Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
BY GEORGE GIBBS. Author of The Bolted Door


goodby to everything! You leave this deal to He'll
sign Larrys drawing the lease and bond now. Maybe
tomorrow"
Tomorrow! Tomorrow will be too late That's
what I'm getting at. Max is ugly"
Wray clenched his bony fingers over the chair arm
and leaned the desk. MAX" he whispered
angrily, what"
Hes afther more money He talked pretty big last
night but this mornin,' he broke off breathlessly-
ooh, I've had the div of day!'
"What did he say?"
"He's talkin' of goin' to the mine owner. He says
afther all Cort Bent harmed him any, an it's only
matther of who gives him the most"
Wray got his feet and took two three rapid turns
up and down the room. Curse him. he muttered.
And then suddenly, "Where is he now?"
"Up at the bar playing pnochle with Fritz"
"Are you sure?'
"He was twenty minutes ago. | haven't left him
minute except to here. Fritz is losin money to
him. told him to- That will kape him for awhile"
But Wray had already taken up his hat "Come,
let's 60 up there We've got to shut his mouth
way" he said through set lips.
"Ive been pron1isin' myself SICK but he's sharp
one-I wish them papers was sgned!' sighed Null
rennan.
AS they passed through the office Jeff stopped
moment "f Bent comes in, Larry, tell him III be back
in half hour. Understand? Don't seem anxious;
just tell him I'm going to Denver and want to settle
that deal one way another as possible"
TT three years since Berkely had to
Colorado for his health, and two since Fate had sent
him drifting down to Mesa City and Jeff Wray. Mesa
City boom town. Three years ago, when the
Jack Pot Mine opened it had become the sudden
proud possessor of five hotels land saloons) three
general stores, four barber shops three poorooms
livery stable, and postofice Its main and only
street quarter of mile in length, and the plains
for hafmile in every direction had been dotted with
the camps of the settlers 1t had almost seemed as
though Saguache County had found another Cripple
Creek
Time passed, and then Mesa City awoke one NOM
ing to find that the gamblers the SPECTATORS the SPORTS
had gone forth other fields and left to its fate and
the town knew that it was failure.
But Jeff Wray stayed on And when Berkely came
he stayed too partly because the place seemed to i'm
prove his health but largely account of Jeff
Wray. What was it that had drawn him so compel
ngly toward the man? He liked him-why he could
not say; but he idbut that the end of it. There
drectness in the way Wray went after what he
wanted that approached nothing Berkely could think
of much the unhestang self suficiency of child
He seemed to have intuition for the right thing and
though he often did the wrong Berkey aware
that he did 1t open eyed and that no book wisdom
refinement would have made the slightest difference in
the contamination of his plans
Berkey Wray sure that the only
reason Jeff hadn't succeeded was because Opportunity
hadn't yet knocking at his door, He liked Wray
because he was bold and strong because he looked him
in the because he gave of large areas, be-
cause his impulses bad well good, generous
and big like the mountains and plains of which he
a part. His schemes showed flashes of genius; but
neither of them had money enough to put them into
practice. He always figuring in hundreds of thou
sands in millions, and at times it seemed to
Berkely though he ritterng his life away
small problems when he might have been mastering
big At Others he seemed very like Mulberry
Sellers Munchhausen, and DArtagnan all rolled into
one
What was happening Berkely could not deter