The Adair County news., 1922-01-31

catch would never snap and hold, my
fool mind crept back along the line,
searching blindly for the point at
which all this fiery Indignation toward
me had begun; back and still back to
that moment of our deliverance-
Daddy's and mine-at the shafthouse
door, with this dear girl untwisting her
arms from her fathers neck, and with
me saying, I'm not hurt, either. Wei
come home, Miss Twombly-or should
/ say, Mrs. BullertonT
"Jeanie!" I gasped "do you mean
that you're not going to marry Charles
Fullerton THAT you never meant tor
"Of course, I'm not I" she retorted,
with a savage little out-thrust of the
adorable chin. "But you thought so
small of me that you simply took it
for granted ~
wagged my head in deepest hu-
mility.
"I'm as the dust under your pretty
feet, Jeanne; please don't trample me
too hard. Bullerton-that is-er-we
had a scrap the next morning after
you went away. you know, and &.
well, he rather got the worst of It,
And when I had him down and was
trying to make him tell us where you
were-even your father thought you'd
gone off with him-he said you'd
planned to go with him to get mar
ried. but that you had failed to show
up at AtrOpia in time for the train"
"TIe told a lie, because that is the
way he is made and he couldn't help
it," she said simply, still as cool as
a cucumber. "He said we were going
to Angels to get married, and II
didn't say we weren't; l just let him
talk and didn't say anything at ALL"
"Won't you tell me a bit more?"
begged.
"You don't deserve it the least lit
tie bit, but I will. 1t began with the
deed your deed to the mine. One
day, when you were over at the shaft
house, and had left your coat here in
the cabin. saw him take the deed
from your pocket when he didn't know
1 was looking. He read 1t and put 1t
back quickly when he heard me stir
ring in the other room. knew 1t
hadn't been recorded; you and Daddy
had both spoken of that. 1 felt sure
he'd take it again. and perhaps de-
stroy it. At first, thought I'd tell
you or Daddy, or both Of you. But I
knew that would mean trouble"
eve were never very far from the
fighting edge in those days." admit
| ted. "BullertOn had shown me the
gun he always carried under his arm,
and had told me what to expect in
| case I were foolish enough to lose my
temper"
T know" she nodded. "He killed
a man once; 1t was when 1 was a
pie Creek. He was acquitted on the
| plea of self-defense. So l didn't dare
say anything to you or to Daddy
What I did was to steal your deed
myself, when I had a chance. Daddy
has some blank forms just like it, and
sat up one night in my room and
made a copy. 1t wasn't very good
copy-yOur grandfather's handwriting
was awfully hard to initiate. Besides
I didn't have any notarial seal. But
I thought it might do for-fOr some
thing to be stolen. Then 1 hid the
real deed 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, JUS
where you happen to take it off.
knew then that the next thing to bt
done was to get your deed recorded
quickly. He-he was urging me ever!
day to run away with him, and wa!
afraid to tell him how much I despiseC
him; afraid he'd take it out on yol
and Daddy So 1 just let him go OF
and talk and believe what he pleased
OF course, he wanted to ride with m,
the morning we went away, but afte
we got down the road a piece, 1 mad,
an excuse to go on ahead by anothe
trail"
"That much of what he told you
father and me-when we were having
the scrap-was true. He said yOl
went on ahead"
81 didn't go to AtrOpia, as he ex
pected me TO-" she continued calmly
81 took the old Haversack trail acros
the mountain to Greaser siding.
knew that the COpah train would stOl
there on the side-track When l go
as far as the Haversack / thought
heard somebody following me. 1 wa
scared and didn't know what to do.
was afraid my copying of the deed ha
been discovered and that the Origlna
would be taken away from me, so
hurried to hide the real deed. TIL
old Haversack tunnel seemed to be
good place, but while was in Their
Barney began to bark, and locke,
out and saw that the noise I had hear
had been made by stray COW froI
one of the foOthill ranches. So re
mounted and rode on to catch tn
train to Copah. At Greaser siding
tried to make Barney lead the pom
home, and Barney tried his best to d
1t. But Winkie wanted to Craze, an
; / had to go off and leave them whe