White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-15
CHAPTER XII-Continued

that had been on his mind a good deal
Of late. 1T wouldn't be hardly rea-
sonable to expect you to be friendly
with us McCanns. Now that Matt has
gone it's too late for me to fix things
up. But want to tell you how feel.
When I heard Of what had happened
to him It gave me Jolt. At first I
was worried about Wills. But while
was sttin' there at the Circle Cross
by his bedside, after he began to mend
some. l couldn't get Matt outa my
head We were mighty close, like
told you, in those early days. l KEEP
SEEM MIN as he was when we frolicked
around together. An there was you,
lookn' the spittin' image Of yore moth
er, first savin' my boys life an then
lettin' me come to yore house an stay
with him. I'll say you made me feel
like plugged nickel, you an yore
young brother Phil. How could 60
on hatin' you Starks after that? 1
reckon I'm tough an stubborn propo-
sition, but 1 had to give in. No other
way to it,"
tears. II wish you had come to Dad
while he was alive and asked him to
make up. Why didn't you"
Because I'm a hardened old sinner
h-l-bent on gettin' my own way. I
couldn't any more have come to Matt
than he could of come to me. But
with you it's different. First off,
can't ever pay what I owe you, not If
] live to be hundred an lie awake
nights figurin out ways. Then, too,
whenever l look at you, I see yore
mother shinin' outa yore eyes"
"You-loved her?' she asked, very
softly.
desert at the papiermache mountains.
In the peculiar afternoon sunlight they
looked like artificial stage settings.
Eyes" He spoke, it seemed, rather
to himself than to her.
"Was it about her you and Dad
Quarreled?"
mo. About some trifling thing to
start with. We had kind friends to
keep us stirred up. When he was for
a thing, 1 fought it. If wanted it he
was against it. The older we got the
worse it grew. But I'm through now.
throw up my hands. quit. II
there can't be friendship between US,
anyhow there will be peace"
"Yes," Julia agreed.
well let 1t go at that"
"It's not that hate you-any Of
you-any more. l sec now there's
nothing but loss in that. But don't
see how we can be friends. Dad stands
between us and you. If he was alive
I could 60 to him and tell him how
I feel. But / can't do that now. I
can't feel it would be loyal for us to
be friends with his enemies" Her
honest eyes appealed to him for I'M
derstanding.
He nodded. II reckoned you would
feel thataway. Well, I'm glad we've
cleared things up. The feud's off any
how"
Eyes, it's off," she assented.
Peter did not offer to shake hands
on it. lie glanced at the descending
sun. 'I'll be hittin' the home TRAIL"
he said.
She turned, after she had ridden a
little way, to watch him, a strong,
straight backed figure sitting his horse
like a Centaur. A lump choked her
throat The sight Of him carried her
mind back irresistibly to her father.
He, too, had been virile and purpose
full and dominant, but beneath the
gnarled surface she had known him
tender ard loving. What waste that
his last years should have been en-
Uttered by this implacable quarrel
with the man who had been his closest
friend! What loss that he should
have been cut off in his prime! Surely
If he had lived the breach would have
been healed
Phil was combing burrs out Of his
pony's name when the cowpuncher,
Red, rode into the yard at the Circle
Cross and fell into the easy posture
of the rider who intends to be com.
Portable while he stops and chats.
How'll you swap that paint boss
for my buckskin?" Red drawled after
greetings had been exchanged.
II amt swapping this peg pony for
any other in Arizona" Phil announced
proudly.
you sure got some notion OF yore
broomtail boy. / was allowin' YOU'D
orta gimme about ten dollars to boot
Bucks no plug, I'd have you know
Mighty few broncs can travel along
side of him. Seventy miles he done
yesterday in the hills an never turned
hair"
"Where was 1t you an Buck brok
the worlds record?"
up in the Nal Pais--taking a New
York engineer over the divide to lool
at Basford's copper proposition"
didn't meet up with any rustler
whilst you were up there. did your"
About to give careless negative
Red stopped with his mouth Oper
'"Why. dawggone my hide, maybe
did" he said at last. II never though
of 1t till right now. We was way u
above Guadaloup canyon when we say
I,... otryht mr. I'm