Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-05-31

Her Voice stung With the contemp,
She Put Into II.
didn't you let Peter do IT, or Marthyf
You could have done a better job than
that, couldn't you, MarthyT
Poor old Marthy. with her rheumatic
knees and a gray hardness in her
leathery face, had come down the path
and stood squarely before Billy Lou.
Use, her hands knuckling her fiabby
hips. her hair blowing in gray. strag.
Cling wisps about her bullet head.
Better than what? Come in, Billy
Louise. I'm right glad to see We back
and loOkin' so well, even if yuh dc
pear to be in one Of your tantrums
How's yer maw?"
Billy Louise gasped and went white.
"Mommie's dead" she said. "She died
the NINTH" She drew another gaspins
breath, pulled herself together. and
went on before the others could begin
the set speeches of sympathy which
the announcement seemed to demand
"Never mind about that, now. Tn
talking about those Senbeck cattle you
''''f WI was ViiblS ,iuGl1c hOW
horribly careless he is, Marthy. Did
yoi know he let them drift down the
river? And a blind man could tell O
mile off the brands have been worked !"
Billy Louise's tone was positively ven.
omou in its contempt. "Why didn't
You make Charlie practice on a cow.
hide for a while first 2" she asked Mar.
thy cuttingly.
Marthy ignored the sarcasm. Per.
haps it did not penetrate her stolid
mind at all. "Charlie never worked
any brands, Billy Louise she stated
with her glum directness.
ooh, I beg his pardon, I'm sure!
Did rou?"
mo, I norcr done such a thing, mel.
Their. l don't know what you're talkin'
about"
"Well, who did, them" Billy Louise
faced the old woman pitilessly.
II dino" Marthy lifted her hand and
made a futile effort to tuck in a few OF
the longest wisps of hair.
Well. of all the" The stern gra,
eyes of Billy Louise flew wide open at
the ~effrontery of the words. If they
expected her to believe that!
THAT'S 1t, Miss Louise. That's the
point we'd like to settle, ourselves. ]
know it sounds outrageous, but it's a
fact. Peter and l found those cattle
up in the hills, with our brand worked
over the v. On my word of honor, not
one of us knows who did it,"
but you've got them down here
well" Charlie threw out "A hand
helplessly. His eyes met hers with ap-
pealing frankness. I'VE couldn't rub
out the brands; what else could we
do? l figured that somebody else
would see them If we left them out In
the hills, and it might be rather hard
TO convince a man; you see. we cam
even convince you! But, so help me,
not II of us branded those cattle,
Miss Louise. ! believe that whoever
has been rustling stock around here
against us. I'm II stranger in the coun
try, and l don't know the game very
well Tn al easy mark"
"Yes, you're that. all right enough y
BILLY Louise spoke with blunt disfavor
but her contemptuous certainty of his
guilt was plainly wavering. "To &c
and bring stolen cattle right down
here
ut seemed to me they'd be safer here
than anywhere else" Charlie observed
naively. Nobody ever comes dowr
here, unknown to us. l had it sized uI
that the fellow who worked thos,
brands would never dream we'd brin,
the stock right into the Cove. Why
Miss Louise, yer l would know better
than TO put our brand on top of Sea
beck's and expect II to pass inspection
II l wanted to steal cattle, / wouldn'
30 at 1t that way !"
Billy Louise glanced uncertainty a
him and then nj Marthy. facing hel
srimly. She did not know what t,
think. and she showed it.
slow do you mean-the real rus
tlers?" she began hesitatingly: apt
hesitation was not by any means q
mental habit with Billy Louise.
Il mean just what I said" Char
Hes manner was becoming more mar,
ural. more confident. 1--WE been rid.
ing through the hills a good deal, and
I've seen IA few things. And I've an
idea the fellow got II little uneasy
He saw her vince a little at the word
Fellow" and he went on. with ar
impulsive burst Of confidence: Miss
Louise, have yOu ever, In your riding
] around mn above Jones CANYON. In ALI