The Dolores star., 1922-10-06
CHAPTER v
a


Impatiently Fairchild awaited Moth
er Howard's return, and when at last
she came forth from the kitchen. he
drew her into the old parlor, shadowy
now in the gathering dusk. and closed
the doors.
"Mrs Howard he began, q"
Mother Howard" she corrected. "T
aIn't used to being called much else"
Mother. then-although I'm not
very accustomed to using the title
Ny own mother died-shortly after
my father came back from out here"
She walked to his side then and put
a hand on his shoulders. For mo-
ment 1t seemed that her lips were
struggling to repress something which
strove to pass them. something lacked
behind them for years. Then the old
face, dim in the half light. Gained
what do you want to know, Son?'
Everything
"But there isn't much can tell"
He caught her hand.
"There is know there is. -
"SOn-all l can do is to make mat
ters worse. II | knew anything that
would help you--if I cou,d give you
any light on anything, Old Mother
Howard would do It'll lord. didn't
help out your father when he needed
It the worst way7 But I'm as much
in the dark as you All that I ever
knew WAS that your father came to
this boarding house when he was a
young man, the very first day that he
much money. but he was enthusiastic
and It wasn't long before he'd told
me about his wife and baby back in
Indianapolis and how he'd like to win
out for their sake. AS for Newell
they always called me Mother How
ard, even when l was a young thing,
sort of setting my csp for every good
looking young man that came along
/ guess that's why I never caught one
Of 'em-I always insisted on darning
their socks and looking after all their
troubles for 'em instead of going out
buggy-riding with some other fellow
and making 'em Jealous" She sighed
ever so slightly, then chuckled. But
that amt getting to the point,
though, is it7"
'If you could tell me about my IA
ther-"
"Fm going to-all I know. Things
were a lot different out here then
from what they were later. Every
where around the hills and gulches
you could see prospectors, with their
gads and little picks, fooling around
like life didn't mean anything in the
world to 'em, except to grub around
In those rocks.
"Your father was one of these men.
'Squint Rodaine was another-they
called him that because at some time
In his life he'd tried to shoot faster
than the other fellow-and didn't do
1t. The bullet hit right between his
eyes, but it must have had poor pow
der behind tall 1t did was to cut
through the skin and go straight up
his forehead. When the wound healed,
the scar drew bis eyes close together,
like a Chinaman's. You never see
Squint's eyes more than half open.
"And he's crook ed. just like his
eyes" Mother Howard's voice bore
touch of resentment. II never liked
iiOlh the j bISt saw HlJU,
and l liked him less afterward. Then
/ got next to his game.
"Your father had been prospecting
Just like everybody else. He'd come
on float up KENTUCKY gulch and was
trying to follow 1t TO the vein. SquInt
saw him-and what's more, he saw
that float. 1t looked good to Squint-
and late that night. heard him and
his two drinking partners. Blindeye
Bozenan and Taylor BilI-they Just
reverse his name fof the sound of it
talking In Blindeys's room. I'm a
wOman-" Mother Howard chuckled-
$50 just leaned my head against the
door and listened. Then I flew down.
stnirs to wait for your father when
he came in from sitting up half the
night to get an assay on that float.
SHuInt and them two others was figur-
Ing on jumping hi, claim before he
could file on II end all that.
"Wefl. there was big Cornishman
here that was k!rd Of sweet on-and
guess aIwaYs wifl be. He's been
gone now. thorE1, ever since your ia
tAer left I got hiu and asked him
v help AsA Harr, wss Just .he kiAd