The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-28

sion, which caused him to believe he
saw further light.
And II you're going to he horrid--'
"WiIl the-lady he wants to marry
give him another chance?"
Don't you think she ought to-lf
she I-lOves hlm?" 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
amends" said Billy Louise, with con-
victiOn. Hell take his medicine and
90 to Jail If you insist" she added sor'
rowfully. at will ruin his whole life,
of course, and brenk couple of WON
ems hearts, but"
ats bad thing, a mighty bad
thing, when a man tries to get ahead
too fast"
ITS good thing when he learns
the lesson without having to pay for 1t
with his whole future" Billy Louise
amended the statement.
Seabeck smiled u little behind his
fingers that kept tugging at his whls-
kers.
"Did Charlie Fox send Miss POr-
tia"
"He doesn't know ! had any inten-
ton of coming" Billy Louise assured
him quickly and with perfect truth.
They'll both he awfully surprised
when they find 1t Out"-whiCh was also
perfectly true-'and when they see
you ride up, they'll think you've got
the sheriff at your back. l haven't a
doubt they"
"There are a few points I'd like
to clear up, If you can help me-" Sea-
beck interrupted. "All this rustling
that has been going on for the past
year and half: are Fox and the
Meilke woman mixed up In that?
want" he said, ito help the young
man-and her. But if they have been
operating on a large scale, I'm
afraid"
II believe Charlie must have been
Influenced in some ways by bad ac-
quaintanceS," Billy Louise answered
more steadily than she felt. "But his
-rustling-has been of petty kind.
l won't apologize for him, Mr.. Seabeck.
think it's perfectly awful. what he
has done. But l think it would be
more awful still not to give him a
chance. The other rustling Is some
outside gang. I'm sure. If Charlie
slightly-just enough to damn him ut
terly If he We're arrested and tried
He isn't natural criminal. He's just
weak. And he's learned his lesson.
It's up to you, Mr.. Seabeck, to say
whether he shall have chance to
profit by the lesson. And there's poor
old Marthy in 1t, too. She just wor-
ships Charlie and would do anything
even steal for him."
SeabeCk meditated for a while. and
Billy Louise watched him uneaSily
from the tail of her eye. To tell the
plain truth. she was in Il panic of fear
ut what she had done.
Last night, when she lay curled up
by the stove under Wards wolf-skiu
coat, this seemed the only possible
way out: To tell Seabeck and trust to
his kindness and generosity to refrain
! from pushing the case. To have Char.
lie Fox give back what he had stolen
or pay for it-anything that would sat.
! isfy Seabeck'S sense of justiCe-and
let him start honestly. She had
thought that Seabeck would be mcrCi
full, if she told him in the right way
but now, when she stole Il glance at
his bent, brOOding face, she was fright.
ened. He did not look merciful, but
stern and angry. She remembered
then that stealing cattle Is the one
crime 4 cattleman finds II hard to for.
give.
Billy Louise might have spared her.
self some mental anguish if she could
have known that SeabecE was brood
ing over the wonder Of n woman's love
that pardonS and cOndones mans
sins.
I'm glad you came and told me
this" he said at last. VERY glad. in
deed, Miss Macdonald. Certain steps
! have been taken lately to push this
wipe out this rustling and general law
leSsneSs. and If you had not told me
I'm afraid the mills Of justice would
have ground yOur-friendS. OF course
the law would be merciful to Mrs
Meilke. No jury would send an old
woman like that BY the way, thai
breed they have had working fol
/ them-he is in on the deal, too, l take
! it."
"Yes. of course. They had to have
! someone to help. Marthy can't do any
riding"
"Hm-mm-do you know, Miss Mac
Donald, whether there was any init
macy between-your friends-and the
man we had for stock inspector, Mr.
! Olney"
"I-can't say as to that" Billy Lon
Use, you see, did not know much about
details, but the little she did know
made her hedge.
There's n queer story about Olney
You know he has left the country
don't you? 1t seems he rode very hur
riedly up to the depot at Wilmer to
/ take the train. Just as he stepped on
fellow who knew him by sight no
ticed n piece Of paper pinned on the
back of his coat. He jerked It loose
+ It was a-m-m--very peculiar docu
ment for n man to be wearing on his
back" Seabeck pulled at his whis
kers, but 1t was not pulling which
qulrked the corners Of his lips. "The
man said Olney seemed greatly upset
over something and had evidently for.
gotten the paper until he felt 1t being
pulled loose. He said Olney looked
back then. nnd he was the color Of O
pork-rind. The train was pulling out
The man took the paper over to a
saloon and let several others reHd It.
They--mm-mm--decided that It should
be placed In the hands of the authori.