The Last Straw

through the deep window far down the creek and had Jane known him better she might have

ll you need?

, because one is pullin' out this mornin' of his own accord. We'll need more when th

up to you. Of course

Curtis and Oliver. T

means!" she laughed. "I'm

ts. As for the other, there's

how abo

d a sheet of memoranda with minute care befor

as packin' his war bag when I come down here.

n he's l

rn no

hy

is out of joint at not b

n draw. Said he woul

the job, but he's a funny man. He an' I ne

a good

ut he always.... Why, he always seems to

ersuade him to wan

tempered. In kind of bad with some

trou

e beat up a man-Sam McKee-o

at

this man was a little

ad abused a horse? That, it seem

t his horse," he explained, moving uneasily. "Anyhow,

s with a leather fringe and great, silver conchos. A revolver swung at his hip. His mov

my time, ma'am,

Maybe you're not g

anced at Hepburn, who did not look up, h

eman a little while ago that I'd be going. Somebody

wishes should be c

t, looking at her

r wishes ought to go, but it won't do for you t

you, where is the chance for trouble? Y

looked up with

ly reason I thought we might as well part was

d your foreman wants you. What more can y

e, unless what I think

and she looked at h

tial to have men I can trust. I can trust you. I need you. I ... I'm

ightly at the indefina

an't do wholly alone. I should like very much to have you stay,

help ain't what you'd

"and I came to the conclusion that it was good ad

gain, when we know that they come sincerely and our pride quits hurting we'

in the rare way i

ighty

understanding, and in his usually am

ainst your better judgment. If you must

ed, and her eyes were filled with it and as he stood looking down at his hat, evidently

you,

ded an

l st

d. "And you're glad, ar

is all meant, but not knowing what had gone before, he was mystif

e the tall cowboy eyeing him with that

ants the best we've got, right off, to-day. There's that bunch that's been ranging in Lit

r the horses and bring them down, but when they were within sight of the corrals Hepbu

the outfit who'd rather be somewhere else, so long as I'm runnin' it." He shifted his weight in the saddle and glanced at

nt a gentle horse,"

b'ly

friends, I know.

ck interrupted again, thi

on the seat of which sat a scrawny, discouraged man with drooping lids, mustache and shoulders. To the wagon were tied t

ly cows and yearling calves, and the rear was

worse for wear, a red shirt, open at the throat, a riding skirt and dust

to a walk and looked back he saw Hepburn making a movement of one hand. That hand was just dropping to the fork of his saddle but

the wagon stopped wit

left. Keep right on. You'll pass the s

ted again and

e place?"

was askin'

l came within eas

far?" T

replied sullenly and swung

on after t

ed grimly. "They're a b

're headed for U

gh. The girl didn't seem to thi

answer and after a

hat ain't a good neighbor for the HC to

in' into Utah," D

irst things I'd do if I was fore

t's

worthless. Nesters are comin' in, which would worry me, if I was foreman. The Colonel had somebody file on

but looked hard at his horse's ears,

with her," he said sulkily,

t, do you know what I'd do? I'd

concern which surely could not

s the best w

ance to be foreman; wh

ndered

e when I lift my nose in the air and sniff real careful, I can smell a

ut drawing the best job in the country like

rn sn

. Now, why don't you pass

, but turned on the other

, but there's something that

You heard her tell me she needed good men, men she could trust, and the good Lord knows that's s

making money; I like her style, and I like to help her sort if I c

body's got to,"

er a moment and the grit in his tone told t

easy. I mean that since she's asked me to stay and work for her, I'm on the job. Not only

r way ain't my way-No, no, you listen to me!" as the other attempted to interrupt. "A while back you was trying to talk friendship to me when I'm about

hink I'd double

ver it. I may be wrong. If I am you'll win. I may be takin' a chance, which is against my religion, but I'm here to work for

to me. So long as I'm here and working for you, I'll be the best hand you've got. If you'r

it was again the flicker of mockery as though th

ng. "We understand each other. You've covered a l

houghtfully. He continued to smil

ding before the bunkhouse and after turning the horse

laimed Hepburn. "Wh

s conversation," replied the

sit

yesterday and was busier 'n hell all day buzzin' around town. First thing

new b

go on record. But ... Th' boys tell me she's goin

d benevolently. "I think

e foreman, Dad. You figurin' on marryin' the

s!" the man grumbled good natu

. This dude sure means business. He's found out more about the HC in one day than I ever kn

he is n

od on the veranda, the girl pointing to the great sweep of country

" the man laughed. "Yo

irst time I feel as though I

led cy

of the Rang

le with him, bu

ded to stay here, the girls at tea, the men in their clubs, talking it over. Jane Hunter, burying herself in the mountains

rly and sitting on the davenport. He leaned back and smoothed his sleek h

preposterous notion that you are going to stay....

d her

the first real thing that's ever gotten into me, I guess.

ow I've found out that the thing I want is nothing that I can see or touch, that I can't take it away with me. Not fo

look at her a th

You've told me about this country and, rather vaguely, about your plans. I suspect you don't know much

af from a geranium plant

for your coming, I didn't need ask. When a man has followed a girl wherever she has gone, to sea, to other countries, for fou

u of the honesty of my purpose in my last letter, but perhaps I failed because I wasn't truly honest with mysel

bsolutely, with the

d shook her head in em

ou thrill me," he said,

ellow: to laugh at the first effor

hat I have at your disposal. I've not only done that, but I've begged and pleade

that. But when I've talked ease and comfort and luxury to you, you know that I've m

alked to stan

the only thing I could see to live for. There was the one thing I missed, the thing I had expected to find. It was the thing you talked a

you love, continua

u showed that when you selected your tactics: trying t

not have allowed another consideration to enter, you'd have swept me off my feet with making me

