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Show silt. WAia A WOMAN. And For This Kca&on TSiere "Was No Oce Eion For Surprise. Thosuu beat down that blistering afc. ernoon on the littlo adobe cabin just beyond be-yond the arroyo, and on tho far side iu the sbade sat two sweltering cow punch-8rs punch-8rs with a pack of cards between them It was too hot for even this mild oxer, oise, but it served to keep their minds off the weather, aud they played lazily along- At; last one of them throw his cards down. 'By gravy, Bill," ho exclaimed, 'I can't play any more." "What's the matter?" inquired Bill "Too hot for you?" ''No. 'Tain't that, though the Lord knows it's most hot enough for anything. any-thing. It's that littlo girl down thore at old Slocum's." "What's she got to do with the game?" asked Bill in surprise. "Nothing much, I guess, but a good deal with me." "How?" and Bill picked up tho pack and began shuffling the cards aimlessly. "Oh, I don't know." "Stuck on her?" inquired Bill, with A laugh, which struck his companion as rather harsh. "Not exactly, I guess." "Sho's tho purtiest thing in this valley," val-ley," said Bill admiringly. "I know it," admitted tho other. "I was down there last night, and sho was sweeter than ever." "Well," impatiently, "what are yon going to do about it?" "What would von advise?" "That depends on what kind of ad' vloayou want" "I was thinking about marrying her. " Bill gave a long whistle and stopped shuffling tho caids. "What, marry a half breed, and you having tho kind of folks you have bank in the east?" ho baid seriously. "I don't seo how I can got out of it honorab'y, " he relnotantly confessed. "Tvo hcen going down there to seo her for sis months now, and she has been binr) nf ovnPoHnrr mo rn nnmn T rlirln'r think much about it at first, but now blame me if I don't think about her pretty muoh all the time. The last four or five times I've been to see her she showed me straight that she thought a let of me, and last night sho told mo everything, and said if I left her hei heart would break and Bhe would drown herself in the river. I can't stand that, you know, and besides I'd rather marry her myself than have anybody else marry uer. "She'll git old man Slocum's property prop-erty when ho goes over tho divide, " said Bill thoughtfully, "and that 's worth a pile." "Yes, but I don't care for that. It's the girl and my own honorable action in tho matter.' They talked until tho sun had sunk behind the mountain, and by that time it was decided that Bill would go with his friend Joe and settle the business with tho girl's father, old man Slocnm Early the nest morning they set out, and before the snu had reached the hot place in the heavens tbey wero at Slocum's. Slo-cum's. "Whore's Meg?" asked Joe, after they had passed tho compliments of tho morning. "Oh, she's skipped," answered Slocnm, Slo-cnm, with a laugh. "Skipped?" gasped Joe. "Yes. Skipped some time in tho night with Pete Smiley, aud she needn't 'a' done it, for Peto wa3 agreeable to me," and he laughed again. Joe felt somothing rise in his throat and drop back again like a piece of lead Bill looked at him curiously. "Gals will be gals, "said Bill, turning to Slooum, "but what wo como down hero to see you about, Mr. Slocum, is cattle," and he carried it through nobly. no-bly. Detroit Free Press. |