The Washington herald., 1920-07-14
Few Women Present.
ByO.Henry

sound caused Mexico to shy a bit.
"A-livin' with a sore e-headed kiote
like me-a low-down skunk tina,
ought to be licked to death with
a saddle cinch-a-cookin' and a.
washin' and alvin on mutton and
beans-and me abusin' her fur
takin a souint or two in q little
book
He thought of Marthy as she
had been when he first met her in
Dostown-smart. pretty, and
saucy-before the sun had turn
ed the roses in her cheeks brown
and the silence of the chaparral
had tanned her ambitions.
Eff / ever speaks another hard
word to ther little gal" muttered
sam. "or fails in the love anu
affection that's comm to her in
the deal. ! hopes a wildcatIl tar
me to pieces"
He knew what he would do. He
would write to Garcia e. Jones.
his San Antonio merchants where
he bought his supplies and sold
his wood, and have them send
down a big box Of novels and
reading matter for Marthy. Things
were going to be different. He
wondered whether a little piano
could be placed in one of the
rooms of the ranch house wItnou,
the family having to move out Of
doors.
In nowise calculated to aIlay
his self-reproach was the thought
that Marthy and Randy would
have to pass that night alone. In
spite of their chickering's. when
night came Marthy was wont to
dismiss her fears of the country.
and rest her head upon Sans
strong arm with sigh of peace
full content and dependence. And
were her fears so groundless, Sam
thought OF rowing. maraudine
Mexicans. of stealthy cougars that
sometimes invaded the ranches.
OF rattlesnakes, centipedes. and
dozen possible dangers. Marthy
would be frantic with fear. Ran
dy would cry, and call for dada"
to come.
Still the interminable success
sion of stretches OF brush. cactus
and mesquite. Hollow after hol-
low. slope after slope-all exact
ly alike-all familiar by constant
repetition, and yet sll strange aud
new. II he could only arrive
somewhere.
The straight line is Art. Ma
ture moves in circles. A straight
forward man is more an artincia,
product than a diplomist is. Men
lost in the snow travel in exact
circles until they sink, exhausted.
n
Also, travellers in philosophy and
other mental processes frequently
wind up at their starting point.
1t was when Sam Weber was
fullest of contrition and good re-
solves that Mexico, with a heavy
sig!., subsided from his regular,
brisk trot into a slow. compIacen,
walk. They were winding up an
easy slope covered with brush ten
or twelve feet high.
II say now. Mex" demurred
Sam. this here won't do. know
you're plumb tired out. but we
got ter git along. Oh, Lordy,
amt there no mo- houses IN the
world!" He gave Mexico a smart
kick with his heels.
Mexico gave a protesting grLstI
as IL to say: What's the use OF
that. now we're so near" He
quickened his gait into a languid
trot. Rounding a great clump Of
chaparral. he stopped short. Sam
dropped the bride reins and sat
looking into the back door Of his
own house, not ten yards away.
Marthy, serene and comfortable,
sat in her rocking chair before
the door in the shade of the house,
with her feet resting luxuriousiy
upon the sters. Randy. who vas
playing with pair Of spurs on
the ground. looked up for a mo-
ment at his father and went on
spinning the rowels and singing
a little song. Marthy turned her
head laxily against the back OF
the chair and considered the ar
rivals with emotjonless eyes. She
held a book in her lap with her
finger holding the place.
Sam shook himself queerly, like
a man coming out of a dream. and
slowly dismounted. He rnoistened
his dry lips. II
II see you are still a-settin."
he said. "a-readin' of them billy
'besdam yaller-back novils.".
Sam had travelea round the cir
Gle and was himself again.
sopyriskt. 1890. b. wheeler sSndicate. lnc.)