The Adair County news., 1922-05-02

al Got What's COMM to Me-"
fore he accomplished much, he got
mixed up one night in street fight
down in Sheridan, an would bave
been killed if 1t hadn't been for a ser
geant he had with him named Cal
kins. He got him home alive, but he
croaked later That left the kid alone
at school, but these folks didn't know
where"
"It was in st. Louis"
"Sure, they found out later, but by
that time she'd gone. This yere old
sergeant, Calkins, had come with a
power of attorney, or something, an
got her out. That's where furst be-
gun to get real interested-after this
fellow Calkins got into the game. I'll
tell yer why got 1t into my nut that
maybe I'd hit a hot trail, where, If 1t
banned out all right, there might be
some Doodle in 1t for me. run steers
FOR the XII about four months once,
and we used to drive into Ponca to
blow ourselves. knowed there was
an OF fellow hangin' round there, in
McCarthy's place mostly, sorter tin
horn sport, they called OF Dad Calk-
ins; an I'd heard somewhere he had
a girl livin' with him bout seventeen,
or so. Somehow l got to mullin' over
this, an finally decided to see what
kind of a lead I'd struck. It looked
like easy money, If she was the girl,
an didn't know yet what was up"
"You went to Ponca for that pur-
poser
"Just prospectin' like. Them other
two guys went off somewhere else, an
so l had easy sailin'. couldn't get
next the girl at all. reckon she
never left the shack; but got look
at her, an it wasn't no trouble to pick
I'D an acquaintance with Old Dad. He
was tight-mouthed, though, drunk or
sober, an finally 1 had to throw the
fear of God into him to make him
SPILL"
"You mean you threatened himT
"Yepl l never supposed it would
shake the CUTS out of him the way 1t
did, though. The old fool went plum
batty when l told him what knOwed.
He thought l was after him-a detec-
tive, or something-an' he just crum-
bled up, without maxim no fight at all.
/ reckon he'd been hidin' her so long,
he Just naturally got it into his nut
he was guilty of some crime. Enyhow,
the next thing knowed, he'd gone out
back of the dance hall an shot him
SELF"
He stopped, shaken by a paroxysm
of coughing. Shelby held him tightly,
and finally this passed away, the man
resting weakly on his arms, but with
mind evidently wandering.
81 used to talk all right" he svhis-
pered hOarsely, gasping for breath,
"an' I could warble some. too. Say,
did you ever hear me sing?"
"Yes, Kid, I've heard you."
"Sure, you did. Everybody said
had a wonderful voice. Trouble with
me is l never amt had no show. If
could'er got started in opera, I'd
never been out yere getting plugged
by no Mex woman. It's hell, amt it?
But, say; where was 1, enyhOw?
"YOu just explained why Calkins
killed himself
"Oh, yes, that's it. Well, O. course
l felt bad about the OF man. but it
wasn't no fault O. mine. Then it
seemed like his shuff1in' off put the
cards right in my hands. 1t sure
proved she was the girl an now she
r was left plum alone, it didn't look no
/ marry her, before enybody else got
: wise. Say, had it all figured out when
you an Dan Mccarthy horned in on
that fool stunt of yours, an knocked
my game galley-west. Then cOttOned
. onto that job with you. l didn't aim
5 to stay out there punchin' steers, but
e just thought I'd see how things turned
/ out. / sorter figured it this way-the
a girl she didn't care nothin' for you /;
r she just married yer ter get out er
t there, an hav' some place ter live; an
a maybe, out there on the Cottonwood, /
I could make love to her, an some day
|. we'd skip out together. That's as far
t. as I went at furst, an goin' out over
: them prairies, 1 got it into my head
r that she didn't have no objection to a
v little Irritation. / was feelin' quite
i foxy about it when we got to the
h ranch"
n The lashes dropped low over Olga's
e eyes, and her cheeks burned.
4 '"Then l reckon the devil must Ell
g | took cbaroa n, tho game fer the min.
a ute 1 was left alone out there / run
% into bunch o. Indian cattle thieves
n 1 knew two Of Aem- for they were out
e. of the Hole here, an all at onct, il