Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1906)
SU5DAY, FIB8UABY 4, tA TIIE MOItNING ASTOHIAN. ASTORIA, 03EG0N. soooooooooooocssscsccscooooocsoccsjcss " r TT ' ' J""-"- -- s r . . j. - - . . ) u an ... 1 ' . .... U ... . FKOM .GOD'S COUNTRY 99 "EXILED When Dili Habcrcham, off Windmill Pome, ThowcHt He Killed a Man In Painted Rock. QY jVIORaLBY RODBRTD Author of " The Adventure of the Broad Arrow," "The Wingless Pyche,M " Rachel Marr," and Many Other Stories. r'"' :.agggggrwmm- arr Sun. JIL-WULi.-' cooccoocoocsci almtehtv front in Florida, almost a bad aa the one of '04, when the orange, re, were killed aa far south m India River; and that ; tu why Ben Habersham lifted at.ke. and came into Painted Rock. It was also the reason w'u;r I knew binv and H wa. the reason that Susy JI.ben.haw became acquainted wtfb Samuel I. WMes, who owned a cattie-ranih on the upper waters of Wolf Cm, , a saloon at Big Spring and a atore in Fainted fork itself. ... 1 " A . vi- iA.-A.l,iiiii(t. alon-bu It "Simple Hunon, wiX UUfoV Irrfrfc be had raked op an f ,nJnnew kind of wind fakement on the strength of which he X VL He I rrkKSlf at Fin, and then tea, a partner, f.f u w ndmilla were concerned, wua k - W TSa town. One he put up for Ginger Gillette, who M a 'mmI Mtlon for flower and fruit, both nam things 10 raise m EnboS of Patoid Rock, He'fixed K.W f rom Georgia. Who bad a aback outride the city limit. with what be deli-htd to call a prk.M It was four aere ol diist, tend ana . 1 . iiv t- ,...tt.v WliAn a man out Wen dot that you may reckon him a failure. The man who dor.pt fail i iVwbo take "enough root for the time to furp-t the State be came from. Thut U what Ginger Oillett anid and did. m . , !f with oWwion, "nor do I wckon te wad any about what I left Uhind. There a complete and finUhed net of plumWtnk fwlorca bowling in Painted Rock '.bout thj. and that WSfri?ffL Tlifv make me Wk and tirnl. 'Uoa a aemry u nwmucu, wm w T . . . A al w.i .Vi nn Hnf f Tiaa ia still on our fcamw 10 wors ap uu m.v . r""". the wouum ii the worat at iL They don't nmn&M none of the women of D4 thht oW-tiiner tella about. Tliey bad gnt and eould atand off Injua. Thee ladiea eayn't etand off a nuwqmto, and they weep aadly It the wntip!. Mia' HabcrHham. thet kmd, and eajmt eot a eteak without maS faeea at the j'int he barka off with averted face. The woman from Uod kc.tr- ain't fit to mi Texana. They rau. too much riot over triflca," ' . , . nut waa a pretty little woman, and even the faatidiotia Cinpcr (JilWtt lowered hi. bull voico in br prince and waa excctdir y polite when be met her on Main-at. The cw-boya aaid ahe waa a dawy, when they awagirered part ber with cropped beada, a tooth-bruKli In their waifctcoat iwcketJi, and a hih opinion of thcmaclvw in their little "'"Therali 1 trouble over Mi.' HaWraham yet," aaid "Keno" Cedtf. who knew the world and had a wife who bad beep pretty enonph to toinir one man to the grave and two Into the honnitai before she quieted 1wb in double harneaa. "She's a danrr to tbiakmely aociety of baebe lora, my aon and you can lav what you like on it. If I waa lbmham, I'd ace abe bad no aort ol aonwraation with 8am eekea. Weekea Hint to be trwrted with women-"ou aan aea that in his eye, if hit record didn't prove it." . They aaid bla record did prove it. "IXwiHal)erahamknowit1" IfAed. 'Habcniliain don't know nothin'," aaid Oedge bitterly. lie fcnowa enough about orange to be fmre out of Florida, and enough about windmill to act one up in any park that wont draw water. "Keno" Uedgo, according to, Habersham, believed that a wmdmill created water in a dry welL . . "We ain't on good tenua over that dry windmill," aaid Gedge, "or I'd get Mra. Oedge to drop him a bint that Weekea U afUr Mre. Ilabemham. He's the only man in Tainted Rock that dont ace it." That waa true enough, aa I found out after a month or ao. There waa an extraordinary reluctance among the quieter inhabitants of the town to say anything alut the case. It waa no one'a business but Ilabemham 'a, and Habcndiam waa jut the man to kill there and then the fool who warned him. Nevertheless