The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-03-01

then sees the mistake and wants t
pull back into the straight trail,
man-even the one who has beel
wronged-would be committing mora
crime to prevent it. To take a person
who wants to make fresh, homes
start, and shut that person up amongs
criminals and brand him as criminal
seems to me worse wrong than t.
steal a few head of cattle; don't yol
think so, Mr.. Seabeck?"
What Mr.. Seabeck thought did no
Immediately appear In speech. He wa.
pulling a little harder at his whiskers
and staring at the ears of his horse.
'That would depend on the person.
he said at last. "Some men are born
criminals"
ooh, we aren't talking about that
kind of a man. Surely to goodness
you don't call Charlie Fox born
criminal, or Marthy Meilke?"
Charlie FoxI Is that the person
you mean, who has been"
"Yes, it is And he is horribly sorry,
and so is Marthy, and they'll pay you
for the cattle. And if you do any
thing mean about it, it will simply kill
poor old Marthy. You couldn't send
her to the pen, Mr.. Seabeck. Think
how she's worked there in the Cove !;
and Charlie has worked like a perfect
slave; and he was trying to get
start so he-could-get married."
"Hm-mIh !" Rumors had reached
Seabeck, thanks to Billy Louise's
dropped lashes upon a certain occa-
sion, which caused him to believe he
saw further light.
"And if you're going to be horrid-'
'Will the-lady he wants to marry
give him another chance2"
Don't you think she ought to-if
she l-loves him?" Billy Louise studied
the skyline upon the side farthest
from Seabeck.
"You say he wants to pay for the
cattle and"
Hell do anything he can to make
said Billy Louise, with con-
viction. Hell take his medicine and
go to Jail if you insist" she added sor-
rowfully. at will ruin his whole life,
Of course, and break couple of wom-
ems hearts, but"
tits a bad thing, mighty bad
thing, when a man tries to get ahead
TOO fast"
"It's a good thing when he learns
he lesson without having to pay for 1T
with his whole future" Billy Louise
the statement.
Seabeck smiled a little behind his |
myers that kept Juggling at his whis-
,ers.
ibid Charlie Fox send Miss Por-
ia"
"He doesn't know / had any inten-
ion OF coming" Billy Louise assured
i'm quickly and with perfect truth.
They'll both be awfully surprised
Then they find 1t out''-which was also
erfectly true-"and when they see
GU ride up. they'll think you've got
he sheriff at your back. / haven't
oubt they"
"There are a few points I'd like
, clear up, if you can help me-" Sea-
eek interrupted. "All this rustling
nat has been going on for the past
ear and a half: are Fox and the
Ieilke woman mixed up in that?
ant" he said, ito help the young
an-and her. But If they have been
oerating on a large scale, I'm
raid"
II believe Charlie must have been
fuenced in some ways by bad ac-
Billy Louise answered (
ore steadily than she felt. "But his |
been of petty kind. 1
won't apologize for him, Mr.. Seabeck. |
think it's perfectly awful, what he
IS done. But I think it would be d
ore awful still not to give him al (
ance. The other rustling is some G
tside gang, I'm sure. If Charlie $
Is mixed up with them, it's very d
ghtly-just enough to damn him ut r
rly IL he were arrested and tried.
, isn't a natural criminal. He's just 8
ak. And he's learned his lesson. a
s up to you, Mr. Seabeck, to say Y
neither he shall have a chance to I
JILL NY Tue lcSSOu. ADO tuCiC Pun / &
! Marthy in it, too. She just wOr- v
ips Charlie and would do anything o
en- steal for him."
Seabeck meditated for while, and b
lily Louise watched him uneasily Il
I'M the tail Of her eye. To tell the "
lin truth, she was In q panic Of fear (,
what she had done. d
Last night, when she lay curled up IL
the stove under Wards wolf-skin
1T, this seemed the only possible a
y out: To tell Seabeck and trust to
kindness and generosity to refrain E
m pushing the case. To have Char h
Fox give back what he had stolen S
pay for it-anything that would sat n
y Seabeck's sense of justice-and Il
him start honestly. She had
,ught that Seabeck would be merci- v
If she told him In the right way;
! now, when she stole glance at d
bent, brooding face, she was fright
ID. He did not look merciful, but 81
IN and angry. She remembered It
n that stealing cattle is the one d,
me cattleman finds It hard to for a
e. CT
Billy Louise might have spared her
{ some mental anguish II she could "