OCR Text |
Show V THE SALT- - LAKE TRIBUNE; SUNDAY 'MORNING, MAY 22,1921. MMAMHE m SATB DOUBLEDAT to TUI tor father. STOUT. Asa Journeyed KI(Q)3LiS : TME .E5AMGE te the tar west ' M&l DOUBLEDAT. who Jeweled bla mother rears before, and whom the gtrt has aaewr seen. This straws father aha lath awiied to cartel o dubtoua anterpriaea which ho does sot sea At to explain. but he shows 0 furtive affection tor the ftri and establishes tor to 0 eottaco at Sleepy Cat Juno tl on with BELLE STOCK LIT, o woman of the nrlrhborhood whom he has attared to run his eaiiny house to the town. Kale hears stratifying references to her lather's affairs from HARRY VAN HORN, dashfna cattleman, whom . , aha likes, and foreman at Dou birder's rani, TOM STONE, whom aha does not tote at alL Also aha hears much --talk of one JIM LA RANTS, about whose character there seem - to be sharp differences of opinion. Laramie, the fathers, te a figure of soon importance in a war which is being wared between cattle thieves and the tor ranch owners of the country. One day at the eetinr house, meetinf a strancer whom aha believes to be 4 marshal with papers to serve on her father. Kate lures hitp away fata tha plains so the pretext of takinr a ride with bar, only to lei to tor chagrin. that tha man to not a marshal at all. but Jim Laramie himself. Soon afterward Doubled ay close hie eatinr house at Bleepy Cat Junction and Kata roes to tor father's ranch. Thao, at a celebration stared by tha proprietor of the town hotel, Van Horn ap preaches Laramie with tha proposal thgi he Una np with tha Donhiodey outfit to the feuds that ere under way. Laramie refuses defiantly; and tha incident has a dramatic climax when Tom Stone, half drank, trim to murder Laramie sad is knocked down by the letter's ready fiat. Tha next day Xaramte drops to at an eetinr boom which Belle Stockier toe opened oa her own account, end hern, utter dining with JOHN LEFEVER. the deputy marshal, ha a trolls tote the kitchen and confronts Kate Doubled. confusedly trying to Set out by a bath door that will not ' ' (MS". V i ' ' ' ''' . It an' v c FIFTH INSTALLMENT. Fourth of July hi Doubledays. IM walked to the door, explaining as ho took hold of tho knob,'" The door wasnt looked; I could tell that from tha way you handled It. - Tou locked It, your self Kate eould not hide her resentment. It wouldn't open when I first took bold of It,, ahe declared hastily. . I tried It before I touched the key. I know, but when you did take hold of the key you locked the door and then you couldn't open It; so you unlocked It and tried It again. After that you worked so fast I lost track.' He pointed to the back ofthe lock. The catch was on. And pushing down ths catch ha opsnsd ths door. Kate was thoroughly Incensed. Tou ars doubtless better acquainted here than I tun. To tell the truth, I have to be acquainted with rooms I go into. If I ever tried to get through a door and failed, it might not be pleasant And theres a board fence, alz feet high, all around this yard, so unless you'rs a good climbar you couldn't hava got out, anyway. Kate felt she looked very silly, standing staring at him, and parhaps looking frightened as shs really was for hs went on as if hs were explaining to a child: I'm not permitted to tell you, but I'm going to Dont bother, please Tea, I'd rather. There la a way to get .out without climbing ths fence; a loose board Ill show you some time but you must han-die yourself fast to make your getaway. I never expect, she said contemptuously, to have to make a getaway." ' Then I was wrong," ho said frankly, for I kind of thought you were trying to make one a minute ago. f His composure Irritated Kata "Tou are much very mistaken, she declared with spirit in her words, for she saw indeed knew how persistent he was. " I was only trying to leave for home quietly and quickly. His eyes were a study In silent laughter. "Thats all Ivs ever claimed to be doing, any time In my life. " But I can Just as well leave by tho front door which, parhaps, retorted Kate, "you havent Always been jibls to do. "Before you go he was standing di rectly In the archway, so she had to listen " tell ms about thtngrwt tho Junotlon; I hear ths lunchroom was closed up a while ago. It was. But Kate thought tho time for explanation had come I was not work. Ing at ths eating house when you came In there. 