there waa talk, and the baaer minded sort awn averred that the talk had a sound basis to go on. There was a strange row about this in the Amercian saloon, which was charaeteriilie of the place and its people, and for the matter of that of the went likewwe. It waa started by Sibley Ranger from Double Moun tain Fork, who twed to come into town and.fill up beyond the limit.of discretion onec a fortnight. , , "Haow's George Weekea' buntm' progresmn,! he askwl Gedge, who was sitting on the bench with PillHbnry. "Did you speak to me t" asked Gedge, with a danger-signal in his rssspooooooooooooooooooooooocsopcsoscoooooooo he did. ' There was only one way to do it. I ran into the American Saloon, calling to Gedge as I did so. It is never advisable to run into any gambling-saloon in a harry and without warning. The place waa tolerably full, and Gedge was dealing faro. "Hullo !" aaid "Keno." "What's the trouble V , "Tell Gillett to eome to Weekea' place now !' I cried, and with that I pulled aside the window-blind at the end of the room and jnmp ed through the opening and left tbe crowd buzzing. . Habersham had to walk two hundred yards down Main-st before the got to South-st By going through tbe window I had one side of a triangle to his two, and though the pen apace was dark and littered with empty kerosene and fruit cans I made good time across the big barren lot I felt sure I was a minute or two ahead of Ben when I came to the store. I thought aa I ran. "'Ill make Weeks lock the door and lie low," I aaid. If be won't and kills Ben Habersham it will be against him." But I prayed that Ginger Gillett would eome quickly. Thia was his business, and be was in bis element in dealing with such things. Perhaps I was a fool, and yet I paw poor Mrs. Habersham's face and remembered her aa ahe was when she sat talking of the fruit and flow ers of "God's country." , , I ran into the store. Ginger Gillett and Smith were there before me. It seemed a miracle at the time, but I knew afterward that my words to "Keno" Gedge had had nothing to do with it , The store Was long and deep, and only one dim lamp lighted it On one side were dry-goods on shelves and stacked ia on the counter. The other side was filled with hardware, with shining tins, lamps and all kinds of household gear. Tbe back part of the store waa in deep shadow. It was full of casks and bales of all sorts. From the tie beams hung clothes of various kinds, slickers or oilskins, long boots and some big cow-bats. And I knew that Gillett and Weekea, were having trouble. Weekes was tall and dark and wore a beard. Some women aaid he was a hand some man. Men aa a rule did not like him. Gillett had owned to hav ing no love for mat. owns it aa I do. For all I know, Mis' Habersham may be bad down to bed-rock, or she may lie no more than a pretty fool. There's times I put up one hypothesis, snd there's time I argue from the other. Wo men are shorely sad enigmas and apt to cause woe. If Habersham hears any bint of what is spoken of I've a notion bell go plumb mad and bring Mr. Weekes career to a prematoor close whether with ju ftice of without I ain't just now inclined to state. There are times when tbe worst views of human natnr' eome natural, and therefore I'll wander over to the drug store and get Baib-y to quote me a pfice on pills." . The next day I rode to Snyder, Scurry County, and stayed a week with Chapman, who kept the Snyder Saloon, and I missed the newer developments of tbe Habersham story. But I came in for tbe conclusion at any rate, for I met Sibley Ranger riding out when I eame within ten miles of Painted Rock on my way back. "Howdy!" aaid Sibley, and I replied "Howdy!" with all the cor diality of tbe phrase. He pulled up close to me, and our horses put their noses together., "There's goin' to be trouble over to Painted Bock," said Sibley Ranger. "What troublef'M asked. "About Mis' Habersham and Sam Weekes. Some galoot bea bin' fillin' up Ben's mind with suspicion about her, and they aay be ain't spoke to a soul this three daya I met him by the court-house and he waa ex white as raw cotton, and