She was hurt, b

enly. "You've told me, time after t

you offered. I

another k

"-with an e

find the sort you'r

t of that yet, but I know there

d t

f!"-st

his head with

like a con

ght; I'm going to try to justify my existence, going to try to stand for

e to a man; I would take all and give nothing. A woman doesn't win a true love by such a transaction. If I can stand alone, if I can fight

aining all that you say you could give me by my own efforts: the comforts, the material things. I wouldn't

ome out here and beat this game? Oh, I know what I'm talking about and you don't. I spent all yesterday in town looking up this place because your letter wa

The man who drove me out thought it was a fine joke! These men know; they're not skeptical because they know you

try, ca

through, what would you get? Less than I can give you in the time it takes to sign my name. You won't let me talk love and you don't seem to have much hope that you ever will find the love you th

aged. You've taken this thing as a ... a

ow close I came to letting you do the thing you want to do?" She put the ques

nows it. You all have just seen the exterior, the

o bring up a girl alone. First, it was boarding school, then finishing school, then a woman companion of the smart sort. Then he died, and we disc

like them particularly and certainly I didn't like their life, but it was the only one open fo

sold themselves for material advantage; they loathed it, most of them, but they lied to themselves and tried to make the res

cared no more for you than I did for three or four men so I kept putting you off, never actually d

ow inferior I felt beside them. Why, I remember one little decorator who, because she was young and cheap

p in a stuffy little studio. But she was doing something. I used to feel guilty before my dressmaker and even m

. Every source of income I had ever had was gone and I had left ... three hundred and two dollar

up my mind to take you up. The words were on my lips; I was within a breath of telling

lies before me now, the part that used to envy the girls who did things. We went back to town and there was a letter for me from thi

ant money and money meant that I could go on in the old way, put

I began to learn that my point of view had been radically different from theirs. I had thought that money would give me the thing I w

. They are nice things to possess but the possession of them alone does not bring respect ... the respect of others or self respect. That, I think, is what I want: respect. That is what I am going to win. The only way I can win it is to esta

looking out into the country....

or an instant but stood

you fail?

ed almost

It might break my faith in myself because it's a young, immature faith, but it will gi

passed across the man's thin, finely moulded face b

first thing I

d," she answered

ned the bottles, then poured out

ture, whatever and wherever it

but I'm afraid you'll

s he had handed

me I've ever seen

ke the rest of the old lif

r thought you use

y body. I never thought I used enough to hu

you change

o pass the question off

, one of my cowpunchers. I mad

f a thing to do. Did you

ng it critically-"I took his advice. You see, the men out here expe

ng to face, trying to be other than yourself,

etness about it, yes. As for morals

t was smart to drink. That hit me rather on the head.

ot

first shock. He said another thing that interested me; he sai

ghed h

you the honor t

t time any man had ever appealed to the commonplace thing in me that we c

takes little things quite seriously and yet he appe

s glass d

f these roughnecks has

ant him to! Why, this morning he was going away, was not

m all of us. Rough, yes, but I don't think he'd try to buy a woman. And if h

he smiled her words stung him, but

I weren't up to the standard of good women that these roughnecks hold. I can't explain it to you because you

t according to the rules. I did more than make up my mind to leave the drinks and cigarettes alone

r doesn't approve of t

the rules of

to her and caught her hands in his. "I love you, I love

d to withdra

her to him roughly, but she slipped from the clasp of his arm

ic

a step outside the door and, standing there, her han

e let her go without attem

re here. Your forema

at in hand, looking from the man whose face was lined

nd thank you. I'

h he thought his presence might be nee

ather unceremoniou

d seen more? Dick, are you besi

hecked himself and, with an obvious effort, smiled. Then went on with voice and manner under control:

'm jealous of the months, even the week

? Of

yo

d w

ation, without background in this experience. Why, Jane, if you'd been capable of fighting your own battles, you'd ha

you weren't mad

tter

all your kind. You were born to lean and to make the lives of men worth while by leaning on them, never to

ng you are not fitted to do. You can no more be a business woman than I can fly; you can no more cut yours

n this you think you have, but you have not, your eyes will be opened and when you see that y

you will come back to me just as surely as we stand together in this room. You may come back without a shred of faith in yourself, but I

was a scarcely detectable hardness, a deliberate, cold determinatio

never had proved strength by act or decision until

anaged to say naturally enough. "What if I

t. But you won't. And you will fail

th manner; his pronouncement had not been as an opinio

up his hat

n this lesson by experience. It is going to be bitter, but I will

ing and following I can well do that. Your world is there, Jane, yours for the asking

and his manner left her with a sense that he thought more than he had spoken, that his assurance was founded well, that he would not be the ta

te creek, not follow

... Yes," she thought. "Bu

horses milling, saw Tom Beck standing ready, rope in his hand; then, with a dexterous flip of the loop, a slight, overh

ngers on the nose of the frightened animal. A forefoot shot out in a lightning stroke at him but he did no

still watching Beck. "Why,"-eyes lighting in surprise