Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1918-08-09

She went over to her dihldently.
Hesltatingly she laid her Rnuntleted
hand on Marthy's stopped shoulder.
she did not say anything. Mnrthy did
not move under her touch, except to
turn her dull glance upon Senbeck.
"C'm In" she said stolidly. "what'd
yuh come ferf"
Miss Macdonald will perhaps ex-
plain"
"she amt got nothin' 10 expinin,"
said hard old Marthy with grim ANAL
ity. "Tll do what explnlnln's to be
done. Crm In. Don't stand there like
n stump. And shut tho door. It's
cold as n barn here, anyway"
"Oh. Marthy !" cried Billy Louise,
with the sound Of tears In her voice.
"Don't oh Marthy me-" said the
harsh voice fatty. ~ don't want no
Mnrthyin' nor nc sympathy. Well. old
man. you're here to colleck, l s'pose.
Take what's In sight faint none of II
yourn, fairs I know, but anything you
claim you kin have, fer all me. I've
lived honest all my days an worked
fer what ! got. I've harbored thieves
In my old age and trusted them that
want III TO be trusted. I've allus paid
my debts, Seabeck. I'm wlllln' to pay
10Y fer beln' n fool"
"w-where's Chnrlle7" Billy Louise
leaned and whispered the question.
~ dino, and l don't care. He's
pulled out-hlm nm that breed. I'll
have Z pay yuh for seven growed
cattle I never seed TIL ylst'day, Sea-
beck. You can set yer own price on
'em. ] mint sure, but I've got ar ldee
they was shot las night an dumped
In the river. You en- set yer price.
I've got rheumatic so bad I couldn't
go n put n stop to nothln'-but-"
"Oh, Marthy !" Billy Louise was
%shlverIng and crying now. "Marthyi
Don't be $3.50 hard. II was all Char
lie"
ayes" said Marthy hnrsh.y. ut was
all Charlie. He was n thief, an was
sech a supplemented old fool I never
knowed what he was. I let him 90
ahead, an / set In the house with q
white apurn tied on me an thought I
was havin' an ensy time. I set here
and let him rob my ne'ghbors that l
amt never harmed ey cheated out or
n cent, and soonN Re thought he was
found out, he left ole Marthy TO look
after herself. Never 70 much as fed
the hogs or done the mllkln' first
Looky here, Senbecki You'll git paid
back. an I'll tnke your figgers fer what
| owe. but II you git after Charlie,
Ill-klll yuh. You let i'm go. I'm the
one he hurt most-and | amt goln'-"
She laid her frowsy old head on her
arms, like n who Is utterly crushed
md dumb.
"Oh. Marthy!" Billy Louise knelt
and threw her arms around Mnrthy's
shoulders.
Marthy's chin began to CULVER. Her
lips sngged with the pull Of her aching
heart. For the third time In her life
Billy Louise saw big, slow tears gather
In Marthy's hard blue eyes and slide
down the lenthery senms In her cheeks.
Billy Louise looked, found her vision
blurring with her own tears, and
turned from the room.
Seabeck was gone somewhere on his
horse. Billy Louise guessed shrewdly
; that he was down In the meadows.
looking over the cnttle and trying to
. estimate the extent OF the thlevery.
She put Blue in the stable and fed
, him, with that ha~lf-mechanlcal habit
! Of attending TO the needs Of ones
mount which becomes second nature to
b the rnnge-bred. She would not go on
TO the Wolveripe that needed no de-
%clslon; she accepted II at once as a
fact. Marthy needed her now more
than anyone. More even than Ward.
though Billy Louise hated to think
OF him there alone and practically
, helpless. But Marthy must have her
9 tonight. Mnrthy was facing her bit
terest sorrow since Mlnervey died. and
Marthy was old. Ward, Billy Louise
reminded herself sternly, was not old,
and he was fnclng happlness-so far
0 as he or anyone knew. She wanted
very much to be with Ward, but she
could not delude her conscience into
believing that he needed her more
Q than did Mnrthy.
suA ~ Awvu~rnrvVa.