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"What stipulation?" Ed's brow raised a notch.
"The water rights have to be shared with the community. It's the one and only stipulation. Now are you still interested."
"You put that in a contract or something?" Ed asked a bit surprised he thought of it.
"I did."
"How much are you selling for?"
"I figure ten thousand."
Ed scratched his chin. "I sure could use your land and water." He glance back at the ashes of the house and turned to look at Charlie once more. "But the house ain't on it now more," Ed considered. "Got any idea who burnt you out, Charlie?"
"I got some ideas, but no proof."
Charlie cleared his throat.
"It weren't me Charlie. I'd tell you straight out, if I'd done it."
Charlie shot him a quick glance
"Yeah, I guess you would Ed."
"You marryin' the widow Williams to get a better place, are you?"
"Dammit Ed, don't start nothin'. Cora and I have known each other forever. You know that, and it's been some years since our spouses died. I was sort of hopin' people would understand two lonely people comin' together. Ain't no shame in marryin' Ed. Maybe you should consider it. Might relieve some of your orneriness." Charlie told him, in a strained voice.
"Sarah is the only woman I ever loved, Charlie, you know that."
"Even after twenty years?" Charlie twisted his head.
Charlie eyed Ed for a long moment. "I never gave it much thought Ed, but your Sarah's been gone twenty years now. Don't you get a bit lonely?"
"No, I don't. I got one son to help me run my place, ain't got time to be lonely."
"Well, if you weren't so stingy, you could hire some help."
"We do alright."
"Well, I give you this, you are a hard worker Ed. But a wife might improve your onry disposition." Charlie quipped.
For a long moment Ed studied him, then nodded as though suddenly the fight was over with him. "Guess you didn't hear, not long after your place burnt down, someone set fire to my hay field." Ed told him.
Charlie's mouth flew open and he glanced at Clay. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear. You know who done it?"
"Nope, thought at first those Indians might have done it, but it was someone in a wagon, no Indian tracks at all around the place."
"A wagon huh?"
"My son Burt is still lookin' for the one that done it. Don't make no sense to me. 'Course you know the people in town has always been envious of mine and your places. I got to where I don't trust none of the people in town much, not even Laura and her dad."
"How's Milburn doing?" Charlie asked, curious about Laura's dad all of a sudden.
"The onry ole cuss still got a chip on his shoulder. He thinks the Indians burnt you out."
"No, they didn't. in fact, all we found was wagon tracks too."
Ed stared, his mouth flew open. "Them Indians ain't been back?"
