y about this notion. So then she said he had been murdered, or was
lying off in the brush somewhere with a broken leg.

It was pointed out to her that Homer wouldn't be likely to come and
collect all his things in the night in order to keep a date with an
assassin, or even to have his leg broke. About the third day she guessed
pretty close to the awful truth and spoke a few calm words about putting
her case in the hands of some good lawyer.

The valley was interested. It looked like a chance for the laugh of the
year. It looked like the lightnings of a just heaven had struck where
they was long overdue. Then it was discovered that Homer was hiding out
over in the hills with a man after coyotes with traps and poison. His job
must of appealed to Homer's cynical nature at that moment--anything with
traps and poison in it.

Dave Pickens was the man that found him, he not having much else to do.
And he let Homer know the worst he could think of without mincing words.
He said the deserted fiancee was going to bring suit against Homer for
one hundred thousand dollars--that being the biggest sum Dave could think
of--for breach of promise, and Homer might as well come out and face the
music.

Homer did come out, bold as brass. He'd been afraid the lady might
gun him or act violent with something; but if she wasn't threatening
anything but legal violence he didn't care. He just couldn't conceive
that a lady with three children could make a suit like that stick against
any man--especially three children that was known to be hellions. He
didn't even believe the lady would start a suit--not with the facts of
her shame known far and wide. He was jaunty and defiant about this, and
come right out of hiding and agreed to work for me again, Scott Humphrey
having sent his wife and children on a visit to Grandma Humphrey.

But, lands. He didn't earn his salt. Friends and well-wishers took the
jauntiness all out of him in no time. Parties rode from far and near to
put him wise. Ranchers from ten miles up and down the creek would drop
important work just to ride over and tell him harsh facts about the law,
and how, as man to man, it looked dark indeed for him. These parties told
him that the possession of three children by a lawful widow was not
regarded as criminal by our best courts. It wasn't even considered
shameful. And it was further pointed out by many of the same comforters
that the children would really be a help to the lady in