The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-12-19

luck here. You're bucked out in this
county. Get out, or I'll throw you
into jail.r
He turned on his heel and sauntered
to the bar Steve Worrall was there
taking drink. He asked O'Hara to
join him, then added as a postscript
to his invitation remark intended to
reach Deever.
"Some of these scalawags will learn
after a while to hit the pike when you
give the word" he said. clapping his
friend on the back. "By the great
jumpin' horn toad, you're sure one
hellamiler. Betcha my bald-face
mare against dollar Mex that Con-
cho will lose one of its sure enough
bully puss warriors right soon, say
within twenty-four hours" III
Il think So" agreed O'Hara non
ehalantly. FLOWS the freighting bust
ness these days, Steve?"
"Lookin' up again, like sheriffin',"
Worrall grinned. "Say, young fellow,
you're sure tonic to an old stove-up
donker like me. Travelin' with you
would make jackrabbit spit in a
wildcats eye"
"Come on, Steve, want to have a
powwow with you," O'Hara said.
He slipped an. arm under the tall
mans elbow and the two walked out
of the Gold Nugget together.
The prediction of Steve Worral
turned out to be true one. In the
dark hours of the night Deever slipped
out of town and departed for parts
unknown.
dad burn 1t, got to light shuck,'
he told himself. "But If 1 ever get
crack at this pilgrim O'Hara I'll send
him a through ticket to Kingdom
Come"
After which he slapped saddle on
a bronco and decamped.
This enhanced the new sheriff's
reputation tremendously. The people
of Concho could not follow the work
ings of Deever's mind. What reached
them was that O'Hara had served no.
tice on this outlaw, one of the most
vicious of the bad men, to get out of
town within specified time and that
the fellow had not waited to challenge
the ultimatum. They deduced that he
was afraid of the sheriff.
As the months passed O'Hara, as
sisted by public sentiment, cleaned up
the town.. There were still occasional
shooting affairs, but they did not have
the sanction of community support.
O'Hara was kept so busy that for
months he did not find time to pay
more than one or two flying visits to
the Circle s O. His partner. Smith
BeresfOrd. was managing the ranch,
with some advice from Wesley Steel
man, and he was doing so well that
it began to look as though he might
escape the usual fate of wealthy Eng
lishmen who went into cows in. the
West.
It was nearly nine months after the
death of Ingram that a cowboy from
the Diamond Tail brought the sheriff
news. not entirely unexpected. Bar
bara had given birth to a boy, weight
eight pounds.
Since the day Of the funeral O'Hara
had not set eyes on Barbara. His ex-
cuse had been that he was too busy
to call, but the real reason was that
he did not know whether he could
keep his eyes from telling her what
was in his heart. Now he could no
longer decently stay away. At the
first opportunity he rode out to the
Diamond Tail.
At sight of Barbara the blood
rushed stormily to his heart. He knew
that he was betraying himself, yet
words choked in his throat and he
could find nothing to say. In his
brown hand he held the one she had
given him, and as he looked at her a
slow flush crept into her cheeks.
$50 you came at last" she said.
after all these months"
He had no answer for her reproach
except to murmur that he had been
busy. How could he tell her that he
dared not let himself come within the
orbit of her attraction?
"Since you've come at last to see
my baby I'll forgive you," she said,
and drew back fold of wrapping
that he might get a better look at it.
would you like to hold him?" she
asked, as though she were comforting
upon her friend precious privilege.
'If I may"
The baby whimpered a little as he
held it.
Ills name is David" Barbara said.