“’Tain’t fa’r,” he said to Alison. “Iry he’s off to the wars, an’ old Cy’s beginnin’ to nag Lou. Fust thing ye know the gal will be druv to takin’ Jabe jest to git rid of Cy. He’s a sly ole shark, is Cy, and I reckon he thinks ole Jabe ain’t got sich a ter’ble holt on life, an’ if he leaves Lou a well-to-do widder Cy kin step in an’ git all the profits. Fer my part, I don’t see what a ole man like thet’s going ter do with money; he kain’t more’n eat so much an’ he kain’t live in more’n one house, an’ he kain’t w’ar more clothes than he kin carry, but Cy has got a eetchin’ palm, as the sayin’ is, and they ain’t nothin’ he wouldn’t do fer money. He’d pick the eyes outen a blind mewl if he could sell ’em, an’ he’d chase a skeeter over a ten mile swamp fer its hide an’ taller. I’ve thought sometimes he kinder favored Pike Smith, but I don’t know. I’ve always heerd that him an’ Pike was in cohoots somehow, and Pike’s been a settin’ up ter Louisa, so I don’t know as Pike won’t git her if Jabe don’t, that is, if Cy has his way.” “He won’t have his way,” declared Alison; “I’ll answer for that. Lou has a mind of her own and she’ll outwit her father, if she doesn’t come out and oppose him to his face. She likes Ira, and unless Cy uses foul means she’ll be faithful to him.” “But there’s the foul means to be considered,” said Bud reflectively. “She’d oughter be warned ter look out fer snags.” “I’ll tell her myself,” said Alison. “I was thinking of riding over there this very afternoon. I can take Hero.” “Better not. Take yer pony.” “Why not Hero?” “Cy’s too fond of hoss flesh, an’ when you come to git yer hoss ye might find he’d got loose or somethin’. Take yer little pony and keep an eye on him. Ye’d better not make it too late comin’ home, neither.” “All right,” agreed Alison. “I’m not afraid, but since you’re so cautious I’ll start right along, and if I’m not back by dark you can be on the lookout for me.” “Jest sound Louisa and see how the land lays. Hanner Maria was tellin’ me that Jabe’s been havin’ some whitewashin’ done, an’ thet looks purty serious.” Hannah Maria was Bud’s elder sister who was an efficient aid to her brother in his capacity as news-gatherer, and what Hannah Maria Haley said was generally taken as credible information. Neal Jordan called her the “Texas Gazette.” She was not a malevolent gossip; on the contrary she was always on the outlook for news of a cheerful character, and was an ardent advocate of truth, a defender of the unfortunate, a consoler of the unhappy. Her unfailing good heart and large sympathy made her a general favorite, though she was “as homely as a mud fence” Ira said. “If Hannah Maria says Jabez has been whitewashing, it must be so,” was Alison’s comment, “and the sooner we look after Miss Louisa Sparks the better.” “That’s so,” returned Bud. “You kain’t tell what a girl’ll do jest fer spite sometimes.” “What spite?”