The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-09-14
CHAPTER v


or H0wards return. and when ni last
she came forth from the kitchen. be
drew her into the Old parior. shadowy
now IN the gathering dusk, and closed
the doors
"Afrs Howard" he began. a."
Mother Howard she corrected. u
amt used 20 being called much else"
Mother. then-ulihough I'm not
very accustomed 10 using the title.
My own mother died-shortly after
my father came back from out here
She walked to bis side then and put
n hand on his shoulders For a mo-
ment II seemed that her lips were
struggling 10 reprcss something which
strove TO pass them. something locked
behind them for years Then the old
face. dim In the half light. Calmed
what DO you want 10 know, SOn?'
"Everythlng,"
"But there isn't much can tell"
He caught her hand.
There Isl ! know there r.. i"
"Snn-ail I can do r. 10 make mat
fers worse n I knew anything that
would help you--lf could give you
any light on anything. old Mother
Howard would do lt Lord didn't
help out your father when he needed
II the worst way7 But I'm as much
in the dark as you. Al thdt ever
knew was that your father came 70
this boarding house when be was
young man. the very first day that he
ever struck Ohndi lie didn't have
much money. but he was enthusiastic
and II wasn't long before he'd told
me about his wife and baby back in
indianapolis and how he'd like 10 win
out for their sake As for Newell.
they always called me Mother How.
ard, even when ! was n young thing.
sort OF setting my csD for every good
looking young man that came along.
guess that's why | never caught one
af 'cm a! always insisted On durnlng
their socks and looking after all their
troubles FOR 'em Instead Of going out
buggy-ridlng with some other fellow
and making 'em Jealous" She sighed
ever 30 slightly. then chuckled "But
that ain't getting to the point,
though. Is ~"
"If you could tell me about my IA.
ther-"
I'm going to-all know. Things
were a lot different out here then
from what they we're later Every,
where around the hills and gulches
you could see prDspect0rs. with their
gafs and little picks. foOl.ng around
Ike life didn't mean anything 10 the
world 10 'em. except 20 grub around
in those rocks
your father was one % these men.
'squlnt' R0d8lue was an0ther-thcy
called him i.1i becnuse 40 some time
IN bis life he'd tried 10 shoot faster
than the other feli0w-and didn't DO
a. Tie bullet hIi right between bis
eyes. but II must have had poor pow
der behind ltAall lt did was 20 cut
through the skin and 20 straight up
his forehead When the wound healed.
the scar drew his eyes close together
like a Chinaman's. You never see
Squlut's eyes more than half open.
"And he's crooked, just like his
eyes" Neither HOward's voice bore
touch of resentment. Il never liked
him from the minute I first saw him,
and liked him less afterwurd. Then
got next to his game.
"Your father had been prospecting
Just IKE everybody else. He'd come
on float up Kentucky GuIch and was
trying 10 follow IL 10 the vein. Squint
saw him-and what's more. he saw
that i!oat II looked good to SquInt-
and late that night, heard him and
his two drinking partners. BlIndeye
Bozeman and Taylor Bill-they Just
reverse his name for the sound Of it.
talking In Bllndeyes room. I'm a
woman" Mother Howard chuckled-
$50 Just leaned my head against the
door aud listened. Then flew down.
stairs 20 wait for your father when
he came in from sitting up half the
night to get an assay on that float.
Squint and them two others was hgur-
ing on jumping his claim before he
could file on 1t and all that.
"Well, there was a big Cornlshman
here that was kind Of sweet on-and
I guess l always will be. He's been
gone now, though, ever since your IA
ther left. ] got him and asked him
10 help. And Harry was just the kind