The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-11-13

trtousiy rubbing the immaculate glass
Thoroughly angered by this time, Shei.
by advanced, his footsteps mufied by
the sawdust on the floor.
"What the HI is the matter with
this dumpT' he demanded savagely, his
fist humping the bar. ooh, so It's
you, is 1t, Moran? Well, are you all
that's left in Ponca?"
The red-mustached one turned In
differently, yet managed to extend a
rather limp hand In fraternal greeting,
That's bout the size Of 1t. Tom. "
he admitted gravely. where yer been
the last six months?"
"Over on the Cottonwood, ranching.
Say, amt seen nothin' but dogs
since struck this valley. What's
up? Ponca gone on the bum"
"No; she's all right mostly. Be all
right tomorrow, reckon, fer Hitch
cocks outfits comm in with bunch
o. steers. What1l yer drink"
BEST yer've got. o. course. That
looks a bit like old times, an tastes
like II. Take a snort with me. Moran.
Where's Mac, an all the boys, any
howT
"out ter the funeral; that's what's
the matter with this town. The whole
kit an caboodle gone across the
creek to help plant old Dad Calkins.
You remember Old Dad?"
mo, can't say I do; what was he,
gambler7"
Kind Of tin-horn; soused most o.
the time but stiIl everybody liked him
pretended ter be a blacksmith when
he first come. an put up a shack down
there next the hotel. Never worked
morn three days to my knowledge
since-just naturally bummed round,
but he was HI Of a good story-tell-
er, an the boys cottoned to him. Sure,
yer must have knowed him."
Shelby shook his head. what did
he die from7"
s"Shot himself. / reckon. He was
picked up over back o. the dance hall,
with a bullet In his nut an a gun In
his hand. The girl was huntin' for
him. cause he didn't come home, an
40 Dan he went along with her. The
two Of 'em found him out there"
"What grit"
Daughter. i s'pose. She's been
we're kinder keepin' house ever since
/ first knew the cuss."
How old is she7"
Il amt no jedge o. females ages,
IL yer ask me. but maybe sixteen or
seventeen. Quite a wisp Of a gurI
first saw her. but she don't make
mp with nobody: sorter suIlen-like, an
just stays ter home all the time"
-Where'd yeu say all this rumpus
was goin' OnT'
"Over cross the creek. beyond that
bunch o. willows. You know where
the graveyard is. Coin ter be some
obsequies, you bet. Dan he went clear
to Buffalo Gap for ter git a preacher
ter do the thing up swell. What's the
matter with yer goin' over there, Tom.
an takja' the show int DanT be
be mighty pleased ter see yer horn In"
Shelby helped himself 10 another
drink and gaEed disconsolately about
the big. desolated room. 81 reckon
I'll turns the broncs into Davis corral.
an then amble along" he said slowly.
Even a funerals better than this
dump today"
He had waded the shallow waters
and reached the edge of the willows
before his eyes distinguished the
crowd gathered in the open space he
yond. 1t was surely some funeral;
there was no doubt about that. A mass
OF men stood there. bare-headed In
the sunshine. and beyond them. on
little knoll. small bunch of women
were crowded together. girls from the
dance hall mostly. judging from their
clothes and faces. although one or two
older women were at the farther end.
Shelby caught glipmse of the ex-
preacher. elevated on box. and his
ears caught the sonorous words of ex-
hortati0n with which he ended hts SER
mon. There followed a faint applause.
checked instantly by Mccarthy, who
politely requested the bunch to stop
making id fools Of themselves.
and immediately announced that the
Ponca male quartette would sing "On-
ward. Christian Soldiers" after which
those who desired would be given the
opportunity to view for the last time
the features Of the departed. Az the
last dnicet strains OF the hymn rolled
away. Mccarthy. as though snxious
TO preserve the lives Of the singers By