Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-09

Perhaps I'd better answer that my
self, said Stacey briskly. ''I'm act
! ing for Benham & Co. of San Francisco !,
who have bought the Spanish title to part
of this property. II
"Stop there!' said McKinstry, in a
; voice dul but distinct He took his hat
from his pocket, put it on, walked to the
corner and took up his gun, looked at
| Stacey for the first time with narcotic
eyes that seemed to drowsily absorb his
slight figure, then put the gun back half
hand towards the door, said: Gwen
/; settle this yer outside. Cress, you stop
| in here. There's man IS talk goin' on &. 4"
'sBut, Paw said Greasy, laying her
hand languidly ON her fathers sleeve
without the least change of color or
amused expression. ''This gentleman
has come over here on a compromise -
! "On a-which ?'' said McKinstry =,
| glancing scornfully out of the door for
some rare species of mustang vaguely
suggested to him in that unfamiliar word
ITO see if we couldn t come to some
fair settlement, - said Stacey. HI've
no objection to going outside with you !,
but / think we can discuss this matter
here just as we'll His fine feathers
had not made him a coward, although
his heart had beaten little faster at this
sudden recollection of the dangerous rep
utatiOn of his host.
eco on, - said McKinstry
1.-The plain facts of the case are
these continued Stacey, with more
| confidence. ''We have sold a strip 0 f
this property covering the land in dispute
between you and Harrison. We are
bound TO put our purchaser in peaceabla
| nOSsplSIQn Now To time u a
willing to buy that possession of any mai,
who can give it. We are told that vol
| can.
Gwen, considerin' that for the last
four years I've been fightin night and
| day agin them low down Harrisons for it.
| reckon you been lied to, - said Nc
| kinstry deliberately. "Why except
| the clearing on the north side, whar put
| up a barn, thar amt an acre of it as
hasn't been shifted first this side and
then that rs fast eZ / dluv boundary
stakes and fences, and the Harrisons
pulled 'em up agin. Thar ain t more
than fifty acres ez we he'd clear hold
on, and l wouldn t hev had that eff it
hadn 7 bin for the barn, the raisin alone
o. which cost me man, two horses and
this yer little finger.
"Put US in possession OF even that
fifty acres, and we I'll undertake to hold
the rest and eject those Harrisons from
it, returned Stacey complacently.
You understand that the moment we we
made peaceable entrance to even q foot
hold oil your side, the Harrisons are only
trespassers, and with the title to back us
we can call on the whole sheriff s posse
to put them off. That's the law
"That ar the law?' repeated McKins-
try meditative!y.
Yes - said Stacey. $50 he con-
tinued, with self-satisied smile TO
Cressy, "far from being hard on you,
Mr.. McKmstry, we're rather inclined to
put you on velvet. We offer you a fair
price for the only thing you can give us
actual possession; and we help you with
your old grudge against the Harrisons.
We not only clear them out, but we pay
you for even the part they held adversely
to you.
Mr.. McKinstry passed his-three whole
fingers over his forehead and eyes as if
troubled by Il drowsy aching. ''Then
you don't reckon to hev anythin to say
10 them HaIrisons?
owe don't propose to recognize them
in the matter at all, - returned Stacey.
''NQT allow 'em anythin '?'' .--..
''Not a cent? So you see, Mr.. McKins-
try, - he continued magnanimousIy, yet
with Il mischievous smile to Cressy,
There is nothing in this amicabIe dis
Cussion that requires TO be settled out
side
CANT thereof said McKinstry, in u
dull deliberate voice, raising his eyes for
the second time to Stacey. They were
bloodshot, with heavy, hanging furtiye-
ness, not unlike one of his own hunted
CT Pnt I in lyaJ in ),
He moved to the door with a reckoning
of his fateful hand. "Outside mint
EFF you please.
Stacey started, shrugged his shoulders,
and half defiantly stepped beyond the
threshold. Cressy unchanged in colour
or expression, laZily followed to the door.
"Wot,' said McKinstry, slowly facing
Stacey; ''Wot eff refoose? Wot eff 1 say
don It allow any man, or any bank, or
any compromise, to take up my quo r Ills?
Wot eff say that low down and mean as
them Harr2sons is, they don t begin to be
ez mean, ez low down, ez undetermined,
eZ sneakin eZ that yer compromise? Wot
eff / say that eff that's the kind o hog
wash that law and sniveliZation offers me
for peace and Quietness, | III take the
fghtin' and the law breakin and the
sheriff, and all h-ll for his posse instead?
Wot eff I say that?''
at will only be my duty to repeat it,
said Stacey, with an affected carelessness
which however, did not conceal his sur
prise and his discontinue. cts no
affair of mine.
"Unless,' said Cressy, assuming her
old position against the Intel of the door,
and smoothing the worn bear skin that
served as mat with the toe of her slip
per, "unless you've mixed it up with
your other arbitration, you know -
'Wot other arbitration?' asked Nc
Kinstry suddenly, with murky eyes.
Stacey cast a rapid half indignant |
glance ut the young girl, who received it |
with her hands tucked behind her back,
her lovely head bent submissively |
forward, and a prolonged little laugh.
'Oh, nothing, Paw, ~ she said, "only |
n little private foolishness betwixt me |
and the gentleman. You'd admire to |
hear him talk, Paw-about other things |
than business. He's just that clipper |
and gay
Nevertheless as with muttered "Good |
morning. the young fellow turned away, |
she quietly brushed past her father, and |
followed him-with her hands still peni- |
tentiy behind her, and the rosy palms |
turned upward-as far as the gate. Her |
single long Marguerite braid of hair trail
ing down her back nearly to the hem of |