The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-04-19

nosln' afteh now? Mormon-an' you.
SAM" he added sharply. you'll stick
around till she goes. Sabe? / don't
aim to be talked to death an then
picked by her vinegar, like l was las
time she come oveh."
A tinny machine, in need of paint,
short of oil, braked squeakingly as a
horn squawked and the auto halted
by the porch steps. Young Ed Bailey
sung one leg over another dispropor-
tomato limb, glanced at the windows.
rolled cigarette and lit It, His
aunt, tall, gaunt, clad in starched
dress and starched sunbonnet, de-
scended. strobe across the porch and
entered the living room. her bright
eyes darling all about, needing Molly.
taking in every detail.
"Out lookin' fo' stray" she an
nounced. "Red-an' white heifer we
had up TO the house for milkin'. Got
rambuncterous an loped off. Had one
horn crumpled. Rawhide halter, eff
she amt got rid of 1t. You amt seen
her hev your" g
mo MN, we amt. No strange
heifer round the Three Star that an
swers that description" Sam winked
at Molly, who was flushing under the
inspection of Miranda Bailey, maiden
sister of the neighbor owner of the
Double-Dumbell ranch. He fancied
the missing mixer an excuse II not
an actual invention to furnish oppOr-
tunity for a visit to the Three Star,
an inspection of Molly Casey and
subsequent gossip.
LET me make you 'quainted with
Miss Bailey, Molly" said Sandy. This
Molly. If you-all want to skip out an
tend to them chickens. hop to It,"
Molly started for the door. The
woman checked her with a question.
"How old air you, Molly Casey?"
The girl turned, her eyes blank, her
manner charged with Indifference that
unbent to be polite.
"Fifteen." And she went out.
u
teen. Worse'n | imagined"
Sandy's eyebrows went UP. The
breath that carried his words might
have come from a refrigerator.
"You goin' back in the fllvver?" he
asked, cor was you Amin to keep a.
iookin' TO that red-an'-white heiferY
Miranda shifted.
"I'm goin', soon's I've said some
thin in the way of word of advice
an warnin, seem as how I happened
this way. It's woman's matter or
wouldn't NEEDLE. | amt much time
an | amt goin' to waste 1t to mince
matters. Here's a gel, almost a wOm-
an, Twin with you three bachelor
men,"
1--WE been married." ventured Nor
mon.
$50 understand. Where's yore
wife?"
zone of ems dead, one of ems
divorced, an I don't rightly sabe
where the third is. nor amt losin'
weight concernin that neither"
"More shame to you. You're one
of these women-haters, I s'poseT
mo m'm ! amt. That's been my
trouble. | admire the sex, but I've
been bad picker. I'm jest woman
dOdger."
Mirandas sniff turned into snort.
II amt heard nothin' much ag'in
you men. I'll say that" she conceded.
Il reckon you-all think I've Jest come
hornin' In on what amt my affair.
Mebbe that's so. If you've fggered
this out same way I have, tell me
an I'll admit I'm jest an extry an
beg yore pardons."
Miss Bailey" said Sandy, his man.
ner changed to courtesy, II believe
you've come here to do us a service
an Molly likewise So fur's l sabe
there's been some remarks passed con-
cernln' her stayin' here thout n
chaperon. so to speak. Anyone that
'ud staht that sort of talk is a blood
relation to centlpede an mebbe !
can give guess as to who 1t is. !
reckon ! can persuade him to quit"