El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-25
FRANCIS LYNDE
CHAPTER VI.
ON THE WING OF OCCASIONS.

H IN the mammoth New Years
edition of the Plainsman as
! ''the newest, the finest and the
! most luxurious hostelry west of the
Missouri" the Inter Mountain hotel in
the Sagebrush capital had been the
gathering place of the political clans.
After the solid costliness of War
trace Hall and the thirty mile spin in
high powered roadster, which was only
one of the three high priced motor
carriages in the Wartrace garage, Evan
Blount was not surprised TO find his
father registered in permanence for
one of the private dining room suits
at the Inter Mountain.
It was very evident that the simple
life which had been the rule Of the
Circle Bar ranch household had be-
come thing of the past, and, though
he charged the new and extravagant
order of things to the ambition Of his
fathers wife, he could not cavil at it,
since he was himself sharer in its
comforts and luxuries.
For the first few days he was left
almost wholly to his own devices. Be
yond giving him a good many intro
auctions as the opportunities for them
came in the semipublic life of the ho-
tel his father made few demands upon
him, and they met only at luncheon
and dinner, the first of which was
usually served in their suit, while for
the latter theys went to the cafe. But
Gantry was back, and he was always
available.
Almost before he realized it Blount
had been put in touch with the busy.
breezy life of the city and was ex-
changing mods or handshakings with
more people than he had ever known
in Cambridge or Boston.
Pretty coed little old town. isn't
it?" laughed Gantry one day when he
had tolled Blount away from the In
er-Mountain luncheon TO share table
with him in the Railway club. SECT
ting so you feel a little more at home
with uS?'
IF I'm not it isn't your fault, Dick.
or the fault of your friends. Naturally
I expected some sort of welcome as /
David Blount's son. but that doesn't
seem to cut any figure at ALL"
Gantry's smile was inscrutable.
1.-THE people with whom it cuts the
largest figure will never let you know
anything about it. Just the same. it's
cutting a good bit of ice. / have met
q dozen men. more or less, within the
past day or SO who have discovered
that you are the brainiest thing that |
ever escaped from the law school,"
ssTommyrotr' derided Blount {
ITS fact. And they are prophesy
ing all sorts of future for you" And |
again Gantry's smile was broadly sly.
Like what?'' scoffed the listener.
'eWell, for one thing, they are say
ing that you are pretty sure to run for
attorney general this fall It's all |
over town. Everybody's talking about
it-talking a lot and guessing a good !
deal more"
Blount was balancing spoon on the
edge of his claret glass and frowning I
abstractedly. 1t was the first little
discord in the flial harmony-almost
a breach OF confidence Without con
sulting his wishes. without waiting for
his decision, his father had commit
ted him-"taken snap judgment upon
him." was the way he phrased it.
"Dick. will you believe me if say
that I haven't authorized any such talk
as this you've been hearing?" he
asked.
This time Gantry's smile was a grin.
"'The honorable senator took It out
Of your hands, did he? You'll under
stand that don't mean any disrespect
when 1 say it's just like him If he
has slated you, you are booked to run,
and If he runs you you'll be elected.
Those are two of the things that say
themselves in the Sagebrush State''
Blount was Indignant Justly indig-
nant," he called it
IF that is the case, Dick. it is high
time that some one should break the
charm. I haven't said that / would
accept the nomi2ation. and l am not
1t all sure that I shall say so. And if
don't say so that settles it."
Gantry was plainly shocked. ''You
1on't mean to say that you've got
nerve enough to buck the old m-your
father, l mean! Why, great cats.
Evan, you don't know what that
stands for in the greasewood hillsr'
And | don't care, Dick. Up to this
present moment / am a free moral
lgent. | haven't surrendered any right
# decision to any one sc far as am
ware"
Gantry's eyes dropped to his plate.
md his rejoinder was not altogether
rec from guile.
VIII you authorize me to contradict
he talk as can?" he asked quickly.
Blount was still warm enough to he {
Eyes; you may contra
lict 1t. You may say that it is wholly |
Then he remembered
he claims Of friendship. 'Pll be frank s
With you, Gantry. This thing has been
nentioned to me once, but nothing was '
Q0fdn6 O Int al |