck followed Billy Louise into the
sitting room. She caught up her apron
and wiped her eyes. After that she
faced Seabeck with harsh composure
and waited for the settlement.
"Hmm-mm! | have been looking
over the cattle" he began, sitting on
the edge of chair and turning his
black hat absently round and round by
the brim. "YOu-mm-mm-yOu tell
me there were seven head of grown
stock"
That they shot and thrOwed in the
river, with the brands cut out" inter-
poated Marthy stolidly. II heard 'em
say that's how they would git rid of
'em, an heard 'em shOOtin' down
there
"Hmm-mm-yes Do you know just
what"
give dry cows n two steers-long
two-year-oles, l jedged 'em to be-"
Marthy was certainly prompt enough
and explicit enough. And her lips were
grim, and her faded blue eyes hard
and steady upon the face of Seabeck.
"Hmm mm-yeS! l find also" he
went on in his somewhat precise voice
that had earned him the nickname Of
Deacon" among his punChers, that
there are more young stock vented and
rebranded than / er - sold your
nephew. Fourteen head, to be exact.
With the cattle you tell me which
were-mm-m-tliSpo of last night,
that would make twenty-one head of
stock for whiCh-mm-mm-I take it
you are willing to pay"
81 ain't got the money now" Marthy
stated, too apathctiC to be either de-
fiant or pIaCating you en- fix up the
papers t. suit yourself. I'll sign any
thing yuh want"
"Hmm-mm-ycS A note covering
the amount, with legal rate of interest,
will bc-Quite satisfactory, Mrs. Neil
Ike. l shall make Il lump sum at the
going price for mixed stock. If you
have a blank note, I"
"You kin look in that desk over
there" permitted Marthy. "If yuh don't
find any there, there amt none no.
where"
Seabecl did not find any blank notes.
He found an eloquent confusion of
jumblcd letters and accounts and pa
perS, and guessed that the owner had
done some haSty sorting and straight
ening of his affairs. He sighed. and
his blue eyes hardened for a minute.
Then Billy Louise moved from the door
and went over to kneel comfortingly
beside Marthy, and Spabeck looked at
the two and sighed again, though his
eyes were no longer stern. He
pulled a sheet of paper toward him
and wrote steadily in n prim, upright
chirography that had never a flourish
anywhere, but carefully crossed is and
carefully dotted is and punctuation
marks of beautiful exactnesS.
"YOu will pleace sign here, Mrs.
Meillie," he said calmly, coming over
smoothly upon last-year's best-seller
and with Charles fountain pen in his
other hand. And if Miss Macdonald
will also sign, as an indOrser, think
can safely do away with any mort
gage or other legal security"
Billy Louise stood up and gave him
one lOOk-which Seabeck did not ap-
preciate, because he did not see it.
I'D ruther give mortgage" Marthy
said uneasily, sitting up suddenly and
looking from one to the other. Il don't
want Billy Louise to git tangled up in
my troubles. She's got plenty of her
own. Her maws just died, Mr.. Sea-
beck. And I'll bet there was a hos
pital n doctors bill bigger'n this cat
tie note, to be paid. l don't want to
pile on"
"Now, Marthy, you be still. I'm per-
fectly willing to sign this note with
you. If 1t will satisfy Mr.. Seabeck,
I'm sure it's the very best we can do
or-expect." Billy Louise, bless her
heart, was trying very hard to be CRATE
Aui W OCuDCSh III SpllC VI llle Siuulp
he had suffered in her estimation.
"Well, I'll want your written word
that yuh won't prosecute Charlie nor
help nobody else prosecute him." stipu-
lated Marthy, with sudden shrewdness.
IF men Billy Louise signs this note,
we'l pay it; and we want some per-
lection from you, fer Charlie"
"Hmmm-mm-I see I" He turned and
went back to the Uttered desk and
wrote carefully again upon another
sheet of paper. II think this will be
quite satisfactory" he said, and hand
ed the paper to Marthy.
"Git my specs, Billy Louise-Off'n
the shelf over there" she said, and
read the paper laboriously, her lips
forming the letters of every word
which contained more than one Syl-