Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-08-11
CHAPTER v

uWuiltu NiONl-
er Howard's return. and when at last
she came forth from the kitchen he
drew her into the old paror. shadowy
now in the gathering dusk. and closed
the doors.
Mrs. Howard" he began, e."
mother Howard" she corrected. 81
hln't used TO being called much else"
Mother, then-although I'm not
very accustomed to using the title
My own mother dled-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 ii seemed that her lips were
strove to pass them, something locked
behind them for years. Then the old
face, dim in the half light, Gained.
"What do you want to know, Sony
"Everythingl"
But there isn't much I can tell"
lie caught her hand.
''There isl know there Is. L"
"Son-all can do is to make mat
ters worse. II I knew anything that
would help you'll could give you
any light on anything, Old Mother
Howard would do II Lord, didn't
help out your father when he needed
II the worst way? But I'm as much
in the dark as you. All that l ever
knew was that your 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 II 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 young thing,
sort of setting my csp for every good
looking young man that came along.
i guess that's why I never caught one
of 'em--I always insisted on darnlng
their socks and looking after all their
troubles for 'em instead of going out
buggy.rlding 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 my IA
ther-"
I'm going to--all I know. Things
were 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 Rodalne was another-they
called him that because ut some time
I'm his life he'd tried to shoot faster
than the other fellow-and didn't dc
&. The bullet hit right between his
eyes, but 1t must have had poor pow
Der behind tall II did was to cut
through the skin and so straight NJ
his forehead. When the wound healed
the scar drew his eyes close together
like Chinamun's. You never see
Squlnt's eyes more than half open.
"And he's crooked Just like hi,
eyes" Mother Howard's voice Dor,
touch of resentment. II never likeC
him from the minute first saw him
and | liked him less afterward. TheI
got next to his game.
"Your father had been prospecting
just like everybody else. He'd com,
on float up Kentucky gulch and wa
trying TO follow II To the vein. Squln
saw hlm--and what's more, he saw
that float. II looked good to squirt
and late that night. heard him ant
his two drinking partners, Blindey,
Bozeman and Taylor Bill--they jus
reverse his name for the sound of it
talking i'm Bilndeye's room. I'm
woman" Mother Howard chuckled-
$50 | Just leaned my head against tn
door and listened Then | flew down
stairs to wait for your father whel
he came In from sitting up half III
night to get an assay on that float
SquInt and them two others was figur
ing on jumping hs claim before h
could file on il and all that.
well, there was big Cornlshmal
here that | was kind of sweet On--an
guess always will be. He's bee
gone now, though, ever since your ia
Their left. got him and asked hin
go help. And Harry was Just the kin