THE EVENING STORY MOVING NIGHT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13244, 21 January 1941, Page 3

THE EVENING STORY MOVING NIGHT

Compared to the Little Matter cf the Record Books Moving the House Was Child's Play

BY EUGENE CONWAY

Sarah was praying so hard that Lawyer Cummings would let her have the little house that she didn’t think to knock as she pushed open his office door. She stopped with a gasp, facing fine grim-jawed San Bias citizens heeled with doublebarrelled shotguns. Remembering recent gossip, she hit upon an explanation. “You’re fixin’ to snake the county records away from Pitville and get the county seat back to San Bias,” she stuttered. “And since you’re so good at guessing, Sarrie Lawrence,” snapped the mayor, “you can just stay locked up in this office until we get back from Pitville with the books.” Sarah’s small body stiffened in her starched and slightly faded best calico. “I ain’t goin’ to do nothing of the kind. I can keep my mouth shut.. Reckon I know that if every man, jackrabbit and coyote at Pitville voted twice in the election that took the county seat away from San Bias they still couldn’t account for all the votes. And you figure if you can snake the county records back to

“Don’t Tell Anybody!”

San Bias and hold them in the vault, it will raise such a fuss that the Governor will have to air that election, ancl San Bias will get back the county seat. But it’s none of my put in. Can I have the little house, Lawyer Cummings?” Her heart started pounding against her ribs. If he said yes, she wouldn’t have to live any longer with Pa and Ma Lawrence v Not that her husband’s folks were not the kindest souls, and she and Jed were lucky, now the prairies were feeling the pinch of the terrible panic, to work for their keep on Pa Lawrence’s farm. But here she’d been married two years and never once had a floor of her own to sweep. “You’re little homesteading house on the grazing land you leased to the B. G. Cattle Company,” she explained, noting Lawyer Cummings’ blank look. “Jed could bring a team and move it on to Pa Lawrence’s land and me and Jed’d have a house of our own. Ain’t that better than just lettin’ it fall apart?”

Lawyer Cummings looked thought ful. “Sarrie, you can have that shack on one condition,” he said, Slowly.'® ‘‘Don’t tell anybody you’re taking it, and move it at night.” “It’s durn funny, Lawyer Cummings fellin’ you to move the house at night and not tell nobody,” muttered Jed. He had jacked the little homesteader’s shanty onto a slide of four by fours bitched to Pa Lawrence’s team of grays, and he and Sarah walked in the .starlight leading the heavy work horses. “I’m so happy, Jed,” Sarah whispered, “I’m so ” She broke off as the sound of pounding hoofs and whirling wheels rolled over the prairies.

Jed’s head jerked up. “They’re cornin’ mighty fast.” Sarah shrugged. “Lawyer Cummings and the mayor high-tailin’ it for San Bias with the county records from Pitville, I reckon. taking them to-night.” Jed was digesting this information as a buckboard convoyed by four horsemen swirled out of the road to pass them. Lawyer Cummings, on the wagon seat, pulled up the mustangs. “Sarrie and Jed? You didn’t lose any time moving that house. What luck!” .

“With half the population of Pitville on our tail and the other half hazing over- the hill trail to cut us off and take back the books, you stop to pass the time of day,” yelped the mayor mounted on a blue Morgan, ■■“ Get goiiY, man ” But Cummings had leaped down

| from the backboard and was dragging out books and flies. ' “What in tarnation?” muttered i , the mayor as the other three swung out of saddle and grabbing armloads of books, pushed in through the door of the little house after Lawyer Cummings dumped them on the floor and scuttled back for more. “That’s the sheriff’s posse coinin’,” gasped Jed. “And us with the county records!” “Hey, you! Did you see a buckboard and four riders,” a hoarse voice yelled as the posse swept down on them. “They went that a way, Sheriff Lyle,” sang out Sarah. The leader of the posse touched spur to his buckskin. “Come on, men. Sa-a-y ”he pulled in his horSe. “You Sarah and Jed Lawrence? Ain’t that Lawyer Cummings’ shack?” “He give it to me and Jed,” said Sarah. “And I suppose you’re goin’ to move it to your pa’s place over the county line where I ain’t got no authority.” .“Are you goin’ to stand there and argue about a shanty while that' San Bias bunch get,away with the county records?” cut in one of the posse. “Whether San Bias or Pitville is the county seat, I still got to collect taxes. And you Sarah and Jed ain’t

goin’ to move that house one foot until you fork over the 64 dollars delinquent taxes due on it.” “And that’s why Lawyer Cummings told us to move it at night!” muttered Jed.

“We ain’t got 64 dollars,” wailed Sarah.

“Then unhitch them greys. : You’re not takin’ that house out of the county. And to make sure of it— Here, you Buck-Tooth, climb off your horse, and guard this shack till I get back. ' All right, men, after that San Bias bunch——ride!”’ , The moon glare glanced back from Sarah’s starched sunbonnet. Red- : >■• ... eyed from grieving about the little house she’d almost had, Sarah was listlessly tossing corn to Ma Lawrence’s chickens when a lean man on a big horse rode into the yard. " Sarah’s heart jumped. Sheriff Lyle He’d found the county records in the little house and had come to arrest Jed and her - “You kin haul your house home, Sarrie.” Then the sheriff snickered. “Lawyer Cummings come to my office and said I had to let you take that house on the grounds it’s blockin’ the road. But he couldn't put that over on me. I come right back at him and bluffed him into payin’ them taxes—and me without a lick of proof there is any taxes due on that house with the county books missin’. For once I got the best of one of them dern lawyers.”