The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-23
CHAPTER iii.

r@T HE nrst instructive thought OF .
man reveals his innale char
acler; those tnat follow. tina
a.ofal nature that he has acquired
enough environment and circum-
stances. That Jack Payson was at
bottom a good man is SHOWN by his
first emotion, which was JOY, and his
hrsr impulse, which was to impart h
glad news to everybody, upon receive
ing the letter from Dick Lane telling
that ne was alive and soon to come
home. He vas in his house at the
time. Bud had just brought in
the packet of mail from Florence, and
was riding away Jack uttered a cry
of joy which brought the young man
back to the door. What is it?" asked
Bud. But Jack had already had time
for his damning second thought. he
was stunned by the consideration that
the PRONUNCIATION of the new in the
letter meant his loss of Echo Allen.
He d~issembled, though as yet be was
not able to tell an outright f~alsehood;
It's q letter telling me that I may
expect to receive enough money in a
month or so to pay off the mortgage
Now your brothers debt needn't
trouble you IN longer, Bud"
"Whew-wt" whistled Bud. That's
great!' Where does it come from?'
"Oh, from an old friend that I lent
the money to some time age But, say,
Bud, there's another matter I want to
talk with you about. You've got to
shake Buck Mckee. I've got it straight
that he is the worst man in Arizona
Territory-yes, worse than an Apache.
Why, he has been with Geronimo, tor
turing and 1msssacring lone prospectots,
and robbing them of their gold"
That's a damned lie, Jack PayEon.
and you know itl" cried the hot-heAded
young man. 1T was Buck Mckee, who
stood by Dicks sid and fought the
A%paches. And I'll stand by BUCK
against all the world. Everybody is in
q conspiracy against him; Polly and
Slim Hoover and you. Why are you SO
ready now to take a slanderer's word
against his? You were keen enough to
accept his story, when it let you out OF
going to Dicks rescue. n gave you
free swing to court his girl. Let me
see the narne of the damned snake-in-
the-grass that's at the bottom of all
thisl' n he snatched for the letter
in Payson's hand
The ranchman quickly thrust the
missive into his pocket. The injustice
of Buds reflections on his former
actions gave to his Uneasy conscience
just that pretext he desired for justify
Ing his present course. His cause be-
ing weak and unworthy, he whipped
up his Indignation by adopting a high
tone and overbearing manner, even de-
meaning himself by using his position
as Buds employer to crush the younger
man. Indeed, at the end of the scene
which ensued he had well-nigh con-
WINGED himself that he had been most
ungratefully treated by Bud while sim
cerely attempting to a v the boy from
the companionship of a flend In human
guise.
mo matter who told me. young
man." he exclaimed; 81 got 1t straight,
n you can take it straight from mo.
You either give up Buck Mckee or
leave Sweetwater Ranch. Snake-in-
~the-grass!" he cried. working himself
up into false passion; "it is you, IN
grateful boy, Who are sinking the SER
pent's tooth into the hand that would
have helped you. I tell you now that I
intended to make you foreman. though
Sagebrush Charley is an older ana bet
ter man. 1t was for Dicks sake II
would nave done It."
moi" u burst forth; for your
guilty conscience's sake. 1t would
have been to pay for stepping into
Dicks place in the heart of a faithless
girl. To hell with your job; I'm
through with you'll"
And, leaping on his horse, Bud rode
f~uriously back to rejoin Buck Mckee
In Florence.
Jack Payson's purpose was now
cinched to suppress Dick Lanes letter
until Echo Allen was ir~revocably
Joined to him In marriage. He argued
with himself that she loved him, Jack
Payson, yet SO loyal was she by nature
that II Dick Lane returned before the
wedding and claimed her. she would
sacrifice her love to her sense Of duty. !
This would ruin her life, he reasoned, +
and he could not permit 1t. There was
honesty ia his argument, but he viii
ated 1t by deferring to act upon the
suggestion that naturally arose with
It: Why, then, not take Jim Allen,
Echo's father, to whom her happiness
was the chief purpose in life, into con-
fdence In regard to the matter? There
will be time enough to tell the colonel
before the wedding, he thought. In the
meantime something might happen to
Dick. and he may never return He IS
certain not to get back ahead OF Els
money.
After the time thai the note secured
by the mortgage fell due. the young
ranchman had already secured two x
tensions Of 1t for three months each
He now arranged a third. n began
negotiating for the sale of some OF his
cattle to take up the note at the next
time of payment. 81 can't take the 4
money from Dick" he thought, even
If he does owe it to me. And yet, II !
refuse 1t, It will be like buying Echo
paying for stepping into Dicks place. &
as Bud expressed It. What to do IL
don't know. Well, events will decide"
And by this favorite reflection of the
moral coward, Jack Payson marked tho
lowest depths Of his degradation.