Gunnison news-champion., 1921-03-11

thar time she'd gone This yere old
sergeant CaIkins. had come with .
power Of attorney. or something. an
20, her out Thaf's where ] fursf BE-
gun 10 get real interesfed-sftef this
fellow CaIkins got into the game I'll
tell yer Why 90; II into my uu' that
maybe I'd bit hot trail. where. II II
panned out all right; there might be
some Doodle IN n for ne. run s'ee-s
Tor IN. NJ sbolt four nonfhs once.
and Ne used TO drive into PoDcs 70
blow ourselves. knowed there was
an o. fellow hanyin' round there. 10
N~Carfhy's place mostly q sorter tin
horn sport they called or Dad Calk.
ms: an I'D heard somewhere he had
q yt-i ilviu' with him bout seventeen.
Dr. ~. Somehos go; TO muilIn' over
this an' finally decided 10 see what
Kind ~ lead I'd struck II looked
an didn't know yet what was Up
you went TO Ponca for that pvr-
PoseT-
-Jusi prospeciIn' like Them Other
two guys went OF somewhere else. an
20 ] had easy saIiin' ] couldn't get
next the girl At all. ] reckon she
never left the shack: hu; 7 GO, look
~ her. an Il wasn't no trouble TO plct
np an acquaintance with Old Dad H.,
was tight -mouthed. though. drunk or
sober. an finally had To throw fh'
fear OF God into him TO make him
prl.-
You mean you threatened him7-
"Yepi never supposed II would
shake the CUTS out Of him the way u
lid though. The old fool went plum
hatty when ] told him what knowed
ge thought I was after him--s detec-
tive. or someihing-an he lust crum-
bIed IN. without maxim no fghr al sll
/ reckon he'd been hidln her 50 long
be Jus, naturally got II into his nut
be was guilty OF some crime. Enyhow.
the next thing knowed. he'd gone out
back OF the dance hall an shot him
SELF
He stopped. shaken by q naroxysm
Of coughing Shelby held him rightly
and finally this passed away. III. man
resting weakly on his arms. but with
mind evidently wandering.
- used TO talk all right he whis-
persd hoarsely. gasplng for breath,
an could waroie some. too. Say.
did you ever hear me sing?"
"Yes. Kid. I've heard you"
Sure. you did. Everybody said I
had Q wonderful voice. Trouble with
me Is never aln't had no show. II
couid'er got started In opera. I'd
never been out yere getting plugged
by no Mez woman. It's hell. amt ltl
But. say; where was |. enyhowY'
You just explained why Calkins
killed himself"
"oh, yes, that's It. Well. O. course
! felt bad about the oil man, but 1,
wasn't no fault o. mine. Then II
seemed like his shufiln' off put the
cards right in my hands IL sure
proved she was the girl an now she
was left plum alone. 1t didn't look no
awful hard Job for the to shine up an
marry her. before enybody else got
wise. Say, had II an figured out when
you an Dan Mccarthy horned In on
that fool stunt Of yours an Knocked
my game galley-west. Then cotoned
onto lhn, job with yos. didn't aim
to stay out there punchin' steers. hut
insl thought III see how things turned
out s0rter figured Il this way-the
girl she didn't care nothiu' for you:
she Just married yer ter get out or
there, an hay' some place ter live; an
maybe, out there on the Cottonwood |
could make love to her. an some day
we'd skip out together. That's as far
as ! went at furst an goin' out over
them prairies. ! got 1t into my head
that she didn't have no objection to
little Irritation was feelIn' quite
foxy about II when we got TO the
ranch"
The iashes dropped low over 0iga's
eyes. and her cheeks burned.
Then reckon the devil mus, er
took charge % the game, fer the min
ute ] WAS left alone out there run
Into bunch o. Indian cattle thieves
] knew two Of 'em for they were out
struck me might just as well have
the job over with. | took II she didn't
care about you. an that a little strong
arm stun would pan out all right II
works with most women. ! didn't
have no notion then Of humping you
on. Shelby, but the buck who took that
Job cracked you good an hard. Well,
that makes the whole story. don't iif'
He shut his eyes. his head falling
back In complete exhaustion Only his
labored breathing proved that Mack
lin still lived. Olga held him motion
less in her lap. bending over and soft
y smoothing back bis hair with one
hand. Shelby ieft them there. creep
Ing out through the entrance onto the
rock platform without.
Il had eeased showing. but enough
had fallen 70 cover the blur With
white mantle. oblitefating the trail.
~rA oavSu~ khA v~HAv vsoyovv cornroA