The Last Straw

laces a suggestion of green was making its appearance about the bases of grass clumps, and cottonwood buds were swelling. Four men sat on the bench before the bunkhouse of the H.C.

ly towards the road as though expecting to see another come that way to bring fresh interest; Two-Bits Beal was uneasy and did not remain long in one pose, as men do who sit in the first real warmth of spring for it

n stirred and snorted softly. Jimmy Oliver looked at the homely, freckle-b

hty. Some of these hombres that draw cartoons for newspapers got him up.' But I thought you must have brains, seein' you're so powerful low on looks. You're a good cowha

iece! Not

extraordinary length of his lean throat toward his pointed chin, and slipped back again with a jerk. "I was

rrival," opined Jimmy. "An' we wouldn't all be wonderin' if we was goin' to work for a squaw outfit. It'

ad, and pulled at his must

e older man glanced sideways at him une

at she's as homely as Tom claims I am an' abo

his offer and, as though he ha

goin' on lately, Dad. Or did you

l activity," the other repl

hey? And the last we heard about that bunch of white faces t

xpostulation into a sharp sigh and relieved hi

een slack for years and in the last months before the end he just let go entire. He wouldn't even give anybody else

on before, but when a man leaves things in a lawyer's hands and

as it was deliberate and he t

the other said, giving the leather strips

'd make a fair foreman ... fair. Now Tommy here," he continued, oblivious of the older man's discomfiture and the delighted smiles of the others, "would make a fine

is face and s

s about as delicate as your

tention to the road. Once he looked at the other from the tail of hi

ersationalist. "Jane Hunter! I knowed a school marm name

ll

ste

Two-Bits stopped talking. The sounds of

's the mail

getting to his feet as a buc

" from Jimmy as he closed his

from the clothes she wore, but at least one of them remarked that she was not wholly without the qualities essential to the frontier for, when the driver dropped down to open the gate, he gave her the reins to th

ss, anyhow," Tom Be

ttonwoods which sheltered the long, red ranch house beside the creek.

t the low stable and the corrals and, lastly, down the creek, on either side of which the hills rose sharply, giving a false appearanc

directions and that the three others had come close and stopped, wai

ss quality, and turned about. She was genuinely surprised to confront the men; evidence of

the ranch, and it's likely you've been waiting for the new owner to come. Well,

a distinct type of city-bred woman, was new but it

ad said and shook hands heavil

, Mr. Hepburn.

iver, Miss Hunte

rching, straightforward glance his freckles became lost in a pink suffusion. He swa

Beal," he

ed Hepburn. "That's Two-Bits. H

zement at its color and contour. "I couldn't call you mist

tered cowboy and turned away,

y, this feller that paints them girls for these here, now, magazines painted her! She looks like she walked right out of a pict

greet her new mistress. The trunks were carried in, the buckboard departed for its twenty-five mile trip back to to

igh as to her pl

Oliver declared. "She ain't our kind of a woman an' the good Lord alone

un was drawing down into the hills

or Dad an' Beck an' Jimmy an' Curtis,

Two-Bits said. "I'd give a dollar to look at her again ...

his curiosity was not greatly excited. He appeared to be amused, for his black eyes twinkled gaily, but as they pass

ich ran the length of the ranch house and

present at least, I must conduct my own business. For the last four weeks, since the property came to me, it has been in the hands of Mr. Alward, the attorney in town. I arrived yesterday e

have a great deal to learn. I do know that the first thing I need is an actual head fo

tee to keep whoever is chosen on the job for any length of time, but I don't care to take the responsibility of handling the men myself, as my un

tently from face to face, studying the men as she explained her plan, but as she paused her eyes were on

lude the four, though she still looked straight at the tall Westerner,-"but I feel that at first there must b

d and looked a

d Dad, with just a trace

ted Curtis, a le

. She broke off four pieces and placed

ile, holding them toward Curtis. "Th

red his throat twice rather sharply when the drawing commenced and as he stepped forward at her gesture he manifested an eagerness w

that approached eagerness which had been evident in the others; she read another thing which caught her attention; the man was laughing at her, she felt, laughing at her and at the entire performance. It seemed to him to

n ... the last stra

of-fact voice, though that annoying smile was stil

e hand which h

't care

hat I mea

why

ithout good reaso

hance in my life, if I knew it. I've tried to ar

pression that this was not his reason, or, at least, not his best reason; he seemed, in a subtle manner, to be

ay?" Though her manner did not betray it, s

ery mad, if I ain't crazy to take a chance, will you? If anybody wants to know whether I can hold a job or

t she felt no resentment towards him; was not even annoyed as she had been at his first refusal. It was interesting; it impressed her with a difference between him

e turned to

we will see

close together

d; then looked at the fourth straw she st

n well," she said to

lushed with the depressions beneath the eyes puffed a bit. He was nervously breaking to shreds the straw which had won the place but

's first-and perhaps life's saving-adventure. But she did not watch him, in fact, had no thought for h

ugh he might take a