Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1935-09-25

| say, ne Salu. ne duueu, Will
deep reluctance Not unless it was
Zeke. Zeke Dace works for viii.
Zeke was kind Of crazy about her,
and-jealous of her. He might
have got mad at her." Yet he added
honestly: "But win don't low that
Zeke would touch her."
"Where is Ecker" the sheriff
asked.
Bart shook his head. Dunno. No
body's seen him sence."
Marin Pierce came out of the
dining room. She told the sheriff
she was glad to have him here.
He nodded, and asked slowly :
WAS Mis- Ferrin dead when she
got here, ma'am?"
"As good as" the old woman as
sured him. "She was all broke to
pieces, and bled white, and she
died before got around to it."
Didn't come tor
NO." Marin Pierce told him.
"No."
"You look her over, did your the
sheriff urged. He explained: 81
guess likely I'll want doctor to
see her, but you, might have noticed
some special hurt on her."
The old woman told him: why,
she was hurt cruel, Sheriff. Looked
like she'd fell on her head and side.
There was scratches and cuts all
over her; and a deep bad cut on
her neck. And her face was banged
where she'd hit tree, or a rock or
the like"
II mean to say" he persisted,
nothing to show. :"
The old woman shook her head.
Nothing that she couldn't have got
from falling the way she did"
The sheriff sighed as though dis
couraged, and Marin Pierce asked
"YOu didn't know Hubby, did you,
Sheriff."
"I've heard tell Of her." he an
swered.
"Guess the whole county has, If
1t comes to that" the old woman
assented. "But you can see for your
self, a lot of things might have
happened to a woman like her."
ut was account of her." Bart re-
minded them. shat Will killed Seth
Humphreys. J. dunno as l blame
him. dunno as he went to kill
Seth: but Seth had gun, and Will,
with his leg shot to pieces, he had
to hang ..on to- Seth's neck or get
another bullet In him. But Hubby
was back of that"
II heard she'd left Will, sence,"
the sheriff reflected.
''She come back" Bart explained.
"She took shine to Zeke and de-
cided to stay"
"Will take her back, did he?"
Dunno as he could help it," Bart
confessed: and he said slowly:
"Will, he always stood a lot from
her, Sheriff! No matter what she
did. dunno as 'he'd-harm her."
He added harshly: ,"But If he did,
I wouldn't blame him I"
+. The old wOman's sharp eyes fixed
on him. "YOu trying to let on that
viii killed her, Bart?" she asked, in
"a matter-of-fact tone. "Speak out.
No sense in talking around corners"
E "I'm not letting on a thing about
it." Bart assured her. "I'm trying
to see through it, Granny, the same
as you"
Il can see a-plenty," she said
crisply.
The sheriff said. laundering: "I'd
like to talk to this Zeke. Might be
he'd know something. Maybe Will,
he'll fetch him. Looks like I'd have
to talk to that man."
But when Will and Jenny pres
emily did return, they were alone.
j. This hour she spent with Will was
for Jenny deeply comforting. HUI.
dy's accusation had faded into a
cloudy unreaIity. like the substance
of a dream. But Jenny now, more ]
than any other emotion, felt a
grievOus sympathy for win, for the
remorse she knew he must endure; ]
and she strove in small ways to re-
assure and comfort him, not by
words, but by her steady support
ing presence at his side.
They crossed the brook. and
climbed the steep trail, and came
up through the orchard to the barn;
and while Jenny held the lantern,
win let the cows into the tie-up
and secured them there. He pulled
down hay for them, and went to the
kitchen for the pail and returned
to milk. Jenny stood silently by.
He spoke only once Of that which
filled both their minds. 'Td like
to know where Zeke's gone to-" he
said. ..-z=*ss.sz>
Hell be around By and BY" Jen-
ny promised him. ITS all right,
Will" s>.@
But her own words family startled
her; since clearly, If win must live
with the secret knowledge that he
had killed Hubby, the world could
never be all right for him again;
and she wished suddenly to take |
him in her arms, and tell him that |
she knew, and held him blameless. |
But she perceived that to do this.
IN eonfoss hnr lSnOWIndoo ~ b;s |