Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-06-11

I'm thinkin' that this is probably
the last time us three will sit at
the same table"
''Don't talk like that" said Char
ley Hillhouse.
But both of them were watching
Clay Morgan, who sat silent all the
while, buried in his own thinking.
He had always been the silent one,
the last one to speak. He said, very
quiet with his words, 81 want you
to know this, Hack. If you ever
get in trouble, come to me. I'll
stand behind YOU"
Charley Hillhouse shook his head,
bothered by Morgan's words. 81
knew you'd say that, Clay, but I
wish you hadn't. Makes it tough
on me. Long as I work for Three
Pines, I'll let nothing get between
me and the ranch. Nothing at all. !"
He met Hack Breathitt's glance and
quietly added: Don't come to me,
Hack"
That was all. These three rose
and crossed the room, pushing
through the doors. Ben Herendeen
remained under the locust trees,
with Lige White and Gurd Grant and
a group of Three Pines riders. Sher-
iff Nickum was also there, coat
hung loosely to his gaunt frame.
Jesse Rusey, farther down the
street, watched this crowd; and on
him Clay Morgan put his glance
for a moment. Charley Hillhouse
went across the dust to join Heren-
deem. Janet turned out of McGar-
rah's store, advancing toward Nor
gan. Her little shoulders showed
straight in the sunless light, her
small feet made a quick tapping on
the sidewalk boards. She said
eve are having supper with Ann
McGarrah, Daddy" Her soft smile
held it's secret again, her eyes
showed it. Didn't I tell your"
Hack Breathitt removed his hat
with flourish. How, honey?"
"How, Hack"
Hack said: "Come along with a
gentleman"
Janet put her hand in Hack
Breathitt's fist and walked away
with him.
Morgan laid his shoulders against
the wall of the saloon and freshened
his cigar with a match The group
remained beneath the locust trees,
Herendeen and Lige White now talk
ing together while the rest remained
silent. A good many people had
come to the street, scattered under
the board awnings. All of them, he
noticed, were watching the court
house. Tension crawled up the
street, strong enough to touch Nor
gan's nerves. Jesse Rusey never
moved from his position as he, too,
watched the courthouse door. A
stage stood by the Mountain House
hotel, ready to 60. At the stable,
Parr Gentry sat on capsized bar
rel, Jumped over and apparently
'disinterested, but Morgan saw the
way the mans eyes travelled
around. Hack Breathitt and Janet
were crossing the dust to Tanners
drugstore and at this moment Ollie
Jacks, freed by the jury's verdict,
stepped from the courthouse, looked
to either end of the street, and
halted
He was a wiry man with the
drawn, blank face of a gambler; he
was a man who had been caught
stealing beef and now, by the act
of the jury, was free to ride out. His
horse was in Gentry's stable, fifty
feet from where he stood, yet this
was as far as he got, this rooted
position before the courthouse with
Jesse Rusey on one side of him
and Herendeen's group watching
him from the other, and with all
the town looking on. At that mo-
ment he knew what Clay Morgan
and every soul in town knew: he
knew he was dead man.
RIO BE CONTINUED