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〃I'll fill the contract； you bet！ I wish the little son…of…a…gun was mine。
I'm a heap more natural to him than that pair of drunkards that got him。 He
likes me： I think he does。 I've had to lick him now and then； but Lord！ his
badness is all rightnot sneaky。 I'll take him hunting next month； and then
the foreman's wife at Sunk Creek boards him till school。 Only when they
move； Judge Henry'll make his Virginia man foremanand he's got no
woman to look after Billy； yu' see。〃
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〃He's asking one hard enough；〃 said I； digressing。
〃Oh yes； asking！ Talk of adopting〃 said Mr。 McLean； and his wide…
open； hazel eyes looked away as he coughed uneasily。 Then abruptly
looking at me again； he said： 〃Don't you get off any more truck about
eldest son and that； will yu'； friend？ The boys are joshing me nownot that
I care for what might easy enough be so； but there's Billy。 Maybe he'd not
mind； but maybe he would after a while； and I am kind o' set onwellhe
didn't have a good time till he shook that home of his； and I'm going to
make this old bitch of a world pay him what she owes him； if I can。 Now
you'll drop joshing； won't yu'？〃 His forehead was moist over getting the
thing said and laying bare so much of his soul。 〃And so the world owes
us a good time； Lin？〃 said I。
He laughed shortly。 〃She must have been dead broke； then； quite a
while； you bet！ Oh no。 Maybe I used to travel on that basis。 But see here〃
（Lin laid his hand on my shoulder）； 〃if you can't expect a good time for
yourself in reason； you can sure make the kids happy out o' reason； can't
yu'？〃
I fairly opened my mouth at him。
〃Oh yes；〃 he said； laughing in that short way again （and he took his
hand off my shoulder）； 〃I've been thinking a wonderful lot since we met
last。 I guess I know some things yu' haven't got to yet yourself Why；
there's a girl！〃
〃That there is！〃 said I。 〃And certainly the world owes her a better〃
〃She's a fine…looker；〃 interrupted Mr。 McLean； paying me no further
attention。 Here the decrepit； straw…hatted proprietor of the Hotel
Brunswick stuck his beard out of the door and uttered 〃Supper！〃 with a
shrill croak； at which the girl rose。
〃Come！〃 said Lin； 〃let's hurry！〃
But I hooked my fingers in his belt； and in spite of his plaintive oaths
at my losing him the best seat at the table； told him in three words the
sister's devoted journey。
〃Nate Buckner！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Him with a decent sister！〃
〃It's the other way round；〃 said I。 〃Her with him for a brother！〃
〃He goes to the penitentiary this week；〃 said Lin。 〃He had no more
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cash to stake his lawyer with； and the lawyer lost interest in him。 So his
sister could have waited for her convict away back at Joliet； and saved
time and money。 How did she act when yu' told her？〃
〃I've not told her。〃
〃Not？ Too kind o' not your business？ Well； well！ You'd ought to know
better 'n me。 Only it don't seem right to let herno； sir； it's not right； either。
Put it her brother was dead （and Miss。 Fligg's husband would like dearly
to make him dead）； you'd not let her come slap up against the news
unwarned。 You would tell her he was sick； and start her gently。〃
〃Death's different；〃 said I。
〃Shucks！ And she's to find him caged； and waiting for stripes and a
shaved head？ How d' yu' know she mightn't hate that worse 'n if he'd been
just shot like a man in a husband scrape； instead of jailed like a skunk for
thieving？ No； sir； she mustn't。 Think of how it'll be。 Quick as the stage
pulls up front o' the Buffalo post…office； plump she'll be down ahead of the
mail…sacks； inquiring after her brother； and all that crowd around staring。
Why； we can't let her do that； she can't do that。 If you don't feel so
interfering； I'm good for this job myself。〃 And Mr。 McLean took the lead
and marched jingling in to supper。
The seat he had coveted was vacant。 On either side the girl were empty
chairs； two or three； for with that clean； shy respect of the frontier that
divines and evades a good woman； the dusty company had sat itself at a
distance； and Mr。 McLean's best seat was open to him。 Yet he had veered
away to the other side of the table； and his usually roving eye attempted no
gallantry。 He ate sedately； and it was not until after long weeks and many
happenings that Miss Buckner told Lin she had known he was looking at
her through the whole of this meal。 The straw…hatted proprietor came and
went； bearing beefsteak hammered flat to make it tender。 The girl seemed
the one happy person among us； for supper was going forward with the
invariable alkali etiquette； all faces brooding and feeding amid a
disheartening silence as of guilt or bereavement that springs from I have
never been quite sure whatperhaps reversion to the native animal
absorbed in his meat； perhaps a little from every guest's uneasiness lest he
drink his coffee wrong or stumble in the accepted uses of the fork。 Indeed；
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a diffident； uncleansed youth nearest Miss Buckner presently wiped his
mouth upon the cloth； and Mr。 McLean； knowing better than that； eyed
him for this conduct in the presence of a lady。 The lively strength of the
butter must； I think； have reached all in the room； at any rate； the table…
cloth lad； troubled by Mr。 McLean's eye； now relieved the general silence
by observing； chattily：
〃Say； friends； that butter ain't in no trance。〃
〃If it's too rich for you；〃 croaked the enraged proprietor； 〃use axle…
dope。〃
The company continued gravely feeding； while I struggled to preserve
the decorum of sadness； and Miss Buckner's face was also unsteady。 But
sternness mantled in the countenance of Mr。 McLean； until the harmless
boy； embarrassed to pieces； offered the untasted smelling…dish to Lin； to
me； helped himself； and finally thrust the plate at the girl； saying； in his
Texas idiom；
〃Have butter。〃
He spoke in the shell voice of adolescence； and on 〃butter〃 cracked an
octave up into the treble。 Miss Buckner was speechless； and could only
shake her head at the plate。
Mr。 McLean； however； thought she was offended。 〃She wouldn't
choose for none；〃 he said to the youth； with appalling calm。 〃Thank yu'
most to death。〃
〃I guess；〃 fluted poor Texas； in a dove falsetto； 〃it would go slicker
rubbed outside than swallered。〃
At this Miss Buckner broke from the table and fled out of the house。
〃You don't seem to know anything；〃 observed Mr。 McLean。 〃What
toy…shop did you escape from？〃
〃Wind him up！ Wind him up！〃 said the proprietor； sticking his head in
from the kitchen。
〃Ah； what's the matter with this outfit？〃 screamed the boy； furiously。
〃Can't yu' leave a man eat？ Can't yu' leave him be？ You make me sick！〃
And he flounced out with his young boots。
All the while the company fed on unmoved。 Presently one remarked；
〃Who's hiring him？〃
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〃The C。 Y。 outfit；〃 said another。
〃Half…circle L。；〃 a third corrected。
〃I seen one like him onced；〃 said the first； taking his hat from beneath
his chair。 〃Up in the Black Hills he was。 Eighteen seventy…nine。 Gosh！〃
And he wandered out upon his business。 One by one the others also
silently dispersed。
Upon going out； Lin and I found the boy pacing up and down； eagerly
in talk with Miss Buckner。 She had made friends with him； and he was
now smoothed down and deeply absorbed； being led by her to tell her
about himself。 But on Lin's approach his face clouded； and he made off for
the corrals； displaying a sullen back； while I was presenting Mr。 McLean
to the lady。
Overtaken by his