was talkin' to himself. When a man does that it's real dangerous ; there's trouble afoot, to be snre. I hank ered eome to stay and see it out, but I 'd fixed to see old Mackenzie over to my place about them steers, and if I missed bim he'd be worse to deal with than a rattler. I never did see such a man, plumb locoed he is at time. Gedge is very sore about the Habersham; he's stuck on Mis' Habersham himself, eht" I thought Sibley Banger was safer at Double Mountain Fork than in town, and said so. "Waal, I dessay," he drawled, "my tongue's my crow, and UU set me into trouble shore, I own it But if you hurry up you may see the crisis. Tbe crisis is comin along, and I ain't a jedge of crises. There was that look about Ben nambersham which naturally eventuates in the deadly exhibition of a double-pronged seatter-gun, or I'm the closest example of high discretion in Northwest Texas. So long!" I reached town by way of Wolf Creek at sundown, and the first man I saw on the street was Ginger Gillett The city marshal necmed worried. . , , 1 "Mr. Gillett, I fear your responsibilities are weighing on yon, I said. "You are wearing a sad expression this moment Who's been shot and killed since I saw you!" . "Peace reigns so far," said Gillett, "and there's no such demand for eoftlns aa to raise the price, yet awhile." "I met Sibley Ranger as I came in, Gillett, and he let on there waa trouble sticking out a foot in town." . "Blank fool Ranger' right," aaid Gillett "If about Haber sham. Rome woman hex been raisin' blaiea in my town by speakin to him, and if I could locate her I'd do some talkin'. Poor Ben's mad ; he ain't spoke to Mia' nabersham for three day, and he eaymps out on the veramiy. She kem to me weepin' some, and she let on there 'd be kill n' ii tie warm calmed down. Ene vows sne aon v show toat "you've brought it on yourself," said CiHett, angrily, "and 111 have you know I'm city marshal! ! 'You can't drive roe, and you cent. If Habersham shows his my voice, "To you, Keno' Gedge," said Ransr, " to be sure I did. I asked how's Weekes' hunt atter the londy lady goin' on T is sne caugni yet t" . Hedge roue from hia seat and walked up to him. He was little, but w as as hard as wire, and now be was in a dangerous rage. " Mr. Ranger," he said in a voice that had a rasp in it. "do you know that it's admitted on all bands that you're the biggest fool that ever showed lip in Painted Roek t" Hanger's band was lying on the bar and Gedge put his on it Ranger found that alien grip immovable. , " You tint for startin' a difficulty with me for sayin' what everyone unva 1" he asked quietly enough. Vlf you say it again there will be trouble," said Oedge. "Do you understand met There'll be serious trouble, and I don't waut to hev' my business interrupted by being obliged to leave town till your funeral is forgotten." ' , , , Not a soul spoke a word. The bartender wiped a glass, put a bottle straight and stood quietly expectant, t "You talk high," aaid Ranger. , "I talk down to youj" said Gedge. ' , Ranger showed for onee an adequate sense of the situation. "Well, if you put it in that way," he said, "I reckon on I take it back. I'm not in you class as a shot. I own it, and if I whs to follow my unreason able desire and Imsh you with thia tumbler I know I'd be dead and no ttse to my dependent relatives. It take it back, Gedge. I '11 say no more bout it Set up the driuks, Tom." And Habersham walked into the saloon just aa we all made a move for the bar. No one thought any the worse of Ranger for "taking water." There are ways of doing it, and fool or none, he did it right. "Habersham, drink with me and these guests," said Ranger. "Me and Gedge has been arguin, and Gedge hex won, I own it" "What's the trouble t" asked Habersham, laughing. . . . ..... I. I t - ..1 II V.J Tl II 3 . "Hedge iCl on no recaoneu me a iooi, return nan r, uu leetle discussion followed. I own I am a fool, and 111 stand nose-paint , to prove it How's windmills going! Is, the wind sufficient to send 'era round t I'm thinkin' of bavin' one fixed over to my ranch, and IH tfrow roses ag'in' 