1 am Kata Doubleday and I wanted to save my father that day and I'm not a bit 1 sorry for It 1 suppose, then, I ought to speak Out ' too. I knew you were Kate Doubleday soon .after I got Into the lunchroom that dayand - I'm not a bit sorry for it And I knew pretty soon you were trying to save your father. And I helped you." O Kate suppressed an Incredulous ' exclamation. " Believe It or not as you like, I helped you. And Im not a bit sorry tor It Though he is no friend of mine, youfcave been from ' that day on; and If you ever give me a chance . I'll prove it The worst thing, you did was to go back on your word " My word was not freely .given," Kate was speaking furiously. It shouldn't have been given at all, then. But It's all right Will you be friends with me? ' 7 " So man that speaks of my father as you spoke of him a moment ago can be my friend. j It was Lefever spoke of your father. I couldnt shut him off. Of course, ha didn't know you wars hers. I did know after Id been hers awhile. I heard you whisper. That's why I faked for ths ink I had no letters to' writs. There's a lot of hard feeling In this country right now. Every man In It has' trlen3s inifenemiea Yon mustn't" take It seriously when you hear hard word I don't; and I hear plenty. Hadn't you and I better be friendp to start with, anyway! No, shs exclaimed angrily. Please let ' me pass. He stepped promptly aside. I never lreamed of doing anything less. . Kata started rapidly for tbs front door. ' .- t 4 did not volunteer much, when Kate said anyprodigality of ths cattlemen but there was also ths underlying hope that where so disthing that afforded a chance for comment be cordant elements were assembled a fight improved The talk went a good daal te cattle and might occur; and nobody wanted to miss a fight. Ths principals necessary for a serious range matters, but Pettigrew, a crafty feb affair were present-- - The fact that all were . low, told good stories about men that everyarmed was no significant, merely prudent. body In and out of Sleepy Cat knew, and ap- Men careless on this point were no longer pealed frequently to Laramie for oonfirroa-- , sort around celebrations of . attending tion or a laugh. Soma of tha laughs hs got Sleepy Cat. were a little dry, but they, were not all na, From tha Falling Wall came tha ruatleri, tured, and Kate enjoyed the rough humor. Ths two cattlemen finished their dinner, and every one of them except Doubleday'e old foreman. Aba Hawk, who eoorned all prewithout ceremony got up to see how the tense of compromise. Ha advised Laramie crowd was being served, leaving Kate with not'to go near the celebration. When LaraLaramie. How dq you like old Pettigrew? mie intimated he might go, Abe was greatly was the first thing Laramie asked her as A master of bitter sarcasm, he atnaied. ths bearded cattleman movsd away with her trained his batteries on his sandy haired - father. friend, and, these falling, he warned him he The only thing I 'don't like about him, would be In serious danger. He Intimated said Kata candidly, Is his eyes. that tha scheme was to get the rustlers all Shs was looking at Laramie as shs spoke together and finish them In a hunch. In and finishing her coffea He lifted his own which event, one hated as Laramie was eould You're a good observer, ,hs said. cup. ' hardly hope to escape unmolested. But LarHow so? to amie persisted In his resolution go, and he 7 A man's ayes ars all there is to him. Tou went. dont mind if I smoke? Doctor Carpy made It a point to so. He Not a bit celeneeded was usually at Fourth of July Hs drew a sack of tobaoeo from a breast brations professionally.. Button this occapocket, of fact, sort of sponsor sion he was, He Not going to run away, arc you? for the whole affair, and he brought Bawdy, he eras when for paper fishing cigarette The four drove Lefever, and Tenison along. asked. He -- spoke as If hs had no special out in the smartest wagon and behind the Interest In ths matter, yet tho question best team in the Kitchen barn, Kitchen with startled her. Kate had not mads a move them and McAlpin driving. to go, but oho was thinking, when tho qus By noon ths big end of the crowd bad artlon came, of how aho might maaago to es - were out set' rived. The barbecue tables cape. Shs flushed a little at being under tha trees along the creek. The roastintention perhaps lts9lf was"lnthe"'skinedhand orjohil to let him see ho had caught her, not to say was one hs oclock before and Pan Frying Irritated her. As luck would havo It, Van ready to serve. who had risen, sauntered toward Horn; and everyThe day was fine, the crowd big, Kate was glad Just then to see him. them. body seemingly happy. Doubleday had told I you got enough to oat, aho said as hope Kata when arranging for the tables, that ho approached. hla particular friends would sit at hts table, ' Bs seemed stiff Kate did set realise and shs was on her way down to ths creek what ha was put out about Ho made some to ask him how many there would bo In the Shs felt answer and turned to Laramie talkhim party, when, whom Should she find two men, between ones ths had friction who the at all but of men, Laramie, with, ing not from'anythlng she had reason to suspect Just ridden over from the Falling Wall. or know (or sbo knew then nothing whatBefore Kate eould retreat her father had ever of their personal relations. Nor was It seen her. He called her over. To her astonfrom anything said; tor an Instant neither to his ishment he insisted on introducing her msk-Inmatt was spoke. Instlnot must havo mads her whom Jie of Jim Laramie, friend, for as soon as Van Horn looked a conscious, of as much as it,wss possible to make shs felt ths tension. Laramie at men. undemonstrative wholly Wen, Jim, whsrsd yon blow from?" Ths and not far away was playings full Van Horn after a pause. 