Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-06-18

sound of piano hammered horribly.
Horses clattered hy Voices came up
In jocose greeting: there were con-
versations and arguments excrueiat-
ingly prolonged beneath her window.
Yet somehow she had fallen asleep
in utter exhaustion, only to be awak
ened by pistol shots, seriesSof blood
curdIing wells, the crash and tlnkle of
broken glass Then came screams of
women. the sound of horses galloping.
She lay there. covering. Gin stirred
In his bed, sighed deeply. slept again.
She was too terrified TO go to the
window. Her shvering seemed to
shake tho he'd. She wanted to waken
the child for comfort. for company.
She summoned courage to 80 to the
window: peered fearfully ont into the.
dim street below Nothing No one
in the street. Yancey's bleeding body
was not lying in the road no masked
men. Nothing again hut the clink of
glasses and nlates the tinny piano
the slap of cards.
She longed with unutterable long
ing, not for the sweet security of her
bed back in Wichita-that seemed I'M
real now--hut for those nights In the
wagon on the prairie with no sound
but the rustic of the scrub oaks. the
occasional stump of horses hoofs on
dry clay, the ripping of nearby
stream.
1t was midnight when Yancey came
In. She sat up In bed in her high
necked. long-sleeved nightgown Her
eyes, in her white face. were two
black holes burned In a piece Of
paper.
"What was it? What was it?'
what was what? Why aren't you
asleep, SUGAR.
Those shots. And the screaming.
And the men hollering."
"Shotsi" He was unstrappng his
broad leather belt with its twin SIX
shooters whose menacing heads peered
just above their holsters He wore II
always now. Ii came. In time. to rep
resent for her sinister symbol Of all
the terrors. all the periIs that lay watt
Ing for them in this new existence.
Why, sugar. | don't recollect hearing
any Oh-that" He threw back his
great head and laughed THAT was
just cowboy, feeling high shooting
out the lights over In Strap Turket's
saloon. On his way home and having
little fun with the boys. Scare you.
did it,"
He came over to her, put hand ON
her shoulder. She shrugged away
from him. furious. She pressed her
hand franticalIy to her forehead. 1t
was cold and wet. She was painting
a little. Il won't bring my hoy mp in
a town like this. | won't. I'm going
back. I'm going back home. tell
You"
WALT till morning. anyhow. won't
You, honey?" he said. and took her In
his arms.
Next morning was. somehow. mag
icallv, next morning, with the terrors
OF the night vanished quite. The sun
was shining. For d moment Sabra
had the Illusion that she was again ait
home In her own bed ut Wichita. Then
she realized that this was because |
she had heen awakened by familiar |
sound. II was the sound OF Tsaiah's |
voice somewhere below In the dusty |
yard. He was polishing Yancey's |
boots, splitting on them indmstri0usly |
and singing as he rubbed Sabra
knew he was utterly happy.
There was much to he lone-a
dwelling TO be got somehow-a place
In which to house the newspaper plant
II necessary, Yancey said. they could
live In the rear and set up the print
ing and law Office In the front Al
most every one who conducted bust
ness In the town did this, Houses
are mighty scarce" Yancey said maxi
Ing great masculine snorting and
snufillng at the wash bowl as they
dressed. TITS take what you can get
or live in a tent. I heard last night
that Doc Nisbett's got a good house.
Five rooms, and he'll furnish MS with
water. There're a dozen families after
1t, and Docs as Independent as a hog
on Ice"
Sabra rather welcomed this Idea OF
Office and home. She would
be near him all day. AS soon as break