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

much the more of Janet for Joe, the
prairie and the people of the high plains.
Beyond the distant pasture fence,
ranches were being divided and sold to
farmers. A pioneer race was bringing
fresh interests, new contacts. Cowboys
were marrying farmers DAUGHTERS, build
ing shacks, putting the lond under pillow.
Prohibition introduced bootlegger TRACE
dies; n OF Janet's young wife friends
wa widowed between two bun flashes.
Living had an intenseness.
But as time passed and her own inter-
ests extended, Joe tended more and more
to stay at home. 1t began to be difficult
to coax him beyond the pasture gates.
1t was now a year since Dave Verne
had come to North Pasture as foreman.
A gentle spoken, big man of thirty-five,
he looked at Janet with ~incredulous eyes,
studied Joe in casual glances, wondered
hat freak OF fate had brought them
together. AS he came to see that Joe
o little care of his wife's comfort, he
fell into the way Of doing odd jobs for
her as a matter of course. He got up
her horse from the corral and saddled
1T on the days she spoke of riding; every
morning he left two water pals in the
Kitchen full, he split wood often by
lantern light; after supper he would
plant his huge bulk between the stove
inc the cupboard and, gossiping with
Joe over the days events as the little
man sat tilted against the wall rolling
m smoking cigarets, he wiped the
dishes Janet washed.
He toe over the milking from her,
schooling the two FESTIVE COWS to endure
his awkward handling till he became
adept. Before bringing in the milk he
had a way OF calling the two ranch cats,
Come here, Blackie, come a%-runnin'.
Tiger and pouring o shallow lake Of
warm milk into a tin pan. to stand a
moment watching the two. crouched to
lap happily. and then, swinging into the
Kitchen with a grin, to comment: "Miz
Hickey, them cats re sure gettin' fail"
1t delighted Janet, who woul respond,
No wonder. the way you spoil EN-, Mr..
Vernel"
Never Dave, never Janet, between
them. Their growing sympathy and
friendship was natural and instructive,
but remained unr~ecognized. Knowing
the c~ow-country code Verne never per-
m1tted himself to be alone with her be-
hind closed doors; always, before Joe
rose yawning and stumped of to the
bedroom at the south end OF the house,
the foreman was or his way to his bunk
in the big shed that also served as q
garage.
On evenings when a neighbor tele-
phoned an invitation to q dance, Verne
would run the car up to the door, fill
the radiator and gas tan n breach a
discussion of roads with Joe. you want
to watch out crossin' the Pantata wash
in the dark" Joe, caught by the strata
gem, would n himself committed to go.
On horseback, Verne would follow, dance
just once with Janet, go the rounds
among the other women, and usually be
back in bed by the tim Joe drove the
car into the he'd. With O revival OF the
old festive spirit, Joe would linger to
chat and make comments on the evening
before returning to the house.
Janet. somewhat absurdly, she being
still pathetically slight and girlish, and
verne SO mature and husky, became by
degrees protective and motherly In her
attitude. Washing his clothes, mending
for him, keeping fresh pillow slips on
his pillow, airing his blankets, laying
clean planks on the dirt floor by his
bed, reminding him to buy shirts and
other things" which he failed to do,
he was to her as a dear big boy. Because
OF this maternal preoccupation she came
to sense the loneliness that wrapped him
like a spiritual veil. Joe had told her
what he knew In regard to the man:
J He's from down below, worked fer the
Circle-F outfit in Mexico fer q stretch
2 before the trouble down there. One 0
5 the boys was sayin' he's got a wife Twin
In Blackwater." Joe added resentfully
] Il dunno why they wanted to bring him
= up here to ramrod this outhtP' HI
was convinced that he himself should
e have been made foreman OF North Pas.
t ture, and though he did not admit 1t
. he diAliked the man who. innocently