ckled the belt round his waist where it belonged。
〃Lassiter； I am a coward。〃
〃Come with me out of Utahwhere I can put away my guns an' be a man；〃 he said。 〃I reckon I'll prove it to you then！ Come！ You've got Black Star back； an' Night an' Bells。 Let's take the racers an' little Fay； en' race out of Utah。 The hosses an' the child are all you have left。 Come！〃
〃No； no； Lassiter。 I'll never leave Utah。 What would I do in the world with my broken fortunes and my broken heart？ Ill never leave these purple slopes I love so well。〃
〃I reckon I ought to've knowed that。 Presently you'll be livin' down here in a hovel； en' presently Jane Withersteen will be a memory。 I only wanted to have a chance to show you how a manany mancan be better 'n he was。 If we left Utah I could proveI reckon I could prove this thing you call love。 It's strange； an' hell an' heaven at once； Jane Withersteen。 'Pears to me that you've thrown away your big heart on lovelove of religion an' duty an' churchmen； an' riders an' poor families an' poor children！ Yet you can't see what love ishow it changes a person！。。。Listen； an' in tellin' you Milly Erne's story I'll show you how love changed her。
〃Milly an' me was children when our family moved from Missouri to Texas； an' we growed up in Texas ways same as if we'd been born there。 We had been poor； an' there we prospered。 In time the little village where we went became a town； an' strangers an' new families kept movin' in。 Milly was the belle them days。 I can see her now； a little girl no bigger 'n a bird； an' as pretty。 She had the finest eyes； dark blue…black when she was excited； an' beautiful all the time。 You remember Milly's eyes！ An' she had light…brown hair with streaks of gold； an' a mouth that every feller wanted to kiss。
〃An' about the time Milly was the prettiest an' the sweetest； along came a young minister who began to ride some of a race with the other fellers for Milly。 An' he won。 Milly had always been strong on religion； an' when she met Frank Erne she went in heart an' soul for the salvation of souls。 Fact was； Milly； through study of the Bible an' attendin' church an' revivals； went a little out of her head。 It didn't worry the old folks none； an' the only worry to me was Milly's everlastin' prayin' an' workin' to save my soul。 She never converted me； but we was the best of comrades； an' I reckon no brother an' sister ever loved each other better。 Well； Frank Erne an me hit up a great friendship。 He was a strappin' feller； good to look at； an' had the most pleasin' ways。 His religion never bothered me； for he could hunt an' fish an' ride an' be a good feller。 After buffalo once； he come pretty near to savin' my life。 We got to be thick as brothers； an' he was the only man I ever seen who I thought was good enough for Milly。 An' the day they were married I got drunk for the only time in my life。
〃Soon after that I left homeit seems Milly was the only one who could keep me homean' I went to the bad； as to prosperin' I saw some pretty hard life in the Pan Handle； an' then I went North。 In them days Kansas an' Nebraska was as bad； come to think of it； as these days right here on the border of Utah。 I got to be pretty handy with guns。 An' there wasn't many riders as could beat me ridin'。 An' I can say all modest…like that I never seen the white man who could track a hoss or a steer or a man with me。 Afore I knowed it two years slipped by； an' all at once I got homesick； en' purled a bridle south。
〃Things at home had changed。 I never got over that homecomin'。 Mother was dead an' in her grave。 Father was a silent； broken man； killed already on his feet。 Frank Erne was a ghost of his old self； through with workin'； through with preachin'； almost through with livin'； an' Milly was gone！。。。It was a long time before I got the story。 Father had no mind left； an' Frank Erne was afraid to talk。 So I had to pick up whet 'd happened from different people。
〃It 'pears that soon after I left home another preacher come to the little town。 An' he an' Frank become rivals。 This feller was different from Frank。 He preached some other kind of religion； and he was quick an' passionate； where Frank was slow an' mild。 He went after people； women specially。 In looks he couldn't compare to Frank Erne； but he had power over women。 He had a voice； an' he talked an' talked an' preached an' preached。 Milly fell under his influence。。 She became mightily interested in his religion。 Frank had patience with her； as was his way； an' let her be as interested as she liked。 All religions were devoted to one God； he said； an' it wouldn't hurt Milly none to study a different point of view。 So the new preacher often called on Milly； an' sometimes in Frank's absence。 Frank was a cattle…man between Sundays。
