The Arizona copper camp., 1918-03-23

eyes were no longer stern. He
pulled sheet of paper toward him
and wrote steadily in a prim, upright
chirography that had never flourish
anywhere, but carefully crossed t's and
carefully dotted is and punctuation
marks of beautiful exactness.
"You will pleace sign here, Mrs.
Meilke," he said calmly, coming over
to them with the sheet of paper laid
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, l think
I 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.
"Pd ruther give a mortgage" Marthy
said uneasily, sitting up suddenly and
looking from one to the other. 81 don't
want Billy Louise to git tangled up in
my troubles. She's got plenty of her
own. Her maw's 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. don't want to
pile on"
''Now, Marthy, you be still. I'm per-
fectly willing to sign this note with
you. If it 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
fI1l RI CnohnnI| in, Of no cir
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.
eff men Billy Louise signs this note,
wen pay it; and we want some per-
lection from you, fer CHARLIE
''Hmmm-mm-I see !" He turned and
went back to the Uttered desk and
wrote carefully again upon another
sheet of paper. ct think this win 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
liable. Marthy, remember, was a plains
woman born and bred.
81 guess that'Il do" she pronounced
at last, pushing the spectacles up on
her lined forehead. "You read it, Billy
Louise, m see what yuh think"
81 think it's all right, Marthy," said
Billy Louise, after she had read the
document twice. "It's bill of sale;
and it also wipes the slate clean of any
possible think Mr.. Seabeck is very
c-clever."
Whereupon Marthy signed the note,
with a spluttering Of the abused pen in
her stiffened old fingers and a great
twisting of her grim mouth as she
formed the capitals. Then Billy Louise
wrote her name with fine, schoolgirl
ease and little curl on the end Of the
last d. Seabeck took the paper from
the tips Of Billy Louise's supercilious
fingers, returned with it to the desk
for a blotter, hunted an envelope,
folded the note carefully, and laid it
away inside.
II believe that is all, Mrs. Meilke. I
hope you will suffer no further uneasi-
ness on account of your-nephew."
'1m liable t. suffer some gittin' that
five hundred dollars paid up" Marthy
returned with some acerbity. "I'm
much obleeged to yuh, Mr.. Seabeck,
fer bein' so easy on us. If yuh hadn't
drug Billy Louise into it, I'd say yer
too good to be human"
''Hmmm-mm-not at ALL" Seabeck
stammered deprecatingly and left the
room with what haste his natural dig
nifty would permit.
That ended the Seabeck part of the
whole sordid affair, except that he re-
manned for another hour, doing chores
and making everything snug for the
night. Also he filed the kitchen wood
box as high as he could pile the sticks
and brought water to last overnight
since Charles plan to pipe water into
the cabin had remained a beautiful
plan and nothing more. Billy Louise
thanked Seabeck, when he was ready
to go.
Il know you were square, and you're
really big-souled, too. I'll remember it
always, Mr.. Seabeck."
"Will you" Seabeck looked down
at her, with his hand upon the latch.
Given if you are put in a position
where you must pay that note-you
will still-Hm-mm I see. Before I
go, Miss Macdonald, should like your
permission to send a man down here to
look after things"
"No, you mustn't" Billy Louise
spoke with prompt decision. "Marthy
might think you were-you see, it
wouldn't do. I'll see about getting a
man. If you will take this note up and
leave it in the mailbox for me, John
Pringle will come up tomorrow. Well
manage all right"
you're quite right. But, Miss Mac
Donald, there is something else. Ter
should like to give you Iittle-wed-
ding gift, since you honored me with
the news of your approaching-mm
marriage. AS an old neighbor, and
one of your most sincere admirers, who
20 II Nv,