The Nevada County picayune., 1918-03-21
CHAPTER xVlI-continued.

tho doorway, uet hiii "' ~ S
 n w he was coming up to the house.
 swolI how bad is it, MT. Seabeck?"
 ,. asked sharply, just because she
 ,a,. ,I, tbe imperative need of facts-she
 i... had struggled so long in the quick
 @ "nas of suspicion and doubts and
 fears and suspense
 ''s%ummm-mm-how ''s, bad is it-in the
 ao,n he countered "The real crime
 s0s heen committed there, it seems to
 mo mo- A few head of cattle, more or less,
 sor,t count for much against the bro-
 ssn heart of an old woman"
 aohn Billy Louise, her hands
 .enched upon the gate, stared up
 v,de.eyed into his face. And this was
 .ha real Seabeck, whom she had known
 ,mnersonally all her lifel This was
 .,a real man of him, whom she had
 aover known; f1awless diam ond of a
 .ou, behind those bright blue eyes and
 .sat pointed, graying beard; poet, phi
 ,oSonher. gentleman to the bone. "Oh
 you SAW that, tool And they're your
 .sttle that were stolen! You say it.
 oh youre-you're-"
 sJImm-mm-a human beirg, l hope,
 Mics Mcdonald, as well as a mere
 cattleman."
 Marthy did not attempt to rise when
 seabeck followed Billy Louise into the
 stting.room. She caught up her apron
 and wiped her eyes. After that she
 faced Seabeck with harsh composure
 and waited for the settlement.
 aHmm-mm! I 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
 liver, with the brands cut out,' inter-
 polated Marthy stolidly. Il heard 'em
 say that's how they would git rid of
 'em, an I heard 'em shootin' down . there"
 "Hmm-mm-yes Do you know just | what"
 Five dry cows 'n' two steers-long rwo-year-oles, I 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 I 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 Ter sold your : nephew Fourteen head, to be exact. With the cattle you tell me which were-mm-m-dispose of last night,
 that would make twenty-one head of stock for which-mm-mm-I take 1t | you are willing to pay"
 T aln't got the money now" Marthy | stated, too apathetic to be either de- liant or placatlng. You c'n fix up the papers t suit yourself. I'll sign any thing yuh want"
 "Hmm-mm-yes A note covering the amount, with legal rate of interest, will be-quite satisfactory, Mrs. Neil se. l shall make lump sum at the going price for mixed stock. If you have blank note, r."
 You kin look in that desk over there" permitted Marthy. "If yuh don't md any there, there ain't none mo- where.n
 Seabeck did not find any blank notes. ne found an eloquent confusion of Nmbled letters and accounts and pa pers' and guessed that the owner had uohe some nasty sorting and straight ealhg Of his affairs. He sighed, and ms blue eyes hardened for a minute. men Billy Louise moved from the door
 snu went oyer to kneel comfortingly veslue Marthy, and Seabeck looked at
 ue two and sighed again, though his ses were no longer stern. He puneu sheet of paper toward him s, suu wrote steadily in prim, upright
 snuography that had never flourish anywhere, but carefully crossed t's and .afeiully dotted i's and punctuation "arhS an or beautiful exactness. n rou Will pleace sign here, Mrs. 'nAe' he said calmly, coming over 'nen With the sheet of paper laid suootiliy upon last-year's best-seller s sau "lth Charlie's fountain pen in his u,m umer hand. And if Miss Macdonald r"i aiso sign, as an indorser, think ..n .an safely do away with any mort eAse @ or other legal security"
 oniy Louise stood up and gave him ae 'ook-which Seabeck did not ap- ,'S'e' because he did not see 1t. ..,s u futher give a mortgage" Marthy lool, l uheaslly, sitting up suddenly and wa@. @"s rom one to the other. Il don't
 mn msu. Billy Louise to git tangled up in
 os. my troubles. She's got plenty of her hsa, h Her maw's just died, MT. Sea T.l, A And Pll bet there was hos
 na a'l n doctors bill bigger'n this cat nil. nO'e' to be paid. l don't want to foo.' Mow' Marthy, you be still. I'm per ,on s Willing to sign this note with pm II 1t will satisfy MT. Seabeck, n, sure it's the very best we can do- expect" Billy Louise, bless her