Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-06-14


and Charlie has worked like a perfect
slave; and he "A trying to get s
start SC he-could-get married."
"Hm-mmi" RumOrs had reached
Seabeck, thanks to Billy Louise's
dropped lashes upon a certain Occa.
sion. which caused him to believe HI
saw further light.
"And If you're going to be horrid-'
"Will the-lady he wants to marry
give him another CHANGER"
"Don't you think she ought toll
she l-loves him?" Billy Louise studied
the skyline upon the side farthes,
from Seabeck.
"You say he wants to pay for tho
cattle and"
Hell do anything he can to make
amends" said Billy Louise, with con
viction. "He'l take his medicine anc
go to jail if you insist" she added sor
rowfully. ut will ruin his whole life
Of course, and break a couple Of WON
ems hearts, but"
"It's a bad thing, a mighty bad
thing, when a man tries to get aheac
too fast"
"It's a good thing when he learns
the lesson without having to pay for II
with his whole future" Billy Louise
amended the statement.
Seabeck smiled a little behind his
fingers that kept tugging at his whis
kers.
"Did Charlie Fox send Miss Por
tia"
"He doesn't know l had any inten-
ton of corning" Billy Louise assured
him quickly and with perfect truth.
They'll both be 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 a half: are Fox and the
'teilke oma mixed up in that? j
want" he said. ito help the young
man-and her. But II they have been
ODCiuiiL6 III q AdA6C 6CdlC, LII
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 a petty kind.
l won't apologize for him, Mr.. Seabeck.
I think it's perfectly awful, what he
hos lo-n D,,A 7 +bi-vv ~ .z..r1 \.
o awful still not to give him a
chance. The other rustling Is some
outside gang, I'm sure. If Charlie
was mixed up with them, it's very
slightly-just enough to damn him ut.
terly IL he were arrested and tried,
He isn't a 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 a 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 a panic of fear
at what she had done.
Last night, when she lay curled up
by the stove under Wards wOlf-skin
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 i%t-anything that would sat
isfy Seabeck's sense of justice-and
let him start honestly. She had
thought that Seabeck would be merci-
full, II she told him in the right way;
but now, when she stole a 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 a cattleman finds it hard to for.
give.
Billy Louise might have spared her.
self some mental anguish IL she could
have known that Seabeck was brood
ing v the wonder of a woman's love
that pardons and condones a mans
sins.
I'm glad you came and told me
this" he said at last. every 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, that
breed they have had working for
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 Lou