River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1923-05-03

IohI -d 1St VI q poyh
self and beamed at her. "Yo're sure
welcome" he said. BOSS hired you?
Cowgirl or cookY'
Sandy noticed the girls lip culver
and he slipped an arm about her
shoulders. He was not woman-shy
with this girl who needed help, and
who seemed boy.
Don't you take no notice of him
an his kiddi1'," he said. well make
him rustic some grub fo' all of us an
then we-all IL turn in. I'll show you
yore room. Up the stairs an the last
door on the right. Here's some
matches. There's a lamp on the bu-
reau up there. Give you call when
Supper's ready"
He led her to the door and gave her
a friendly little shove, guessing that
she wanted to be alone
1.-THE kids lost her father, lost most
everything 'cept her dawg," he said
to Mormon. Thought we might adopt
her, sort of, then l thought mebbe
we'd hire her-for mascot"
Lost her daddy? An me hornin'
in an tryin' 20 kid her! I amt got
the sense of drowned gopher, some
times" said Mormon cOntritely.
"She's game, plumb through, amt
She Sam? Stands right up to trouble"
''You bet. Mormon, open up can
of greengages, will ye? / reckon she's
got a sweet tooth. same as me-
Molly Casey was not through stand
ing up to trouble. They coaxed her
to eat and she managed to make a
meal that satisfied them. Then she
got up to go to her room, with Grit
nuzzling close to her. her fingers in
his ruff, twisting nervously at the
! strands of hair.
'fDo you reckon" she asked the
| three partners, that Dad knows he
| fooled me when he told me to jump?
| IF I'd known he c'udn't git clear I'd
have stuck-same as he would if l
was caught. Do you reckon he knows
| that-nOwT
"Pd be surprised if he didn't" said
| Sandy gravely. you did what he
wanted, anyway"
She looked at them grayely and
went out.
"Botherin' about playin' square in
| jumpin'," said Sandy. "That gel is
square on all twelve edges"
How'd you come to know so much
about gels?' asked Mormon.
"Me? / don't know the first thing
about EN- protested Sandy.
"No more'n any man." put in Sam.
accept it's Mormon! He's sure had
the experience"
Experience" said Mormon, with a
yawn, may teach a man somethin
about mules but not wimmen. No,
sir, that Teller in the po'try who says,
Il learned about wimmen from 'er,'
was braggin'. Now, this gel of Ca
sey's pears like what her dad 'ud
call good prospect, but you can't
tell. Fools gold is bright enough, but
you can't change 1t to the real stuff
no matter how you polish it."
mormon, you warnt calculated to
handle wimmen. This lii gel is game
as they make EN-, an I reckon she's
right sweet if she only gifts a chance.
Leastwise, | see several signs of pay
dirt this afternoon an evenin' as |
reckon Sandy done the same. She's
been trailin' her dad all over hi an
creation, talkin' like him, swearin'
like him. actin like him. Never see
nothin' different .All she needs is a
chance"
"What's the idee in pickin' on me?"
asked Mormon aggrievedly. shes as
welcome as grass in spring. They
amt no one got bigger heart than
me 70 kids"
"NO one got bigger heart, mebbe,"
said Sam caustically. "Nor none
smaller brain. All engine an no gaso-
line in the tank -
"She's an orphan" went on Sandy.
"She amt got cent that | know
of. The claims her old dad mentioned
amt no good because, in the first
place, they'd have TO be worked Ii
they was; second place. they're over
to Dynamite an the sharpS say Dyna-
mites a flivver. All she has in sight
is the dawg. Some dawg! Comes in
from the desert an takes us out to her
an Pat Casey-him dyin'. Ef it hadn't
been fO' the dawg, she'd have stayed.
there, to my notion. Got some sort of
idee she'd deserted ship eff she hadn't
stuck till it was too late 70 her TO
crawl out of that slit in the mesa.
She's fifteen an she's got sense. |
figger we better turn in right now an
hold a pow-wOw with the gel ter
morrer"
"Second the notion" said Sam.
''Third it," said Mormon.
And the Three Musketeers OF the
-.ange went off TO bed.