The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-03-17

81 know she nodded. "IIe killed
a man once; it was when | was a
little girl and we were living in Grip
pie Creek. He was acquitted on the
plea Gf self-defense. SO | didn't dare
say anything to YOU or TO Daddy.
What | did was to steal your deed
myself, when | had Il chance. Daddy
has some blank forms just like it, and
! sat UP one night in my room and
made a copy. 1t wasn't n very good
cory-your grandfathor'S handwriting
was awfully hard TO initiate. Besides,
I didn't have any notarial seal. But
l thought ii might DO for-for some
thing 10 be stolen. Then I hid the
real decd and put the copy back in
the envelope in your pocket"
"And Fullerton finally stole it, Just
as YOU thought he would" ! put IN,
He did. You are dreadfully care
less with your things You are al
ways leaving your coat around, Just
where You happen 10 take it of. |
knew then that the next thing to he
done was to get your deed recorded
/ Nhl'hiA iiNIAt WIS ulSlil= llt tNtIN
day TO run away with him. and / was
afraid 10 tell him how much | despiscd
him: afraid he'd take it out on YOU
and Daddy. So l just let him 20 on
and talk and believe what he pleased.
OF course, he wanted to ride with me
the morning we went away, but after
we got down the road n piece. | made
an reuse to 60 on ahead by another
trail"
THAT much Of what he told your
father and me-Whcn we were having
the scrap-was true. He said YOU
went on ahead"
II didn't 60 TO AtrOpia, as he eX-
pected me TO-" she continued calmly.
II took the old Haversack trail across
the mountain to Greaser siding. I
knew that the COpah train would stop
there on the Side-track. When | got
rs far rs the Haversack | thought |
heard somebody following me. | was
scared and didn't know what to do.
was afraid my copying of the deed had
bcen discovered and that the original
would be taken away from me, so |
hurried 10 hide the real deed. The
old HaverSack tunnel seemed to be n
good place, but while | was in there
Barney began TO bark, and / looked
out and saw that the noise | had heard
had been made by n stray COW from
n of the foothill ranches. So | re-
mounted and rode on to catch the
train TO Copah. At GreaSer siding !
tried to make Barney lead the pony
home, and Barney tried his best to do
it. But Wrinkle wanted to Craze, and
| had to go off and leave them when
the train came. That's all, ! think
except that | had to wait two days at
my cousins in Copah before | could
get the deed back from the record
er's office. They were awful!y slow
about It."
at isn't quite ALL" I amended. "You
haven't told me how you happened to
come back with Beasley and his
posse"
THAT was just a coincidence. |
reached Atropia on tie early morning
train and met Mr.. Beasley and his
men just as they were starting UP the
mountain. Cousin Buddy Fuller had
told me how lie had telegraphed to
Angels for Mr.. Beasley, and / was
scared to death, of course. because |
knew what it meant. 50 | borrowed
the Haggertys' pony and came along
with the posse"
There was silence for a little time:
such silence as the gathering ana
hammering Of the carpenters and
steam-fitters permitted. Then | said:
And when you got here. the first
thing | did was to call you Mrs. Bull
lerton. / don't blame you for not be-
ing able to forgive me, jeanne, girl
honestly, l don't"
1T was worse than q crime" she
averred solemnly; ut was a blunder.
What made you do it?'
Partly because l was a Jealous
fool; but mostly because I was sore
and sorry and disappointed. I thought
Fullerton had beaten me to It,"
NO." she said quite soberly; at
was Miss Randle who beat you to It."
gasped. There were tremendous
possibilities in that cool answer of
hers; prOdigiOus possibilities.
But say" l burst out didn't I
tell you that Lisette had pushed me
overheard long ago?"
Il know. She was sensible enough
to see that you and she couldn't live
on nothing q year. But now that you
are rich, or are going to be I'm
sure you are not going to be less gen
erOus thar she was. What if she did
take your ring off i'm a moment of dis
enlargement, and knowing that you
couldn't buy her hats? You can be
very sure she put it on again as soon
as your back was turned
There we were; no sooner over one
hurdle before another and q higher
one must jump up. / groaned and
thrust my hands into my pockets. 4
paper rustled and | drew il out. 1t
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