The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-11-05

talkin' ter the dominic yere about her.
Tom, what is she agoin' ter do? An
what he'd this town ought ter do fer
her?'
"What do you mean? They done
enough, amt they, with that swell
funeral an five hundred bucks on top
of 1t? What more would she expectY
"She don't expect nuthina That
amt her style. got an idee she
won't even accept this bunch O. coin.
She's the ornariest heifer ever saw.
But that's got no bearin' on us. She's
an orphan, left we're in Ponca with
no visible means of support. She's
a decent girl; nobody ever said nuth-
in against her, and the way 1t looks
ter me we got moral duty, ter per-
form. Amt that it, Reverend"
"That is the thought endeavored
to convey" returned the visitor from
Buffalo Gap seriously. "You heard
me, l presume, young MANI"
"Only the last few sentences" adj
mitted Shelby. 81 don't belong here,
but just happened to drift in today"
Toms ranchin' over on the Cotton
wood" interrupted Mccarthy, ''but
he's mighty straight guy, an I'd
like ter have him express his feelin's
on this we're idee o. yours, Reverend.
It's rather a new one on me-"
The preacher Strengthened up and
cleared his throat
"Well, here's the case of young
girl, seventeen or eighteen years old,
who has had no experience whatever
in life, suddenly left an orphan in this
town, without any money or friends,
so to speak. Where can she go? What
can she do? There isn't a place she
could earn a living here, excepting
the dance hall; there isn't a place in
this town she could call home. That
is what / tried to make clear to Mr..
McCarthy-that the men of this town
ought to give her chance. Mac here's
a married man; got wife and two
daughters of his own back East and
he cottoned to my idea right away"
"But what is your idea?"
Marriage, sir-marriage; honorable
matrimony. l even offer my services
freely. The girl should be given
husband and home; this would as
sure her future and relieve Ponca of
every obligation. Do you see the
pointT
EYES," admitted Shelby, yet rather
dazed at the project, "but there would
seem to be certain obstacles in the
way of such scheme. No doubt you
have considered these. Who, for in
stance, would marry herr"
"There isn't likely to be any trouble
about that" confidently. "If she'd fix
up she'd be right good-Iooking girl,
besides, she's got five hundred dollars
to start with and that's more money
than lot of these gazabos ever saw
in all their lives. I'll bet there's fifty
men in Ponca that would jump at the
chance"
"Rounders and tin-horns."
Some of them-sure. But there
would be some decent fellows among
them. That's about how we figured It, |
Mccarthy"
The saloonkeeper nodded,
There's quite a few of the right |
kind round POnca, Tom, who'd be
mighty glad to get q decent woman |
and settle down. l could name a half |
dozen right now. What I amt so sure
bout is the CURL"
"She might object? OF course she |
Will, and why shouldn't she. You
want to know what | think of the
scheme, Mac! Well, it's a fool idea
and ii won't work-that's what think
of it; it's idiotic."
The Buffalo Gap man leaned for
ward, drawing in his paunch so as to
view the speaker around Mccarthy.
The words of condemnation evidently
cut for his face was flushed, although
he held his temper.
That's what Mac here said AT first.
out now he believes it will work, and |
so DO l." he explained gravely. sit
isn't at all likely the girl will object
to getting married, provided she hooks
up with a man she sort of likes, The
only problem is to discover the right
fellow"
And you think you can 60 out
IN this town, rope an hog-tie any
stray maverick you find on the range
yer?"