'Keno' at hia park." That was the end of the trouble. But when talk had got so far, it was bound to go father, and it did. The elite of Painted Rock looked shy at Mrs. Habersham, who apparently never got so much as a hint upon the scandal..' At any rate, she never wilted under the public gnae and went about as gaily as ever. Gedge talked to me tibout her, and talked a little gloomily. "One woman is all I care to understand," he aaid, "and I own freely after twenty-five years 01 mainmony.ina airs, wage is ire qwnt as hsrd to fathom as Ginger Gillett when he starts Muffin1 at poker. lie's the best amatoor at kyirds in the country, and Pillsbury wrong with him, and I just couldn't tell her I eouldntl" "T1in vou think there' nothing in it!" I asked. I got off horse and walked toward the busiest part of tbe town with him. t "Not on her aide," said Ginger, scratching bis red head; "she 1 only silly. But Weekes am t no innocent Barnn wai i m i-wpen-sible for the peace of this locality, I'd jest aa soon aa not attend his funeral. I never had no weakness for him. There's t deal too much of the hundred per cent usurer about him." "Does he know he's likely to die suddenly!" "I told him ao," said Gillftt, "and so did Smith, my deputy. He tint put foot outside his store since the day before yesterday, but others wise he shows grit, and is tolerable easy, to jedge by appearances. We came by Weekes' store. . "There he Is now," aaid Gillett "But the store isn't lighted up. He knows better than to do that" .... . ' I touched him on the arm. "You're thinking more how to aave nabersham than Weekes, Ginger." , , . "To be sure," aaid Ginger. "I ain't stuck on Weekea, and I like Ben all right, and I reckon I like Mia Habersham enough not to want to see her a widow ; for the truth ia, she loves Ben welL ' "I think you'd better find an excuse for locking one of them in the calaboose," I said, "or you might pick a row with Weekea and lay him Ut GfngerGillett stopped suddenly. "I aay, old man, that's a notion! Blamed if I dont think it over. I want peace in Tainted Rock. 1 ve my own reputation to think of. Tainted Rock says to me s Ginger GUlett, give me pace, put down riots and let peaceful citizens live tul their time comes!' And I say: 'Right! That's my idea when A took the persition of marshal' After suppr I'll interview 5 r. Weekes; for so far Habersham ain't committed any open act of rebellion ag in me, and I caynt arrest him on suspish, not much!' . . . And then we parted, 1 went to Hamilton's for my supper, snd he to consider how to save his reputation for peace and law and order. It eame nearly being wounded badly in less than two hours. After supper and a smoke at Hamilton's I walked across the Plaza and to and fro there for a while and then strolled to Main-at Habershara'a house was in the outskirts of the town to the northwest, and to got to Weekes' from his place he had to go throiigh Main-st, to'get to Sooth-st where the store was. My luck happened to make me the first man to see Ilabemham that night and when I saw him I waa slmken up. He was white snd fevered, hnggared and strained, and his eves were like live coak That might have passed, perhaps, but he was one of the few men in the town who never carried t. weapon of any kind. He never saw mo as I passed, and for a moment I was paralyzed. I knew that be was going to Weekes' store, and that if he got there he or Weekes' would not survive the meeting. There were m the town would have said it was none of their business. There were others who would have been glad to see Weekes filled with lead. I had no liking for him ; but I had for Habersham. I called to him suddenly. "Mr. Habersham!" - " ; " , tu ntjmnod dead, and I walked back to him. If I could only hold him in talk for a minute I might see Ginger Gillett or his deputy I on the street And in a minute anything might happen. "What is it t" asked Habersham. "Oh, by the way," I said, "I've just eome down from Snyder, where I was staying with Chapman. He told me he wanted you to put him up a windmill." This was a lie on the spur of the moment Chapman eared