'tilt Kate wished they eould have mads ' Laramie was making ready to smoke. He sven mors nolot to hide her confusion, but was in no basts to answer, nor did he look there was nothing except to face ths situaher. at Van Horn, but continued, cowboy fashion, Laramie, as much it surprised tion, rolling his cigarette In ths finger tips of his fortunately, seemed ' Indisposed to say any1 time left hand, his right resting on bin hip. of most his Hs listening. spent thing. didnt blow, ho retorted. Kate being far from' demonstrative, her HoWd you get barer asked Vaa Bom. father was left to do the honors. And on I was invited. . , such rare occasions as Barb was communiVan Horn .laughed stgnifloantly. .. While cative, hs Was quite! capable of good fellow Kate would rather havo been oat of It, she hip. Laramie, however, seemingly under gome thought It time, sine shs was in lt. to say I didn't suppoee anyrestraint, soon mads exousee and left to Join something herself. the crowd. body needed a special Invitation for a Fourth Some of the little ranchmen bad brought of July celebration, she Interposed. "The their wives along. A few of these womqn town has been covered for two weeks with j had their babies with them, and Kate rebills Inviting everybody. turned to tho house, where she made ths Van Horn laughed again! wasn't yon mothers comfortable. There her father afterInvited him, ehr bs demanded of Kata, Ths ward ran across her. He stopped as he thing was said so unpleasantly aho would came up. have retorted on Impulse but Laramie took " Tou remember that man I Introduced ' any possible words out of her mouth. you to Laramie? me me? ask who Invited Why dont you Very well, Kate said wonderlngly. Barb Doubleday invited ms. That's enough. Treat hlm well at dinner. Isnt It? And Pettigrew Invited me. And, "But I'm going to eat here at the house." he added, completing his cigarette la leisureHe. shook his head, "You eat at the creek ly fashion, while that wouldn't ho nay parat 'my table. ticular inducement you Invited me." She had no choice but to obey. When she Van Horn stared. How do you make thet returned to the pits ths stones had been rehe asked quickly. outr moved and John Frying Pan, with a pair of . "Tou asked me to take la this barbecue Sleepy Cat Ice tongs, was lifting out ths first when you tried to get ms to 11ns np with yon big chunks of roasted meat Ths crowd being at ths Mountain House. ceiled ran for the creek whooping and yellVaa Horn took alarm. That was put up ing, and while Kate watched John and hts to you in confidence, hs said angrily. helpers dish Up the meet the guests nearly 8o was the barbecue, responded Laraall men seated themselves pellmel! at the mie. " I couldnt take la the first proposition, long benches. It was a noisy assemblage, so Im enjoying ths seeond. Hs turned sway overflowing with good nature, and when from Van Horn, and, Ignoring him, spoke to Kate, very trim in corduroy, walked to the Tou remember you said you were Kats. head of the table to take her seat, the going to show ms your ponies. j tnburst--oled rose a and cnee It was Katas tun to stars. Tou must be cheers,' Oood spirit is contagious. Ksts mistaken. j enjoyed It, but when they began calling for He did not press ths subjsot. , Perhaps a speech she ran away to the cpffee boilers. you've forgotten, was all bs said IndifferFrom tha coffee she returned to Join her ently. father, and to find with him and old man When or where did I ever say that? Kats Pettigrew at the head of the table, Laramie, asked, resenting ths Intonation. calmly seated, and the fourth place waiting Hs looked down, then, looking up, his ayes lor her. rested on Katea Hs was not disturbed. la Van Horn as host to other cattlemen and that a challenger' hs asked. guests presided at the next table. Unluckily, If you wish to make It one, shs returned where hs sat hs could ses Laramie opposite coolly. Kate. But If he was discomfited the group The when was one day at Sleepy Cat at the next table below, where Doctor Carpy ths ' where' was up the Falling JuncUon, presided, flanked by Lefever, Sawdy, Kitchen, Wall below the canyon." river and McAlpin, was correspondingly elated at she 0," exclaimed, collecting herself, 1 the spectacle of the Falling Wall and the hod forgotten." In Woman harmony. Crazy sitting Do you remember now? be asked, and Despite the unpleasant stories Ksts had she thought