Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-22
CHAPTER XIII.
Bitter-Sweet.

Taking his cue from certain passages
in the book of painful memories, Lid
gerwOod meant to obey his first impulse,
which prompted him to follow Mr.. Brew
ster to the private office stateroom in the
forward end of the car, disregarding the
couple i'm the tete-a-tete continuance. But
the triumphantly beautiful young woman
in the nearer half of the crook -ba cked
seat would by means sanction any
such easy solution of the difficulty.
Not word for me. HOward?' she
protested. rising and fairly compelling
him to stop and speak to her. Then: For
PHYS sake. what have YOU been doing to
yourself to make you look hollow-eyed
and anxious?" After which, since Lid
gerwOod seemed at loss for An answer
10 the half-solicitous query. she presented
her companion of the IS shaped chair.
Possibly you will shake hands little
less abstractedly with Mr.. Van Lew. Her
bert, this is Mr.. Howard Ldgerwood. my
cousin, several times removed. He is the
tyrant OF the Red Butte Western, and !
can assure You that he is much more ter
rible than he loolls-aren't you. Howard"
IidgerWOOd shook hands cordially
enough with the tall young athlete. who,
it seemed. would never have done in
creasing his magnificent stature as ne
sose up out of his half of the lounging
3eat
I'm sure. said the young man, gripping
the given hand until Iidgerwood WINGED.
Miss Eleanor has been telling me about
you-marooned out here in the Red desert.
BY Jove. don't you know ! believe Id
like to try it awhile myself. It's ages
since I've had chance to kill man.
and they tell me-
I.idgerwood laughed. recognizing Miss
Brewster's romancing gift. or the results
OF it.
We shall have to arrange a little
roundup of the bad men from Bitter
Creek for you, Mr.. Van Lew. 1 hope
You brought your armament along-the
regulation 40 S and all that"
Miss Brewster laughed derisively.
Don't let him discourage you, Her
bert" she Knocked. Bitter Creek is in
Wyoming. or is it in Montana" this
with a quick little eye stab for Lidger-
wood, and the name of Mr.. I4idger-
woods refuge is Angels. Also. papa says
there is a hotel there called the 'Celes-
tial.' Do you live at the Celestial.
Howard?"
existed there for few weeks until Mrs.
Dawson took pity on me- Mrs. Dawson
is from Massachusetts.
Hear him.! scoffed Miss Eleanor still
hooking. HE says that as If to be from
Massachusetts We're a patent Of nobility.
He knows l had the cruel misfortune to
be born in Colorado. But tell me, How
ard. is Mrs. Dawson charming young
Widow"
Mrs. Dawson is a very charming mid
dle-aged widow, with a grown son and a
daughter. said Lidgerwood, little stiff
ly. 1t seemed entirely unnecessary that
she should ridicule him before the athlete.
And the daughters she charming.
too: But that says itself. since she must
also date from Massachusetts,. " Then
to Van Lew: Every one out here In the
Red desert is from somewhere, you
know
~
definition of charming. imagine" was
Lidgerwood' rather crisp rejofnder; and
for the third time he made as if he would
go on to join the president in the office
StateroOm.
You are staying to luncheon with us.
aren't you?" asked Miss Brewster. 'Or
do YOU just drop in and out again. like
the other kind of angels?''
Your father commands me. and he
says ! am to stay And now. IL you will
excuse me-
This time he succeeded i'm getting away,
| and up to the luncheon. hour talked cop
per ana copper prospects to Mr.. Brewster
| in the seclusion of the presidents Office
compartment. The call for the midday
| meal had been given when Mr.. Brewster
switched suddenly from copper to silver
by the way, there were a few silver
| strikes over in the Timanyonis about the
time of the Red Butte gold excitement,
| he remarked. Some of them have grown
TO he shippers, haven't they?
only two of any Importance. replied
the superintendent. ''the Ruby. in Ruby
Gulch, and FlemisterS Wire-Silver at
Little Butte. You couldn't call either of
them a bonanza. but they are both ship
ping fair ore in good quantities.
'F1emster.' said the president. reflect
| lively. Hes character. Know him
personally Howard?
"A little the superintendent admitted.
"A little is a-plenty- 1t wouldn't pay
| YOU to know him very WELL" laughed
the big man. good 7naturedly. "He has A
somewhat paralyzing way of getting next
| to YOU financially. / knew him in the
old Teadvlle days: a born gentleman and
also a born b,ccaneer- II the men he Ia S
held up and robbed were to stand in q
row they'd ill a Denver street.
He is i'm his proper longitude out here.
then" said Lidgerwood. rather grimly.
This is the 'hOld-ups heaven.
"I'il bet Fiemister is doing his share
| of the iooting,' laughed the president.
is he alone i'm the miner"
| Il don't know that he has any. partners.