New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-05-03
CHAPTER XVlI-Continued.

the do" way, me- him at the little gait
as he was coming III to the house
well. how bad is il. Mr.. Seabcck :?
sh" asked sharply, just because sh'
felt the imperative need Of fnctS-Sh'
who had struggled so long in the quick
sands of suspicion and doubts ant
fears and SUSPENSE.
"limmiu- mm-how bad is tin tn,
house, pc counterpd. ''The real Grim,
has been committed there. 1t seems Il
me. A few head of cattle, more or less
don't III for much against the bro
ken heart IF an old woman"
"Oh!" Billy Louise, her hand,
clenched upon the gate, stared W
wide-eyed into his face. And this was
the real Senreck, whom she had known
impcrsonnl.y all her life. This was
the real man of him, whom she had
never known; q fluwlesS diamond OF 4
soul behind those bright blue eyes and
that pointed, graying beard; poet, phi
losophpr, gentleman to the bone. "Oh
You saw that, too, And they're your
cattle that were stolen You say it
oh you're-you'r@'
'IImm-mm-a human berg, l hope,
Miss Macdonald, as well as Il mere
cnttleman,"
Marthy did not attempt to rise when
Ecabeck followed Billy Louise into the
sitting She caught up her apron
and wiped her eyes. After that she
fnced Senbeck with harsh composure
and waited for the settlement.
"Hmm-mm! have been looking
ove the cattle" he began, sitting on
the edge of Il chair and turning his
black hat absently round and round by
the brim. "You-mm-mm-you tell
me there were seven head of grown
stock"
THAT they shot and throwed in the
river, with the brands cut out" inter-
polnted Mnrthy Stolidly. 81 heard 'em
say that's how they would git rid Of
'em, an l heard 'em shootin' down
there"
"Hmm-mm--yes! Do you know just
what"
give dry ows n two steers-long
tw0-year-oles, l lodged 'em to be-"
Marthy was certainly prompt enough
and explicit enough. And her lips were
grim, and her faded blue eyes hard
and steady upOn the face of Scabeck.
"Hmm-mIr-yes. | find also" he
went on in his somewhat precise voice
that had e,"ned him the nickname of
Deacon" .nnong his punchers, that
there are rnrc young stock vented and
rebrnnded than / er sold your
nephew. fourteen head, to be exact.
With the cattle you tell mi which
were-mui-m- disposed of last night,
that would make twenty-one head Of
stock fo: which-mm-mm-I take it
you are willing to pay"
81 amt got the money now" Marthy
stated, too apathetic to be either de-
fiant or placating. you en- fix up the
papers t suit yourself. I'll sign any
thing yuh want"
the amount, with legal rate of interest,
will be-Quite satisfactory, Mrs. Neil
Ike. I shall make a lump sum at the
going price for mixed stock. If you
have II blank note, /"
"You kin look In that desk over
There" permitted Marthy. "If yuh don't
6nd any there, there amt none no
where"
Seabeck did not find any blank notes.
He found an eloquent confusion of
5unlbled letters and accounts and pa
pers, and guessed that the owner had
done some hasty sorting and straight
enlng Of his affairs. He sighed, and
his blue eyes hardened for II minute.
Then BILLY Louise moved from the door
and went over to kneel comfortingly
beside Marthy, and Seabcck looked at
the two and sighed again. though his
eyes were no longer stern. He
pulled n sheet Of paper toward him
mud wrote steadily in n prim, upright
%chirography that had never n flourish
anywhere, but carefully crossed is and
carefully dotted Is and punctuation
marks Of beautiful cxactness.
You will pleace sign here, Mrs.
M"ilke,' he said calmly, coming over
I" them with the sheet of paper laid
smoothly upon a last-year's best-seller
aud with Charles fountain pen in his
ether hand. And If Miss Macdonald
will also sign. as an indorser, | think
! can safely do away with any mort
gage or other legal security"
Billy Louise stood up and gave him
one iook-which Seabeck did not ap-
preciate, because he did not see II.
I'D ruther give a mortgage" Marthy
said uneasily, sitting up suddenly and
from one to the other. 81 don't
Billy Louise to git tangled up in {
my troubles. She's got plenty of her |
'wn. Her maw's just died, Mr.. Sea-
beck. And I'll bet there was a hos ,
,ital n doctors bill bigger'n this cat |
lie note, to be paid. l don't want to t
lile on" I
"Now, Marthy, you be still. I'm per- '
willing to sign this note with t
If it will satisfy Mr.. Seabeck, G
I'm sure it's the very best we can do q
,r-expect." Billy Louise, bless her h
ieart, was trying very hard to be CRATE
'ul to Seabeck in spite of the slump '
Ne had suffered In her estimation. u
"Well, I'll want your written word h
hat yuh won't prosecute Charlie nor n
lelp nobody else prosecute him." stipu- f
ated Marthy, with sudden shrewdness. a
If men Billy Louise signs this note,
veil pay 1t; and we want some per- r
ectiOn from you, fer Charlie" h
"Hmmm-mm-I see !" He turned and t,
vent back to the Uttered desk and ii
vrote carefully again upon another W
beet of paper. 81 think this will be