The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-09-24
CHAPTER XVIII

once SenSed that Janet was Strug-
Cling with her loyalty to Ann Nc
Garrah. She said: 81 don't know.
Daddy. Do you like her lot? As
much as you like ANN"
He said: maybe / do, Janey.
I'm going to town now. Better
Sleep"
She turned in the bed, her small
body curled beneath the blankets
and her head sinking into the pillow.
She murmured: 1T is like having
a mother. 1t really is"
He went out of her room. There
was q difference in women nobody
could explain, an understanding, or
a touch, or some mysterious fra
GRANGE of personality some had and
some did not have.
Fox Willing was in the room with
Lige White; the rest Of the crew had
left the house. Catherine waited for
him downstairs.
"Janey wants you to stay on to-
night"
She moved around the table. She
put this distance between them de-
liberately, no longer smiling. II
can't do that, Clay. Not now"
He said: 81 keep forgetting it
wouldn't look right to you. Well, I
don't know what you've done to JAM
ct, but you did it."
She said with some concern: "You
don't mind, Clay? / wanted her to
like me-and that's why camel"
He said, still in wonder: "How
did you do it?"
Her eyes showed him a warm,
deep shining. "She's still a girl,
Clay, wanting to believe little-girl
things and live in the land of make
believe. She knows those things
aren't so, but she wants the COM
fort of them a little while longer.
And / talked to her as though those
things were good things"
''Wait until / get back from town
and I'll ride home with you."
''I'm not afraid of the ride, Clay"
But she closed her lips, color rising
on her cheeks.
"Hate to have you 60 alone"
'Then I'll watt
Harry Jump joined him in the
yard, but Morgan shook his head.
II won't be long, and you've got to
watch this place
Jump had saddled fresh horse
for him; and now he lined out for
town along a road smothered by a
deep, moon-shot fog whose thickness
touched him and seemed to break
as he went through it. The lights
of War Pass didn't show until he
had turned into the main street. He
went at once to Doc Padden's house,
hailing him out. "Lige Whites in
bad way, at my place. I'll 60 back
with you"
Padden said, in rough regret, "Ev-
erything happens. Wait a minute"
He went into the house for his hat
and bag and walked down Custer
Street with Morgan. "You heard the
latest? Hillhouse killed Breathitt. He
brought Breathitt into town and went
out again."
They were near the stable when
Morgan stopped. "In town." he said.
go ahead, Padden, I'll catch up
with you"
Padden said: "Hillhouse bought
quart of whisky and started back to
Three Pines. I guess it was on his
soul, as God knows it should have
been. Billy Wells came in few
minutes ago. He saw team and
wagon standing at the edge of Cache
River near the Cottonwood ford, so
he went over to look. Hillhouse sat
against one of the trees. Guess he
finished the bottle first. There was
one bullet hole through the tree and
another through his head He killed
himself"
Padden was a rough-handed man,
made SO by the kind of gunshot med
icine he practiced; but he had his
moments of insight and now walked
to the stable without looking around.
Morgan stood in the streets dust un-
til he saw Padden ride away, then
he turned down the street, left his
horse by the hotel, and entered Pad
denis office. A night lamp burned
here, wick turned low. He screwed
up the light and took it with him into
the adjoining room.
The first thing he noticed was
Charley's hat placed over Hack
Breathitt's face.
And when he saw it he knew at
once the hell that had been in Char
ley Hillhouse's mind-his relentless
zeal and his memories of olden times
confusedly mixing and torturing
him. This last small act of grace,
the placing of the hat across Hacks
eyes, told the whole story of Char
leys suicide. The wild and bitter