there was resentment In ths to comhim found about she nothing heard, If you don't, h added, well question. plain of In Laramies manners, except that let It go. , hs always drank with his spoon in hla coffee "Why, I suppose I must have said somecup. But he was, she told herself, on his thing Uke that. Anyway, shs added, well good behavior, and under the clrcumatances would naturally try to bp pear at hla best. go see them to make sure Ive kept my Little as Kate relUhed her assignment of promise. Come, Mr. Van Horn, She sugorhlra Jthe bubblln g jrnRklni- - Lhlngs.pleasan gested, turalng rweetly tq h!mjldon! yog want to see the ponies? " To Include Van spirits of the occasion to some extent Infected her, and shs soon found tt not difficult to Horn tt was plain to be seen would spoil the help along with small talk and to make the trip for Laramie, but she eared little for queer combination at the table go. that. Walt Just a mlnuteshs continued. There wes really no great need for her to 1 must tell John Frying Pan before I go Work hard In this way both her father and to give the Indians something to eat. Pettigrew were very lively. Laramie seemed The feeling between the two men she left a bit dazed at being set up with such honors ' In tbs house of his enemies. But though h Continued on followfaf pafej it J j h.spearmam s-fra- nk - Pt Just-enou- g . Whom should she run into Just as she opened It but Belle, coming back from her wretched telephoning! Kate inwardly blamed her for alt her trouble, and she was on edge, besides ..Where you going? demanded Belle. Home, answered Kate, shortly. Honle? Tou havent had your lunch. ' I dont want any." Now you Juat Belle caught Kates arm. hold on. Whats the matter? Is it Lara, Bells must have read her face, for mle? , she answered nothing, only tried to get away. " But child' she exclaimed. " Wheres your cost wait till I bring it and your gloves' Nancy paused at the door. In a minute Belle came running back. ' He's gone, Absolutely. There Isnt a soul anywhere about Now you shant go till you taka a cup of coffea Heres ths cream bs left It at the wrong door, the stupid! " Kate could not get away. And Belle had told the truth: Laramie was gone. Whatever the shortcomings of the Ameri- can frontier code, there never was a time In Its history when a man could violate the prin-- , clples of fair play and keep public opinion on his side. In this Instance, Stones conduct reacted unfavorably on the cattlemen. The townspeople that made money out of the. trade of big ranches always stood up for the cattlemen, but they were put most unpleas antly on the defensive by the Incident. Even had Stone's attempt on Laramies life sue ceeded it would have been easier for ths partisans to handle than ths failure it proved. As a fait aooompll it would have been re- -' gretted, but forgotten; as a failure It settled nothing. ' Among ths few townspeople that sturdily retained Independence of opinion on all matters, none stood higher than the surgeon, Doctor Carpy. And encountering Doubleday on the street shortly after the Stone Incident, he took It on himself to talk to him. Doctor had hla office at his home, but 'back of the prescription counter in hla little i drug store no bigger than a mlnuto he had a small room for emergency consultations. To this ho Invited Doubleday, and having ushered him in, seated him and closed ths door. Carpy sat down: Theres few men. Barb Ths Doctor began by qual few men In ifying the adjective profanely this oountry that dare to talk to you ths way you ought to hs talked to; of them few Im Drobebly,the onbr. on .that would, take. tha. trouble. Tour enemies wont .talk and every-bodj- t friendly with you Is afraid of you. You've got so d d much property and stuff here they're plumb afraid of you. Pm a poor man. Barb dont never expect to be any. ' thing else, and I dent give a hang for any body, averred the erratlc surgeon with more profanity'1 and nobody gives a hang for me. T Doubleday, chewing (he stub' of. a cigar, eyed hts medical adviser With an unsympathetic stare, but this in no way disturbed the self appointed critic. " For a long time now, Barb, he continued,' "you've been In the' nastiest kind of a fight on Jim Laramie. Youve tried to run him off the range and you tried to beat him out of his land and you've tried to break him. He's got the beet land In the Falling Wall and he's In your way. One time his wire Is sll pulled off his fence. Another time your foreman pokes a gun Into hla stomach. I've known Doubleday was grimly silent. Jim Laramie, Carpy went on, "since he was a boy. He's stubborn as a broncho If you try" to ride him. He's the easiest man in the world to get along with If you make a friend of him. No matter what's said of Jim Laramie there aint a crooked hair In his head; but hes no angel and whqp his patience quits look out. What