The Ordway new era., 1922-09-22
CHAPTER V
3

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Impatiently FairchlId 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, Il"
Mother Howard" she corrected. 81
amt used to being called much else"
Mother, then-although I'm not
very accustomed to using the title
My own mother died-shortIy after
my father came back from out here"
She walked TO his side then and put
hand on his shoulders. For a mo-
nent it 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, calmed.
what do you want TO know, SOM"
Everything
But there isn't much l can tell"
He caught her hand.
"There is | know there is. -
f'Son-all 1 can do is to make mat
tiers worse. If 1 knew anything that
=
any light on anything, Old Mother
Howard would do It'll Lord didn't I
heIp out your father when he needed
IL the worst way? But I'm as much
In the dark as you. All that l ever
knew was that youf father came to
this boarding house when he was a
young man, the very first day that he
ever struck Ohadl. He didn't have
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 I was young thing,
sort Of setting my csp for every good
looking young man that came along.
I guess that's why l never caught one
of 'em-I always Insisted on darning
their socks and looking after all their
troubles for EN- 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 it?'
"If you could tell me about ms fa-
ther-"
I'm going to-all l 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 it-all 1t did was to cut
through the skin and go straight up
his forehead. When the wound healed.
the scar drew his eyes close together
fike a Chinaman's. You never see
Squlnt'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
him from the minute 1 first saw him,
and I liked him less afterward. Then
1 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 it 70 the vein Squint
saw him-and what's more, he saw
that float. IT looked good to Squint-
and late that night. I heard him and
his two drinking partners. Blindeye
BOzeman and Taylor Bill-they Just
reverse his name for the sound of It
talking in Blindeye's room. I'm
woman" Mother Howard chuckled-
$50 just leaned my head against the
door and listened. Then flew down
stairs to wait for your father when
he came in from sitting up half the
night to get nm assay on that floet.
SquInt and them two others was fgur-
Ing on jumping his claim before he
could file on 1t rad all that.
swell. there was a big Cornishman
Acre that was k!rai of sweet on-and
I guess I niways will be. He's been
gone now. tforEa, ever since your fa-
Nher left. I got sIp and asked him
" help AsA Hairy was just the klad