“The Journal of Meryl Humber”
by: Meryl Humber

July 4, 1881
Got swored in as sheriff. It was the Fourth, so it was like all them celebrations was for me which of course they werent.

Frances thought up a song and playt it on the piano for me. I forget how it went but it was pretty. I am lucky to have her fer a daughter. 

November 12, 1882
Hereford Shupe come by with a plant he brung from New York which he called Harrison’s Yellow. It lookt right dead to me, but Frances planted it out back and give it some water and alreddy it looks to be on the mend. She is 17 and can read and write good and knows her numbers. Hereford is thinking to marry her, but I sed she aint of that mind yet.

March 30, 1883
Frances has got eyes for a young man named Dirk. She ses he is from Prescott. Cappy ses when she plays the piano this Dirk makes everyone be quiet so he can hear good. I aint never seen her smile like she smiles now. I told her to bring him to the ranch for dinner but she ses he wont come becus he is too shy but I wonder if that is the truth.

April 16, 1883
Got a letter from the sheriff over in Phoenix about this Dirk Valentine who is wanted for robbing 2 banks and a stage coach. The pikture with the letter lookt just like Dirk who Frances is sweet on. When I showt her the picture she got tearful and run off and now Dirk is gone and she won’t say nothing about where he went. 

August 2, 1883
Dirk Valentine is robbing banks and coaches and trains all over the territory. Frances ses he never ever shoots his gun and only steals from people that alreddy got plenty of money but that aint true becus some of them trains he robbed was carrying money meant to pay miners their hard-earned wages. He is a nothing but a no-good greedy outlaw but Frances gets real mad when I say that. I fear she is still sweet on him and that she sees him when she knows I am bissy and gets letters from him which she hides from me.

September 9, 1883
I got hold of a note Frances sent to Dirk and saw where they was going to meet. So I got a posse and we caught Dirk and now he is in jail. The judge is coming next week and I hear he is a hanging judge so Dirk most likely aint long for this world. Frances wont say nothing to me no more and ses she never will agin. 

September 13, 1883
Dirk sent a secret letter to Frances which Mason got hold of and give to me. I lockt it up so she wont never read it. Frances aint allowed to see Dirk in jail of course and if she never sees his letter maybe she will think he don’t like her no more and maybe she will stop liking him. Frances’s ma would of knowed what to do bettern me. I wish she was still alive.

September 17, 1883
They hung Dirk at noon. I thought I would be glad but I aint. 

September 18, 1883
Frances took Browney and my big saddle bag and is gone. She aint told no one where she was going not even Cappy. But I know she will forget Dirk and when she does she will come home becus she is a smart gal and will figure out that I did what I done for her. 

January 4, 1884
My sister ses her little girl Ellie got a letter that sed Frances went East and was not of a mind to ever return. I hope this aint the truth becus I miss her something awful.

June 11, 1884
The Harrison’s Yellow which Frances sed was her favorite flower in the world is just a pile of brown stix now. I don’t know how to look after delicate things like that so it is my fault that it died. 

September 28, 1884
I aint seen or heard from Frances in a year. I tell people she is on her way home but when I look in my heart I know this is a lie. She will never come back to Shadow Ranch and it is my fault and I will just have to find a way to live with it.