about nothing but horses and poker, and Ennia Creek gave him all the water he wanted. " "I'm not in windmills any more," said Habersham thickly. "Oh, blank windmills I Oh, go to blazes I" lie tore hia coat away from my band and went fast, all the faster perhaps from my hindering him. There waa only one thing to do, and I did it I had not the least desire to get myself into difficulty, and if be saw me run ahead of him he was to the mood to kill me first and Weekes afterward. Nevertheless, I meant getting to the store before "Go to blazes!" replied Weekes. tfts . m m. ueint; marsnaii aon 1 iaze me worth t nose here I'll kill him." I heard that as I eame in. "Habersham coming here with a shot-gun!" I cried. We heard steps even then, and I saw Weekt pull a six-shooter from his bip poeket. With his left hand he made a motion to knock tbe lamp over. Vhat happened then waa so sudden and so amazing that I fell bnk. Before the lamp fell I saw Smith, Gillett 's deputy, shift his "gun" so that he held the barrel, and he struck Weekes 11000 the head a heavy blow with the stock. He fell heavily, and at that moment there was shot, but who fired it I could not tell And then Habersham appeared at the entrance. Tbe lamp had little oil in it; but it blazed upon the floor, and by its flames, before Gillett threw slicker on them and trod them ont, I saw Weekes laying on bis back with a great red splash upon his face. Then there was darkness. "My God 1" said Habersham. He too had seen what I saw. I saw Habersham's figure wave against the outer light of the stars. "I meant to kill him!" he said in 1 dreadful whisper. "And who' done it!" "I have," said CiHett ' . I sat down on a keg by the hardware counter, and as I did so Gil lett lighter a match and another lamp. Then I heard ouiek lieht foot- steps outside and Mrs. Habersham came running. She saw no one bat Uiliett, and he had his back turned. She thought he was Weekea. I knew she thought so, and waa in dread what ahe would say. She did not see Habersham. If she spoke t word that tallied with the slanders of the town, he would kill her. But she cried : "Mr. Weekes, oh, sir-" And then she fainted dead away in her husband's arms. These words had saved her and saved him, and in this state of madness they came, I felt, like cooling waters; for they expressed the truth of her in nocence, if they said nothing as to the blamelessness of the man whose body lay stretched upon the floor. , , "Good God!" said Ben Habersham "good God!" He dropped his gun and held the poor woman in his arms. "Take her away before she comes to, Ben,." said Gillett And Habersham carried her outside. I followed him and helped him with hpp Rut jnidifonlv h juil . "Dont touch her!" He picked her up in his arms like a baby and almost ran up the" solitary road. I wondered that there was no one about They must have come to the conclusion at the American saloon that I was crazy and not to be taken notice of. I walked back into the store. I couldnt understand how it was that Weekes waa dead. I had seen Smith strike him with the but of his gun. Who had fired the shot ! Gillett was sitting on the dry-goods counter, swingin his heels and whistling. "That was well played," he said coolly. "There will be peace in Painted Rock this night" Smith annexed a quarter cigar from t box and salved hia con science by dropping a nickel. "Who killed Weekes!" I asked. ' ' "Nobody killed him," said Gillett scournfully. ' "I thought you tumbled to the racket He ain't dead. Smith downed him with the butt, and I pulled off to give it reality." Weekes groaned. "Call that dead, eh!" asked Gillett callously. "But I saw a thundering lot of blood," I said, "I'm sure i did." "Tomayto ketchup only," said Ginger Gillett "I like finish. To mayto ketchup, nothing more," Weekes sat up. He looked horrid. First National Bank of sAstoria, Ore. t EST Alt LIS II ED 1880. Capital and Surplus $100,000 Sherman Transfer Co. E25RY BHERMAN.Manaew Hackt, Carriages Baggage Checked and Transferred Trucka and for niture Wagons Pianoa Moved, Boxed and Shipped. 433 Comnerda.1 Street Phone Mala 121