The Snowflake herald., 1923-03-23

Your father and me had more than
one deal together You and | may
have to do business together yet, Molly
mine!
Molly's teeth showed between her
parted lips, her fingers were hooked.
Mormon anticipated her indignant
leap. His gun spurted fire, the expen
siye StetsOn broadrim seemed lifted
from Plimsolrs hair by an invisible
hand. With the report it sailed for
ward, side-slipped. landed on its rim.
perforated by a steeLnosed .3S-caliber
bullet.
II give you last warnin'," roared
Mormon.
Plimsoll sprang ahead like>a racer
at the starters shot. snatched at his
hat, missed it, lei it lie as he ran on
to his horse, mounted and went gal
Looping off. Mormon holstered his gun
and swung about to Molly, standing
with crimson cheeks, blazing eyes and
young bosom turbulent with emo
tions.
III wisht you'd killed him. | wlsht
you'l killed him p she cried. II wisht
had a gun-or knife hate him
When he says he was ever in a deal
with Dad, he lies. Dad stood for him
and that was all. He purtended to
be awful strong for Dad, purtended
to he fond of me. jest to swarm round
Dad, for some reason. Brought me
doll once. l was thirteen. What In
h I with ch %
painted. 81 burned the d--=n thing that
night in the fire. He kissed me an
Dad seemed to think 1 owed 1t him
for the doll | nigh bit my lip off
afterward. / wisht yore first shot had
been higher, or yore second lower,
Peters,
"Call me Uncle Mormon, Molly. He's
sure some snake But we'll take care
of Jim Plimsoll, yore Uncle Mormon,
with Sam an Sandy
Patting Molly's shoulder, Mormon
smiled at her with his irresistible
grin, and she reflected It family as
she tucked in the remnants of her
torn sleeve.
That's the on'y dress got till
she said.
His arm around her shoulder pur-
posely chatting away, Mormon led
Molly toward the ranch house. Plim-
soils horse was stirring up q dust
cloud on the way TO Hereford, other
proclaimed that the blackboard was
on its way with its funeral freight.
The body of the old prospector was
lowered into the grave with the last
Of the daylight. Molly Casey walked
away alone, her head high the corner
of her lower lip caught under her
teeth. eyes winking back the tears.
It was the headboard that had forced
her struggle for composure Mormon
had marked on it. with the heavy
lead of a carpenters pencil.
PATRICK CASEY
lies here
where the grass grows
and the water runs He
I looked for ..old in the desert
and found DEATH
Buried June 10,
1920
"Ef that suits you," he told Molly,
"they's a chap over to Hereford
who's wolf on caryin' My letterin's s
punk. When yore mines pay you c'ud
have it in stone.''
"You-all are awful good to me-" was
Ill she could trust herself to say.
Each of the Three Musketeers of the
Range felt tug to take her in his
arms and comfort her. Instead they
looked at one another, as men of
their breed do. Sam pulled at his
mustache. Mormon rubbed the top
of his bald head and Sandy rolled
cigarette and smoked il silently.
Molly ate no supper that night. Be
fore dawn Sandy thought he heard the
door of her room open and soft foot
falls stealing down the stairs. When
he went later to the spring he found
the grave covered with the wild
blooms that the girl had picked in
the dewy dawn
CHAPTER w
Sandy Calls the Turn.
1t was week after Plimsoll's dis