Im going to tell you now. Barb, Is on the square. It can't go no 1 tell you because you ought to know. A while back. Just after this wire pulling. Jim Laramie walked Into this room, shut the door and locked It, and sat down right where youre slttin now. He told me the wire He'd story; he told me he was through. tracked the men to your ranch and was going to square accounts with you and Stone and Van Horn. He was on Ms way to the Junction and be told me hs might not come back and wanted to tell me how to dispose of his property. He. was after you and he meant, before he fell down, to get some or all of youT He asked me where you were, because he heard I knew. I did know, but I didnt tell him. I lied. Barb. I told him, the mines, but I knew you were at the Junction. He started for the mines.' What happened to turn him off your trail I never yet learned. fur--the- I never aaked. " Now you saw, or you heard anyway, what happened when Stone tried to kill him the other night . That man never can get Laramie. And don't depend on Stone and Van Horn to play you fair, for If they had to save their hides, Barb, thsy'd sell you. My Is this: Put back Laramies wire. Let the cattlemen, you and Pettigrew to lead em, do It to clear their own names. Say-yoknow nothing about.lt but it was a dirty trick, and tell this town that cattlemen fight' but- - they fight fair. Itll do more to set you rig htand. to set, everything' right on the range than anything site you oould possibly do. And 'dont make a mistake. Laramie!! follow that wire pulllnf for years but what hell get tbs man that did tt I know him. Has got a memory like an Indian. Like all wen meaning and oandtd friends, ths doctor found himself at once In for a deal of angry abuse, but, as hs explained, be had taken so much abuss from patients ait vari e u ous periods of his career and abuss fully Justified that nothing Barb eould add, deserved or undeserved, to ths volume would move him. ' "As our old governor back in Wisconsin said. Barb, I seen my duty and I dons 1C was the doctor's only retort to Doubleday's wrth. "Now If yours In a hurry, Barb, a mlnuteTHThad-- " dont 1st ms keep you,-no- t my say, and If theres anything pressing you down street, go to It..., But angry as Doubleday appeared, Carpy bad given him something to think about Consultations were held by precisely whom, no one could say, but In them there was dissension. ' Van Horn vehemently opposed any further overtures to Laramie, and hs was vastly put out at being overruled. While ths discussions were going on he talked In a veiled hut emphatlo way to Kate about the queer way her father was justing. Van Horn would shake his head with violent emphasis at the way things were going. But when Kate poured pll op. the waters of his discontent, Van Horn 'was always responsive, and stayed to dinner or for the evening, if he were asked and Kate was alone. On the gentler . side, however, he could make no headway. When hs tried headaches . for sympathy, Kate was When hs asked her one day at the spring to take down her hair, shs told him shs wore a wig. He looked at her amazed. And in spits of his objections to placating Laramie, a decision very unpalatable to him was reached. stony-hearted- Pettigrew, as spokesman, approached Larahnd insisted, in order to allay bad feeling, OH replacing the barb Wire, WhenLaiumle declare the wire must put back by the men who had cut it, there was naturally an impasse, but Tenison and Carpy, aided Jointly by the representations of Lefever and Sawdy, induced Laramie to forego his punitive sttl tude and accept the amende. as offered. This, as the doctor had predicted, put a pleasanter face on the tangled affairs of the range. And to strike while their iron was hot, and to keep It hot.ythe cattlemen announced a big Fourth of July celebration, at which old scores should be forgotten and friends and enemies meet In The place for It, after much goodfellowshlp. talk, was fixed at Doubleday's ranch. The saloonkeepers of Sleppy Cat, except Tenison, (ought this, but they lost out. Sines her own home was to be the scene of the celebration, Kate took a particular interest in ths undertaking She made herself, in a way, hostess, and her father gave her free rein. The big crowd that responded to the public Invitation found awaiting them, as they picturesquely rode in twos and threes and groups up ths creek to the ranch house, all the "fixlns for a rousing celebration. mie b' a-- . much. Men came-fo- r soms of them by trails and over passes Kats had nsvsr sven heard of. Thera were cattlemen, cowboys, sheepmen, little ranchers all ths conflicting elements of the country, besides R crowd from Slaepy Cat with ths band, and all the town loafers that could possibly xecure a conveyance. There was for these latter worthies ths attraction of a free feed (or they knew the "It f tf -- |