Evening star., 1928-04-01
By William Dudley PeHey

"Ill have to go back across to the
cistern for the milk We keep ~ IN
a damp pit over there, so itH always
be COOL
When she had left them, Seavers
looked the place over curiously. Sort
o. tugs at your heartstrings, don't it?"
he said whimsically.
thoughtfully.
Two poor humans~~r1lan and wife
off here in a little shack under the
sky with their kid, tryin' to scrape
themselves a livin' and get ahead. And
the biggest thing in their lives is their
flivver. Apparently, Mart Bensons
turned over a new leaf since heein'
Vermont"
Apparently he has, Bill
who'd believe it?"
TITS the woman. I suppose. Wom-
en- do make a difference like that
some women.
Looks as though he'd settled down,
hard workin' and steady and deter
mined to amount to something. You've
got to give him credit for that"
Fought In France, too, Bill. She
told me he refused to marry her till
he got back-because he might re-
turn smashed up"
Look here, Stick, I wish you'd never
met Nick Cooper. and found out from
him where Benson lived. A guy who's
done this sort of thing Is entitled to
an even break"
Marshal Stickney got up suddenly
and went stalking nervously about the
rooms For a long time he stood on
the threshold OF the living room, and
somehow his features looked a little
less ruthless. Despite the luncheon
waiting, he pulled out cigar and bit
the tip off savagely.
Got a match. Bill?"
Bill felt in his clothes. Guess
used the last one to light my cigarette,
back on the hill" he declared.
The marshal stamped grimly about
the kitchen looking for matches. None
came to hand. A hot fire burned in
the stove, however. He pulled a paper
from his pocket, glanced at 1t care
lessly-with eyes that somehow failed
to see it--folded it into a long, thin
strip. and lifted one of the stove covers.
The paper curled in a yellow flame.
into which he thrust the cigar and
pulled at 1t savagely. Then he tossed
the remains of the paper into the
range, slammed down the cover. and
went on pacing the floor.
IT don't mind saying there's times
when I'm not stuck on my job, Bill, y"
he announced This is one.
well, by some hook or crook
couldn't you---- Well, couldn't you
make out that
That Benson wasn't Benson? Go
back on my oath to do my duty? I'd
like to. Bill, but"
Cheese 1t! Here she comes hack!"
%&
THE woman entered with big
pitcher of milk. My stars. what's
the trouble?" she cried. why amt
you cut the pie? Amt 1t good?"
II guess. Mrs Asheley, we're waiting
for you to do it for us" laughed Seavers
ruetully.
yes" confirmed the officer, my
friend here figures that If you don't
designate how large a piece he can
have. he might eat 1t all.
But that's perfectly all right. There's
| two more pies. Mart just dotes on
loganberry pie. / always make three
| or four"
You think a lot of your husband,
| Mrs Asheley?"
! The wife drew in her lips quickly and
| bit down hard upon them. She tfled 10
smile, but her eyes filmed over, Sink
| ing into a hard-bottomed chair, she
/ fought back her emotion
| III anything happened TO Mart,
reckon I'd go mad" she told them
/ huskily. HE and Teddy are
! all I got, and he's so kind All the
hard work and struggle don't matter so
much / declare when we went to
/ Chicago last month 1t was just like
/ takin' honeymoon.
How much did you pay for the
/ rancho"
/ Eleven thousand dollars we give for
! the land. Then we spent two thousand
/ more for the stock we started in with.
We got pretty good-sized flock now,
/ Seventeen hundred head We sheared
last season, and that helped us finish
! the silo.''
Your house looks recently built"
| Its the third year we've had it. I'm
| terribly proud of it. You see Mart
| built H."
"Alone?"
We'll, he had the stone foundations
put in by masons from Laramie. But
| the rest ri 1t he done himself-workin'
mostly nights All the time that Teddy
was comm helped him much as
could Though toward the last about