human
Mr. Seabeck, I've always heard that you're an awfully square man, she said.
gpt
Daddy seemed to think that you could be depended on in any kind of a pinch. I hope it's true. I'm banking a lot on your squareness to-day.
human
Why, I don't know about my being any better than my neighbors, he said, with a twinkle of humor in his eyes, which were a bright, unvarying blue.
gpt
But you can bank on my doing anything I can for you, Miss MacDonald. I think I could be even better than square--to help a plucky little girl who--
human
I don't mean just the ordinary squareness, Billy Louise put in quietly.
gpt
I mean bigness, too; a bigness that will make a man be more than square; a bigness that will let him see all around a thing and judge it from a bigger viewpoint than mere justice--
human
Hm-mm--if you could trust me enough to--
gpt
I'm going to, Mr. Seabeck. I'm going to take it for granted you're bigger than your own squareness. And if you're not--if you're just a selfish, weak, letter-perfect, honest man, I'll--feel like--thrashing you.
human
I'll take the thrashing if you think I need it, he promised, looking at her with something more than admiration.
gpt
What have you done, Miss MacDonald? If I can help you hide the body--
human
There! Billy Louise dared to wrinkle her nose at him--and I don't know which of her did it.
gpt
I knew you'd play up like a good sport. But what if it isn't a body? What if--what if you found some of your cattle with--with a big D--run over your brand?
human
Hm-mm! Seabeck gave her a quick, sidewise glance and pulled thoughtfully at the graying whiskers that pointed his chin.
gpt
I would have been glad to lend you money, or help you in any way.
human
Yes, I know. Billy Louise snapped her reins impatiently.
gpt
But what would you do about the--cattle?
human
What could I do? What would you want me to do? I should do whatever would help you. I would--
gpt
Would you--be as ready to help somebody else? Somebody I--thought a--lot--of?
human
I see you don't trust me, after all,
gpt
I do. I've got to; I mean, I'd have to whether I did or not. It's like this, Mr. Seabeck. It isn't the big D brand; of course you knew it couldn't be. But it isn't yours, either. Someone was tempted and was weak. They're sorry now. They want to do the right thing, and it rests with you whether they can do it. You can shut them up in jail if you like; you have a perfect right to do it. Some men would do that and be able to sleep after it, I suppose. But I believe you're bigger than that. I believe you're big enough to see that if a person goes wrong and then sees the mistake and wants to pull back into the straight trail, a man--even the one who has been wronged--would be committing a moral crime to prevent it. To take a person who wants to make a fresh, honest start, and shut that person up amongst criminals and brand him as a criminal, seems to me a worse wrong than to steal a few head of cattle; don't you think so, Mr. Seabeck?
human
That would depend on the person, he said at last.
gpt
Some men are born criminals.
human
Oh, we aren't talking about that kind of a man. Surely to goodness you don't call Charlie Fox a born criminal, or Marthy Meilke?
gpt
Charlie Fox! Is that the person you mean, who has been--
human
Yes, it is! And he is horribly sorry, and so is Marthy, and they'll pay you for the cattle. And if you do anything mean about it, it will simply kill poor old Marthy. You couldn't send her to the pen, Mr. Seabeck. Think how she's worked there in the Cove; and Charlie has worked like a perfect slave; and he was trying to get a start so he--could--get married--
gpt
Hm-mm!
human
And if you're going to be horrid--
gpt
Will the--lady he wants to marry give him another chance?
human
Don't you think she ought to--if she l-loves him?
gpt
You say he wants to pay for the cattle and--
human
He'll do anything he can to make amends, said Billy Louise, with conviction.
gpt
He'll take his medicine and go to jail if you insist, she added sorrowfully.
human
It will ruin his whole life, of course, and break a couple of women's hearts, but--
gpt
It's a bad thing, a mighty bad thing, when a man tries to get ahead too fast.
human
It's a good thing when he learns the lesson without having to pay for it with his whole future,
gpt
Did Charlie Fox send Miss Portia--
human
He doesn't know I had any intention of coming, Billy Louise assured him quickly and with perfect truth.
gpt
They'll both be awfully surprised when they find it out --which was also perfectly true--
human
There are a few points I'd like to clear up, if you can help me, Seabeck interrupted.
gpt
All this rustling that has been going on for the past year and a half: are Fox and the Meilke woman mixed up in that? I want, he said,
human
I believe Charlie must have been influenced in some ways by bad acquaintances, Billy Louise answered more steadily than she felt.
gpt
But his--rustling--has been of a petty kind. I won't apologize for him, Mr. Seabeck. I think it's perfectly awful, what he has done. But I think it would be more awful still not to give him a chance. The other rustling is some outside gang, I'm sure. If Charlie was mixed up with them, it's very slightly--just enough to damn him utterly if he were arrested and tried. He isn't a natural criminal. He's just weak. And he's learned his lesson. It's up to you, Mr. Seabeck, to say whether he shall have a chance to profit by the lesson. And there's poor old Marthy in it, too. She just worships Charlie and would do anything--even steal for him.