His friend Lefty Wright snorts, "Aw come off it Garland. Wil Ripley dun announced weeks ago the Guardian was closin' down. Weeks. Don't rightly blame him none neither."

Garland muses on this, then nods, "Well ah suppose you're right. But hang it all, Ah need to place an ad, and now what am Ah gonna put it in?"

Lefty nods sagely. "Ah reckon, though, that painter fella had less cause...Ah went up to see if he could do a picture for me...you know, for Mavis, it bein her birthday and all. His room is empty...everythin' is gone!"

Garland blinks, "The steer bones too?"

Lefty nods again, "Them too. Ah heard tell from Whitey McSweeney that he saw the painter drivin' that wagon outta town...told him he was headed to Great Falls."

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