Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-11-20
1852: By News Syndicate Co. In
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO

A look of annoyance crossed Terry's
face. He looked at the ceiling and
moaned. How many times. Oh. Lord?"
He looked searchingly at her Look,
honey. Keep In front Of 'em. Don't let
EN- forget you. Be nice to EN-. Look
nice to EN-. You're Just face to
Sokkie. a pretty extra that's got a
small break. Make him remember you,
see? He likes me now, and he's be-
ginning to trust me. All right. he'll
like my girl, too. And before we're out
of here I'm going to put it up to him
about that young sister part for you
in Sister Edith"
"An right, Terry"
And listen." Terry added sternly
once more, stay away from Wyman.
He's poison to Sokkie. and Sokkie has
to faces. So stay away from him"
That was an accident this after
noon, Terry. couldn't help it."
Sure. Only don't let it happen
again. Remember. II o'clock"
When Terry had left, Martha walked
out onto the street. She was hating
herself for that allbi about being with
Garth Wyman. Technically, it was an
accident, but she could have walked
away.
Everything that Joe had said that
afternoon about this country came
back to her. and the other came back
too Terry's wire-thin scheming, all tine
nuisances of the game. the hot and
smooth-faced ambition of it sud-
denly seemed terrifically unimportant.
She laughed at the adjective as part
of it all, and Immediately felt better.
She wanted to see Joe again. Maybe
he could take away the taste of this
small beer.
She inquired of a small and very
dirty boy who was turning a couple
of COWS into a pasture on the edge Of
town where she could find Joe. She
didn't know his last name, but the
boy had no truoble in Identifying Joe
Gaines. His shack was the last on the
left on the very edge of town.
Martha went on in the settling dusk,
and out here the desert was readily
on her The sun was just touching the
last peak to the deep south, and the
rest of it was fading into a soft blue
and the sky beyond was almost green.
Joe's tarpaper-covered shack stuck
up like a sore toe on the barren lip OF
a drop into a rocky gully. The gate,
weighted by an old wagon sprocket,
squealed to the heavens as she opened
it and went into the bare yard. She
knocked at the door and listened, and
was sure she heard voice some
where, but not in the house.
Cautiously, she walked around the
end of the house, and there, Numbered
down against the wall was Joe. With
him was Garth Wyman.
Martha hauled up too late to back
out, for they had both seen her. Wy
man was wearing pair of flannels
and white shirt, and he looked as
if he might be a social investigator
interrogating a pellegra-ridden client.
He came to his feet and said gravely,
i've just learned to roll cigaret. L
brought sack for you, too, Martha"
And he held out fresh sack OF
tobacco.
Joe extended book of white papers,
not saying anything.
And Martha took both, just as II
this had all been arranged and they
were expecting her. She sat between
Joe and Garth, and using her skirt as
catchall for the tobacco, finally sue
ceeded in rolling something she could
smoke. 1t was dark then, and Joe was
talking, and she squinted against the
flare of a big kitchen match Joe ex-
tended to light her cigaret while he
talked.
1t was man talk, Martha listened to
that night, and 1t was of things she
knew nothing about. 1t was about the
west, the old and bitter west, some Of
1t the desert and some of 1t the
mountains.
And Garth Wyman listened, too,
and prodded Joe with questions. send
ing him back to the days when his
father came up the trail from Texas
to lack up the trail towns and get
shot doing it. And lot of 1t was
country, some of it Martha'S own
Oregon, where men still packed guns
and occasionally used them. All of it
was things Martha had never known
and Joe had seen and liked, and it
was lonesome talk, so that Garth Wy
mans voice was quiet and sad.
Maybe that was what did it, when
Joe said, "And as soon as I get some
money-enough to buy damn good
pack mule-I'm goin' there and really
get back into it."
He was talking about the Snake
river. Martha was thinking about
Terry when she asked quickly, What
time is it, anyone?"
Garth Wyman struck match and
said Quarter to twelve"
Martha knew swift despair. She
came to her feet and said she must
90. Wyman shook hands with Joe and
said he'd go with her and they left.
But when they were through the gate,
Martha knew it was too late. She
could run back and 1t would still be
too late. So she strolled along beside
Garth, who was silent.
Presently, he said, Swell guy, Joe,
isn't he? A bum"
"He's a charmer. too. His words are,
anyway" She was thinking Of Sokol-
mitch, and her chances that Terry al
yovc ta1ke6 about