Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-05
Mary or
Eloise?
Which
Should Win
Unusual Hero?

this pain IL
drug. store handy?"
There amt nothin' at the Gully.
II ! don't git help quick. it'll be no
9 peeled of his coat. "well,
ma am" he said, "I've lived in places
where docs and drugs was scarcer than
they are here and where every mans
got to be sort Of doc, himself. I've got
some whisky with me ; we kin light q
tsso,,S fire; say we're asoin' to pull you
He brought into the room courage and
hope--and courage and hope carried
them all through the night and up to
the gates Of death, and triumphantly
through them, for at dawn the woman,
died, silently. patiently, hopefully, h.r
pathetic head dropping back against
his shoulder. Q laid her down and
smoothed her covers. He stood looking
at her face, already rested from life.
ne was not familiar with such spec
curled up like two thin kittens in a
corner Of the room. He sat down to
wait for the return Of that PA" who
bad gone off on a drunk" A desc.
late home coming It would be in the
still, rain washed dawn.
When the gate clicked, @ rose and let
himself quietly out on the small porch.
A young, stoop- -shouldered, unshaven
working man with a dull and beaten
look came slowly toward him, wavered
to a stop and looked up with already
stricken eyes into his face.
Your wife was took very ill during
the night" said Q gently. The man
was sober enough, though he had been
drinking; fumes of bad whisky rose
from him through parted, working lips.
IL happened to come into your place
during the storm and your little gel
come runnin' out for the doctor. Doc
wouldn't come-the storm was too bad
so done what I could" He stepped
down and put his arm heavily across
Stringer's shoulders. 1T wasn't no
use, man. She's dead"
At the sight Of her, the widower,
until then quite still and dull, broke out
into sobbing curses.
He's q murderer, that Sales, and
III get him, before God I will---him
and his damned horspital where they
let man die of blood poisoning -
Too bad storm Watt till l get
back to the Mills oh, Halle girl,
Ill pay him out for this o.
= laid his hand minute on the man
and looked into his eyes, his own
gathering gray light.
Leave. him to me, stranger" he
said softly and grimly. "You leave
him to me. He's mine"
Concerning Loves and Hatreds
The morning after the storm, Mary's
pupil was late for the first time. 1t
was half-past eleven before she opened
the door IN reply to. the shatterins
peal that was his usual announcement,
Now I am going to scold you /"
she said, and there was really a fine
crease Of annoyance between her brows.
She was completely absorbed in the
education of the 'gol -derndest ignor-
ATTEST growed white man in the UNITED
States,' and she begrudged those wasted
ninety minutes.
I'm plumb ashamed Of myself"
said Q, and 1t was the only excuse he
gave.
You have SO very much to learn"
sighed Mary as they took their places
on either side of the table, "and so
short time to learn 1t in. You need
every second you can give to study
Now you have lost nearly two hours {"
"iou had ought to lick me, lady"
For the first time his schoolmarm
failed to return Q's smile, and this
alarmed and distressed the Westerner
more than anything she could have
said. He gave her quick, scared
look and fell to work with overpower-
ing seriousness.
In the middle of his reading lesson,
however (he was engaged on page Is Of
primer and was spelling out
run. girls and boys.
Jump, boys and girls.
Run to the tree, boys.
Run to me, girls
quite as If he meant every word Of It,
especially the last sentence, which he
delivered with an indeScribably laugh
able drawD, he interrupted himself to
"After I run away from tho folks
that treated me so bad. wasn't
never licked but once
Mary, minded to reprove him, looked
up to see white face and eyes that
bluzed quite through her.
Instantly she forgot everything except
the spectacle. "When was that?' she
asked in a very low voice, holding her
self as still as though she were afraid
Of him.
A big rich fellow come to the cow-camp.
He was half boss Of the hull outfit. We
boys was ridin' the range on his pay,
but he didn't often come nigh the
camps. This time he happened in on
his way to one Of the main ranches
and he brung his boy. He was an
awful plump kid dressed up in stylish
store clothes. Well, sir, he wore n kind
of striped shirt with stiff collar
and he had on a straw hat. A straw
hat with q blue e-and- white strip ed
ribbon all about it. Yes, ma am, 1t sure
had that kind of ribbon. Fer -di -nand
was his name. 1t was my job to enter
tain him. l was real lite to him,
ma am. / sure was, till he called me
name: 1t was a right nasty name, and
I lighted into him. He was bigger n
look at him. He was about two years
older. But l was lickin' him all right
when he begun to holler, Pepper
Pepper! like as if I'd been wattlin'
him. Well, sir, Pepper he came
through the willows like COW moose,
and he TUX me by what ! called my
collar and havin' his ridin'- switch
handy, he gave me the gol-derndest
lickin' you ever need think about.
There weren't any Pepper round fer
me to holler to, so held my tongue.
All the while the Fer -di -nand kid stood
by kind of pipin', That's right, Pop
per, you better give 1t to him. You
teach him not to be SO free with his
fists"
Q'e eyes came slowly back to the
vision of Mary's face. ''Some day."
he said, "I'm agoin' to find that young
feller and pay him back on that lickin7
and some to spare