Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-03-29
Through Santa CIaraWheat
By FRANoIs BRET HARTR

Whlte teeth and nXed, mlrtnleSS smile,
$50 it is claim for property, eh? You're
wanting money-you? Tres bien. You
forget we are in California, where one
does not own slave. And you have a
fine story there, my poor friend Very
pretty, but very hard to prove, msieu.
And these peasants are in it, ell? Work
ing it on shares like the farm, eh?"
"Well," said Dawson, slightly chang
ing his position and passing his hand
ever the horses neck with half wearied
contempt, lone of these men is from
Plaquemine and the other from Coupee.
They know all the L'Hommadieu's his
tory. And they know streak of the tar
brush when they see it. They took your
measure when they came here last year
and sized you up fairly. So had 1, for
the matter of that, when first saw you.
And we compared notes. But the major
is a square man, for all he is your hus-
band, and we reckoned he had big
enough contract on his hands to take
care of you and L,Hommadieu's half
breeds, and so'-he tossed the reins con-
temptuously aside-"we kept this to our
selves"
"And now you want what, eh?"
"We want an end to this foolery," he
broke out roughly, stepping back from
the vehicle and facing her suddenly
with his first angry gesture. "We want
an end to these airs and grimaces and
all this dandy niger business We
want an end to this cake walking
through the wheat and floating of the
honest labor of your betters. We want
you and your de Fontages' to climb
down! And we want an end to this
ropin' in of white folks to suit your little
game. We want an end to your trying to
mix your niger blood with any one
here, and we intend to stop it. We draw
the line at the major"
Lashed asshe had been by those words,
apparently out of all semblanee of her
former social arrogance, lower and
more stubborn resistance seemed to
have sprung up in her as she sat side
ways watching him with her set smile
and contracting eyes.
"Ah," she said dryly, $50 she is here.
thought SO. Which of you is it, eh!
It's good spec; Mallory's rich man.
She's not particular"
The man had stopped as if listening,
his head turned toward the road Then
he turned carelessly and facing her
again waved his hand with gesture of
tired dismissal and said: $50! You'll
find your driver over there by the tool
shed He has heard nothing yet, but
I've given you fair warning. Cor
He walked slowly back toward the
shed as the woman, snatching up the
reins, drove violently off in the direc.
tion where the men had disappeared.
But she turned aside, ignoring her wait
/, ing driver in her wild and reckless
abandonment of all her old conventional
, attitudes, and lashing her horse forward
with the same set smile on her face, the
same odd relaxation of figure and the
same squaring of her elbows.
Avoiding the main road she pushed
into narrow track that intersected an
other nearer the scene of the accident tc
Roses buggy three weeks before. She
had nearly passed it when she was hailed
by a strange voice, and looking up per
ceived horseman foundering in the
mazes of the wheat to one side of the
I track. Whatever mean thought of hel
past life she was flying from, whatever
mean purpose she was flying to, she
pulled up suddenly and as suddenly re
!, sumed her erect, aggressive stiffness
The stranger was middle aged man, il
e dress and appearance dweller of cities
, He lifted his hat as he perceived the oc
: cupant of the wagon to be lady.
J. 81 beg your pardon, but l fear I've
lost my way in trying to make short
cut to the Excelsiors company rancho"
. "You are in it now," said Mrs. Ran
u. dolph quickly.
q "Thank you, but where can find tn
d farm house?"
T "There is none," she returned witt
y her old superciliousness, "unless yo,
. choose to give that name to the shantie
\ and sheds where the laborers and serv
: : ants live, near the road"
. The stranger looked puzzled. "rr
r. looking for Mr.. Dawson" he said re
/. flectively, "but | may have made som
mistake. Do you know Maj. Randolph
e house hereabouts?"
y 81 do. am Mrs. Randolph" sh
I. said stiffly.
y The strangers brow cleared and b
smiled pleasantly. "Then this is foi
tunate meeting" he said, raising his hs
again as he reined in his horse beside th
wagon, "for am Mr.. Mallory, and Wa
looking forward to the pleasure of pr,
senting myself to you an hour or tw
later. The fact is, an old Acquaintance
Mr.. Dawson, telegraphed me yesterda
to meet him here on urgent business an
felt obliged to go there first"
Mrs. Randolph's eyes sparkled with
sudden gratifed intelligence, but he
manner seemed rather to increase tina
abate its grim precision.
"Our meeting this morning, Mr.. Ma
lory, is both fortunate and unfortunat
s for I regret to say that your daughte
who has not been quite herself since til
earthquake, was missing this mornin
and has not yet been found-though W
have searched everywhere. Understar
me-" she said, as the stranger started,
have no fear for her personal safety
am only concerned for any indiscretic
To that she may commit in the presence
nd these strangers, whose company 81
lis would seem to prefer to ours
te "But don't understand you, madam
Us said Mallory sternly. "You are spea
es ing of my daughter and"-
Excuse me, Mr.. Mallory" said Nj
" Randolph, lifting her hand with her DIR
~ ~ est depreciation and her most desiccatiI