The St. Johns herald., 1921-05-05
What girl?"

we're kinder keepin' house ever since l first knew the cuss."
 "HOw old is she?"
 'I ain't no jedge O females ages, if yer ask me, but maybe sixteen O. seventeen. Quite wisp of a gurl first saw her, but she don't make up with nobody; sorter sullen-like, an just stays ter home all the time"
 "Where'd you say all this rumpus was gOin' on"
 lover 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 preacher ter do the thing up swell. Whats the matter with yer goin' over there, Tom, | an takin' the show in? Dan1l be be mighty pleased ter see yer horn in."
 Shelby helped himself to another drink and gazed disconsolately about the big, desOlated room. q reckon I'll turn 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 be- yond. It was surely some funeral there was no doubt about that. A mass 1 of men stood there, bare-headed in the sunshine, and beyond them, on a 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 a glipmse of the ex- preacher, elevated on box, and his ears caught the sonOrous words of ex- hortatiOn with which he ended his ser mon. There followed faint applause, checked instantly by Mccarthy, who politely requested the bunch to stop making d-d 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. As the last dulcet strains of the hymn rolled away, Mccarthy, as though anxious to preserve the lives of the singers by quick action, pushed his way once again to the front.
 "Now, you bucks" he roared out tersely, "line up along them willows. I'll go first with the daughter as chief mourners, an then the females will fall in behind. After that the rest of yer can mosey along. We're goin' ter do this up in some style, an it ain't just goin' to be showin' proper respect fer the dead, but we're agoin' ter re- member the orphaned and the father less. Thet's the way Ponca does busi- ness. Now, chip in, gents; there's box there at the head of the corpse, an after yer've had a squint at OF Dad cough up something fer the gurl."
 Shelby dropped into place behind the stage agent, who recognized the newcomer with a hard handgrip and grin of welcome.
 "Just blow in? We're givin' Old Calkins the time O his career; owed me hundred, but what the h-l do I carel Know the or cussT
 'No; just dropped around fer to pass away the time. Some spouter that fat preacher"
 "Ain't he, thought" admiringly. "He sure shot off some language never did hear afore. Yer heard our quar- tette. reckon"
 Heard itl Not being altogether deaf, I did. Hullo, the procession is about to start-so that's Old Calkins' girl, is it?"
 The stage agent nodded.
 "Yep; not so darned much to look at, either. I don't reckon I've seen her afore fer a year."
 Shelby could not have described what there was about the girl to in- terest him even slightly. As Mike said, there was not much to look at, and what there was had been rendered particularly hideOus by the ill-fitting black dress in which she was dressed. She walked well, and she held her head straight up, bit defiantly, look ing neither to right nor left as Mo Carthy led her forward by a grasp on one arm. The corners of her mouth dropped a trifle and her hair was drawn straight back and bound in a wisp. Altogether she made a rather pathetic picture, and this some how impressed Shelby. He watched her stop at the head of the opened casket and look down at the face of the dead man. There was no sign of tear. no semblance of a sob, and then she moved on with no change perceptible in her face, Outwardly un-