The St. Johns herald., 1921-05-19

might be lonesome and-and a bit mad at me, an so I thought maybe l better drop in an tell you how 1t all happened. But it don't look like you was mad"
 "No, I'm not mad. I flared up. for a minute, but that's all over with. l ain't botherin' none about that outfit"
 "So see," somewhat more at ease and crossing his legs. 'I reckon that's about the right way to look at it. Whatever made you pick mel"
 "Why, naturally, took the best lookin gone I saw, Mister-Mister-"
 Shelby, Tom Shelby; so you didn't even know my nameY
 "NO idea of what 1t was; I picked you out because you didn't live here that's why, if you really want to know"
 "Then you did know meP
 "No, I didn't. saw you at the funeral an I knew you want no Ponca man. l didn't care who you was or where you came from, just so you gave me a chance to get out O this hole. I would marry an Indian to get out"
 'SThen that was why you took me so as to get out O here"
 She nodded.
 "That's bout the size of it. I didn't take no stock in what the preacher said, for I ain't no weeping willow, Tom Shelby, an don't need nobody to take care of me-"
 Shelby laughed.
 "YOu made a mighty poor guess, at that" he said cheerfully, "when you picked me. I'd took you to worse place than POnca."
 There ain't none" positively. "Where is it you live, anyhOw%
 lover on the Cottonwood; bout six: ty miles north, up near the reserVa- tion. HI! But it's lonely up there; not another white man in thirty miles" !"
 "YOu are ranching?"
 "Just startin', you might say; run nin' a few head on a free range"
 "But you've got a house, a place to live in?"
 "Sorter shack-yes; corral an sod stable; that's bout all. I'd be a dandy, wouldn't I, ter ask girl to go out there an live? No, sir; that ain't my style; it wouldn't be decent" She did not speak for some time, her eyes rowing about the room and then returning to rest on his face. There was no smile on her lips, yet some how she did not look sullen or in- different.
 "And that was why you said not You came back to explain? It wasn't because you disliked me, then? Be cause you despised me for doing such a thing"
 'What, me? should say not. There want nothing done that want all right. I don't blame you a mite You ought to git married"
 "Do you really think so?"
 "Yes, do; this ain't no place for a single woman who wants to be decent to live in. Besides, you're old enough" "How old am IF"
 "Seventeen, maybe; ain't much or guessing ages-specially women"
 aT am nineteen" she paused, hel teeth cleaning as she smiled. "I wist YOU would tell me about yourself" He glanced up at her surprised and twisting his hat about in his hands. "That won't take. long," he said so berly. 'T ain't got much history, so tC sneak. I was born in Kentucky an run away when was seventeen Been out in this country ever since soldering most of the time, and theI punching cattle for the Six Stars , Saved a little money and started fl to go it alone. That's about all thu l story"
 2 "With a lot left out. Why did yoV , leave homer 3 "Oh, they wanted me to go on il ! school and be a lawyer" 3 "You finished high schOOlr g "Sure: what made you think thatT 8 She laughed.
 "Oh, just word or two; you've go n into the habit of talking like theS 2 people out here. So have 1, for tn
 matter of that. When you live wit Q them for years, it's bound to twis }, your tongue. I can speak good Eng r fish when try" + "An' the thing yer want to do mos
 is to get away from POnca7" !" "Yes."
 & ~Yer sure don't hold no grudg t against me for what happened tc
 nightT