Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-22

nephew. Fourteen head, to be exact.
With the cattle you tell me which
were-mm-m-disposed of last night,
that would make twenty-one head Of
stock for which-mm-mm-I take 1t
you are willing to pay"
81 amt got the money now" Marthy
stated, too apathetic to be either de-
faint or ~placating. you en- fix up the
papers t. suit yourself. I'll sign any
thing yuh want"
"Hmm-mm-yesi A note covering
the amount, with legal rate of interest,
will be-quite satisfactory, Mrs. Nell
Ike. / shall make a lump sum at the
going price for mixed stock. If you
have a blank note, T."
"You kin look In that desk over
there" permitted Marthy. "If yuh don't
find any there, there amt M no.
where"
Seabeck did not find any blank notes.
He found an eloquent confusion of
jumbled letters and accounts and pa
pers, and guessed that the owner had
done some hasty sorting and straight
ening of his affairs. He sighed, and
bis blue eyes hardened fer a minute.
Then Billy Louise moved from the door
and went over to kneel comfortingly
beside Marthy, and Seabeck looked at
the two and sighed again, though his
eyes were no longer stern. He
pulled a sheet of paper toward him
and wrote steadily in a prim, upright
c~hirography that had never a flourish
anywhere, but carefully crossed It's and
carefully dotted is and punctuation
marks of beautiful exactness.
"You will pleace sign here, Mrs.
MeAke," he said calmly, coming over
to them with the sheet of paper laid
smoothly upon a 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 APP
preciate, because he did not see it.
I'D 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, MI. Sea-
beck. And I'll bet there was a hos
pital n DOCTORS bill bigger'n this cat
tie note, to be paid. I don't want to
pile on-"
snow, 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
full to Seabeck in spite of the slump
he had suffered in her estimation.
swell, I'll want your written word
that yuh won't prosecute Charlie nor
help nobody else prosecute him." stipu-
lated Marthy. with sudden shrewdness.
"If men Billy Louise signs this note,
We'll pay it; and we want some per-
lection from you, fer Charlie"
"Hmmm-mm-I see !" He turned and
went back 70 the Uttered desk and
wrote carefully again upon another
sheet of paper. 81 think this will 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
forming the letters of every word
which contained more than one syl-
liable. Marthy, remember, was a plains
woman born and bred.
ST guess that'll do she pronounced
at last, pushing the spectacles up on
her lined forehead. "You read it, Billy
Louise, n see what yuh think"
81 think it's all right, Marthy," said
Billy Louise, after she had read the
document twice. TITS a bill Of sale ;
and 1t also wipes the slate clean of any
possible 1 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 a fine, schoolgirl
ease and a 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.
81 believe that is all, Mrs. Meilke. I
hope you will suffer no further uneasi-
ness on account of your-nephew."
"Tm 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 de%precatingly and left the
Dom with what haste his natural dig
nifty would permit.
That ended tho h mart of thn