〃Along about this time an incident come off that I couldn't get much light on。 A stranger come to town； an' was seen with the preacher。 This stranger was a big man with an eye like blue ice； an' a beard of gold。 He had money； an' he 'peered a man of mystery； an' the town went to buzzin' when he disappeared about the same time as a young woman known to be mightily interested in the new preacher's religion。 Then； presently； along comes a man from somewheres in Illinois； en' he up an' spots this preacher as a famous Mormon proselyter。 That riled Frank Erne as nothin' ever before； an' from rivals they come to be bitter enemies。 An' it ended in Frank goin' to the meetin'…house where Milly was listenin'； en' before her en' everybody else he called that preachercalled him； well； almost as hard as Venters called Tull here sometime back。 An' Frank followed up that call with a hosswhippin'； en' he drove the proselyter out of town。
〃People noticed； so 'twas said； that Milly's sweet disposition changed。 Some said it was because she would soon become a mother； en' others said she was pinin' after the new religion。 An' there was women who said right out that she was pinin' after the Mormon。 Anyway； one mornin' Frank rode in from one of his trips； to find Milly gone。 He had no real near neighborslivin' a little out of townbut those who was nearest said a wagon had gone by in the night； an' they though it stopped at her door。 Well； tracks always tell； an' there was the wagon tracks an' hoss tracks an' man tracks。 The news spread like wildfire that Milly had run off from her husband。 Everybody but Frank believed it an' wasn't slow in tellin' why she run off。 Mother had always hated that strange streak of Milly's； takin' up with the new religion as she had； an' she believed Milly ran off with the Mormon。 That hastened mother's death； an' she died unforgivin'。 Father wasn't the kind to bow down under disgrace or misfortune but he had surpassin' love for Milly； an' the loss of her broke him。
〃From the minute I heard of Milly's disappearance I never believed she went off of her own free will。 I knew Milly； an' I knew she couldn't have done that。 I stayed at home awhile； tryin' to make Frank Erne talk。 But if he knowed anythin' then he wouldn't tell it。 So I set out to find Milly。 An' I tried to get on the trail of that proselyter。 I knew if I ever struck a town he'd visited that I'd get a trail。 I knew； too； that nothin' short of hell would stop his proselytin'。 An' I rode from town to town。 I had a blind faith that somethin' was guidin' me。 An' as the weeks an' months went by I growed into a strange sort of a man； I guess。 Anyway； people were afraid of me。 Two years after that； way over in a corner of Texas； I struck a town where my man had been。 He'd jest left。 People said he came to that town without a woman。 I back…trailed my man through Arkansas an' Mississippi； an' the old trail got hot again in Texas。 I found the town where he first went after leavin' home。 An' here I got track of Milly。 I found a cabin where she had given birth to her baby。 There was no way to tell whether she'd been kept a prisoner or not。 The feller who owned the place was a mean； silent sort of a skunk； an' as I was leavin' I jest took a chance an' left my mark on him。 Then I went home again。
〃It was to find I hadn't any home； no more。 Father had been dead a year。 Frank Erne still lived in the house where Milly had left him。 I stayed with him awhile； an' I grew old watchin' him。 His farm had gone to weed； his cattle had strayed or been rustled； his house weathered till it wouldn't keep out rain nor wind。 An' Frank set on the porch and whittled sticks； an' day by day wasted away。 There was times when he ranted about like a crazy man； but mostly he was always sittin' an' starin' with eyes that made a man curse。 I figured Frank had a secret fear that I needed to know。 An' when I told him I'd trailed Milly for near three years an' had got trace of her； an' saw where she'd had her baby； I thought he would drop dead at my feet。 An' when he'd come round more natural…like he begged me to give up the trail。 But he wouldn't explain。 So I let him alone； an' watched him day en' night。
〃An' I found there was one thing still precious to him； an' it was a little drawer where he kept his papers。 This was in the room where he slept。 An' it 'peered he seldom slept。 But after bein' patient I got the contents of that drawer an' found two letters from Milly。 One was a long letter written a few months after her disappearance。 She had been bound an' gagged an' dragged away from her home by three men； an' she named themHurd； Metzger； Slack。 They was strangers to her。 She was taken to the little town where I found trace of her two years after。 But she didn't send the letter from that town。 There she was penned in。 'Peared that the proselytes； who had； of course； come on the scene； was not runnin' any risks of losin' her。 She went on to say that for a time she was out of her head； an' when she got right again all that kept her alive was the baby。 It was a beautiful baby； she said； an' all she thought an' dreamed of was somehow to get baby back to its father； an' then she'd thankfully lay down and die。 An' the letter ended abrupt； in the middle of a sentence； en' it wasn't signed。
〃The second letter was written more than two years after the first。 It was from Salt Lake City。 It simply said that Milly had heard her brother was on her trail。 She asked Frank to tell her brother to gi