South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-09

7 stopped overnight at the sheep
ranch 81 Bush kinney. 9n the
sandy Fork OF the Nueces. hr.
kinney and had been strangers up
70 the time when I called Hello
az his hltching-rack. but from that
. moment until my departure on the
next morning we were, according 10
, lbs Texas code. undenRble friends,
After supper the ranchman and
I lurged our chairs outside the two
room house 20 It's fcOrless gallery
rooted with chaparTni and sacuista
TraEs With the rear legs OF our
chairs sinking deep into the hard
packed loan each OF Us reposed
aEainst an elm pillar OF the struc-
ture and smoked El TOrO tobacco,
While we wrangled arnicsbly con
cerning the affairs Of the rest OF the
world
Mr. Kinneys wife. a young and
capable woman. we had left In the
house. She remained 10 busy her
self with the domestic round or du-
ties. IN which I had observed that
Ers seemed 20 take a buoyau and
contented p~ide. In one room we
had gupped Presently. from the
other. as Kinney and / sat without,
there burst a volume OF sudden and
brilliant music. II ] could justly
estimate the art or pisno-playing,
the construer OF that rOllicking fan
tassa had creditably mastered the
secrets OF the keyboard a piano.
and one so well played. seemed 20
me % be an unusual thing 20 find
in that small and unprOmising
ranch house. 7 must have looked my
surprise at Rush Kinney. for he
laughed I'm his soft, southern way.
and nodded at me through the
moonlit haze OF our cigarets.
You don't often hear as agree
able a noise as that on a sheep
ranch" he remarked; but / never
sec any reason for not playing up 10
the ar1s and graces just because we
happen TO live out in the brush. IT'S
a lonesome life TO- a woman; and
II little music can make II any
better. why not have it, That's the
way I look AZ L."
a wise and generous theory"
assented And Mrs. Kinney plays
we'll. / am not learned i'm the
science OF music. but I should call
her an uncommonly good perform
er. She has technic and more than
ordinary power"
The moon was very bright, you
will understand. and / saw upon
face a sort OF amused and
pregnant expression, as though
there were things behind it that
might be expOunded.
You came up the trai from the
Double Elm Fork" nc said promis-
ingly. "As you crossed 1t YOU must
have seen an old deserted jacal Ia
your left under "A comma mott
Il did" said I. There was a
drove Of javalis roofing around It.
could see by the broken Corrals
that no one lived there"
That's where this music PROPOSE
ton started" said Kinney. Il don't
mind telling YOU about it while we
smoke. That's where old Cal Adams
lived. He had about eight hundred
graded merinos and daughter that
was solid silk and as handsome as
n new stake-rope on a thirty dollar
pony. And ] don't mind telling you
that I was guilty in the second de-
gree OF hanging around old Calls
ranch all the time ] could spare
away from lambing and shearing.
Miss Marilla was her name; and [
had figured IL out by the rule OF
two that was destined 20 become the
chatelaine and lady superior OF
Rancho Lomito. belonging TO r.
Kinney. Esq. where YOU are now a
welcome and honored guest.
II will say that old Cal wasn't
distinguished as n sheepman. he
was a little. old stoop-shouldered