Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-11-18
Desert Marigolds

OF the tragic. cow-country blow'tps9
More to convince himself than the curl
Gus stranger he added:
N need worryin' about Verne; he's
clear strainl"
Award was staying the night, and at
| supper he asked Janet whether she could
put up the buyer, too. This mean re-
making the bed she and Joe used in the
end room, and sleeping herself on q cot
in the kitchen. while Joe would take his
bed-roll outside, for Janet's sense OF hos
pitiality would insist on giving the stran-
ger the best.
First. however. there were the dishes
to clear away and wash. Verne helped,
as always, while they talked ranch gossip
and discussed h new plans. janet
| joined in the talk as a matter OF course,
as interested in and familiar with the
details as Verne himself. Presently
Award spoke to her:
II thought I'd leave you and Joe here,
Miz Hickey, II it won't seem too lone
some to youp"
Lonesome? OF course not. It'll give
us a chance to rest and read" and she
smiled cheerfully at Joe, who glanced
covertly at Verne before replying:
ITS all right g fur as I'm concerned
He got up. conveying by his manner the
impression that he believed they on
oloCCAQ LID plCAClCASCo QlQll v COQAlt. =
reckon I'll go get me some Sleep" he
muttered. They heard him slam the
outer door of the end room as he took
his bed-roll out into the starlit darkness
Janet rose. We'll all be up SO early
It's hardly worth going to bed, but ]
want a nap xat least" she smiled. you'll
be all right here, Mr.. Avard?" Award
was to sleep in the little sitting room
where they had been chatting.
Sure Award answered. while Verne
saying. I'm fetch your cot and blankets
Miz Hickey" carried them through the
room into the kitchen, n came back
to his seat. Janet. saying good night
disappeared, closing the door behind her
J The telephone tangled and Award near
est. answered it. 1t was a call from head
quarters Hanging up after a short talk
he lamented:
'I've got to clear out That Fort Worth
buyers at the Home Ranch to look al
heifers first thing in the mornin'."
"Heyl" the buyer from Kansas City ex-
claimed, Il want to bid on them heiferf
myself. Tell you what. Award: I'll drive
you over In my coupe, It's warmer than
your roadster. I'll go run it u Of the
shed right now. What say?"
Fine"
AS the buyer stepped out, Award turned
to Verne n spoke gravely.
Dave, do you want me to go on send
in sixty-hve dollars a month Of your
wages to Blackwater?"
YES"
"Out of eightyl Dave, you're not bein
fair to yourself; you need a new saddle
and some new clothes-a chance to have
a good time now and then"
81 reckon / can get along"
Award looked at him half %scornfull
half pityingly, then fiared.
1T makes me sick, Dave, the way
you're lettin' that woman Of yours ridt
you'll Now. don't Get sore, let me talk
plain. 0 know she amt fit to be YOU
wife, an why o let her go on maxim
a dern fool of you / can't seeI'
Janet, not yet asleep, heard Awards
hot protest. but not verne's low, care
fully restrained reply. Then the buyers
car ratified up to the door, his voice
called above the engines clatter:
"All ready, Award"
Verne followed Award outside to stanc
a moment talking, then the car shot off
Going back n the sitting room to pui
out the light he stood in thought for {
while. Award meant well in his blunt
plain spoken way, SO he couldn't resent
what had been said. But Award didni
seem to understand that when q mar
made a promise to q woman before
preacher to endow her with all his world
ly goods till death do us part" he hat
to live up to 1T. 1t wasn't for him tt
try and squirm out of 1t just because
Greta didn't wan to leave town. Shit
was ailing, too, n oughtn't to get toe
far away from that osteopath who wa!
doing her SO much good with his man
4 ipulative treatments" as she wrote. Som
day. when she got we'll, she'd come bach
and share her husbands life. Shec
promised that.
Verne blew out the lamp, and very
1 ..t-4y 80 No. 1@ OBJ h4
Hickey, closed the door and started fol
his bunk.
AS he stepped outside the row Of mari
Colds caught his attention, and he re.
membered his promise to water them. HI
hesitated. then turned his steps to thu
windmill. Filling the bucket that stool
there, he carried it back up the slope
and poured the water, carefully an
slowly, at the roots Of the plants. AS hi
worked, the window Of the end room
went up and Janet spoke to him:
Nj Verne. don't do that. Go straight
to bed"
Hickey's sleep was broken by the sount
OF h buyer starting his car. From
where he lay in the saddle room, somt
fifty feet from the house, he heard thu
man call to Award, and then Verne
voice talking to the two. The car spec
off, and Joe listened for Verne's step
going to the garage, realizing that fJ
some reason the other two nae left The
camp. He did not hear them. Had HI
gone back into the house, was he there
with Janetp Hickey lay absolutely still
straining his ears the our of
carefully closed door. then soft footstep.
veering away, next the sound Of theil
stealthy return, q window going up
Janet's voice, these he caught. The words
she spoke were indistinguishable, as wa.
Verne's reply. Again the soft steps NOV
ing off, apparently In the direction Of
the windmill. There was a locked tool
house near the mill, the key to which
Verne carried Were those two walking
vary quietly, away from the house?
The strain grew intolerable as Hickey,
long-cherished doubts changed to con,
viction. He worked himself swiftly GU
Of his bed-roll In a frenzy that was nont
the less cautious. Without waiting Il
pull on his boots, he thrust q pistol un,
der he waistband of his overalls anc
took the bullwhip from his saddle. il
would be q bullet for Verne. and the Lash
for Janetl
Coming out of the saddleroom, hi
thought he could distinguish his wife
and Verne moving toward the windmill
a vague. moving shape, certainly, thaf
might be the two in q close embrace. He
lodged swiftly round the kitchen enc
OF the house. crouching at the corner tC
wait until they should disappear into The
Toulouse. The bullwhip, coiled, hi
grasped In his left hand, his right restec
on the butt Of his old plow-handle forty
five. A great surge Of self-pitying angel
shook him, choked him. He trembled
thinking, miserably. maybe this wal