Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-03-14

IacC tuat uOn want Tie luree Dur
or rather I do If you should ever
decide to SELL"
II never WILL" she stated positive
~. "It's always been my home. I've
been away and had q good time;
three winters in school and enjoying
every second; but there always comes
q time when Pm sick to get back,
when l know l can't stay away from
the Three Bar, when I want to smell
the sage and throw my leg across a
horse and ride!"
II know, Dillie," he said softly. II
was raised here, up until 1 was eight.
My feeling is likely less acute than
yours but I've always hankered to
get back to where the sage and pine
trees run together. I mentioned
while back that / was tied up pecu-
liar and stood to lose considerable If
I failed to put in two years out here
which wouldn't have been Of any par
ticular consequence only that / found
out that the Three Bar was going un-
der unless some one put stop to
what's going on. I'll pull it out of the
hole, maybe, and hand 1t back to
you"
"You!" she flared "And what can
you do against it-a man that was
raised in squatter country behind a
barb-wire fence, who has to gentle
his horses before he can sit up on
one, who has hitched a gun on his
belt because he thinks it's the thing
to do, and has slowed 1t in a place
where he'd have to tie himself in
knot-or undress-to reach it. And
then you talk of pulling the Three Bar
out of hole! Why, there are twenty
men within fifty miles of here that
would kill you the first move you
made"
There's considerable sound truth
In that" he said He looked down at
his gun; it swung on his left side in
front, the butt pointing toward the
right. "It's easier to work with 1t
sort Of out of the way of my hands"
he explained and smiled.
She found herself liking him, even
In the face Of the treachery he had
-practiced against her father and was
cOrrespondingly angry, both with her
self and at him. She left him without
word and returned to the house.
He finished putting the shoes on the
colt and as he turned him back into
the corral he observed a horseman
jogging up the lane at trail trot.
He knew the man for Slade, whose
home ranch lay forty miles to the
south and little west, the owner of
the largest outfit in that end of the
state; man feared by his cOmpeti.
tors, quick to resent an insinuation
against his business methods and cap
able of backing his resentment.
Slade dropped from his horse and
accorded Harris only a casual nod as
he headed for the house. He walked
through the cookhouse and opened
the door of the girls quarters without
the formality of a knock, as if fire.
quent visitor and sure Of his privi-
leges.
"HOw many times have l told you
to knock?" she demanded. "The next
time you forget it I'll go out as you
come in"
Slade dropped into chair.
II never have knocked-not in
twelve years." he said.
1T was somewhat different when ]
was small girl and you were only a
friend of my father" she pointed out.
But now"
But now that I've come to see you
as woman it's different?" he in
Quired. mo reason for that"
She switched the channel of CONVEX
satiOn and spoke of the coming round
up, of the poor condition of range
stock owing to the severity of the
winter; but it was a mOnOlogue. For
time the man sat and listened, as
if he enjoyed the sound of her voice,
contributing nothing to the converse
ton himself, then suddenly he stirred
In his chair and waved a hand to in
dictate the unimportance of the topics.
"Yes, yes; true enough" he inter-
rupted. But l didn't come to talk
about that. When are you coming
home with me, Billie?"
"And you can't come if you insist
on talking about that" she cOuntered.
"Ill come" he stated. Tell me
when you're going to move over to
the Circle F."
mot ever" she said. I'D rather
be a mans horse than his wife. Men
treat women like little tinsel queens
before, and afterward they answer to
save cooks wages and drudge their
lives out feeding a bunch of half
starved hands-or else go to the other
extreme. Wives are either work
horses or pets. l was raised like
boy and want to have a say In run
ming things myself
Slade rose and moved over to her,
taking her hands and lifting her
from her chair.
The girl pushed him back with q
hand braced against his chest.
"Stop it" she said. you're get.
ting wilder every time you come, but
you've never paved at me before.
won't have peoples hands on me-" and
she made a grimace of distaste.