Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-08-22
fortune up well past a quarter of a

You THINK that 1 don't Know why
you're offering me this money. Well,
old man, ! do. You want to get my
husband for your own daughter. Rose
Cannon"
1t was Cannon's turn to be speech
less. He had not for years received
so unexpected and violent blow. He
sat in the same attitude. not moving
or uttering sound, and looking at
Berny with pair of eyes that each
second grew colder and more steely
Come" he said with sudden author
ity. 81 can't waste my time this way.
Are you going to take the money or
not?"
His manner, as II by magic. had
ence or consideration had gone from
1t.
"Will you take the money!"
mol" she said loudly. Don't ask
me that again!"
'All right" he answered quietly,
that ends our business. Do you know
your way out, or shall ring for Gran
ger to see you to the door?"
1t was late, almost dark, that eve
ming when Cannon left his Office AS
he walked down Montgomery Street
to the car. he pondered on Berry.
wonderingly and with n sort of be-
grudging. astonished admiration of
courage that he could not but admire.
How she had found out about Rose
he could not imagine, only 1t was very
enraging that she should have done
so. 1t was the last, and most detest-
al, for In hn1 lteo 10
business.
1t was the first of May. By the
mornings mail he had received let
ter from Gene announcing, with the
playful blitheness which marked all
the young mans illusions to the
transfer of the Santa Trinidad ranch,
that the year of probation was up and
he would shortly arrive in San Fran
cisco to claim his own.
Genes father had read this missive
In grim-visaged silence. The sense
| of self-approval that he might have
experienced was not his; he only felt
that he had been done" Two months
before, thinking that the ranch was
slipping too easily from his grasp. that
he was making too little effort to re-
tain his own. he had hired a detective
to go to San Luis Obispo and watch
the career of Gene for signs of his old
waywardness. On the thirtieth of
April the man had reported that
Genes course had been marked by an
abstinence as genuine and complete
as the most exacting father could
wish.
His mood was unusually black when
he entered the house. The servant.
who came forward to help him off
with his coat. knew 1t the moment he
saw the heavy, scowling face. The
piece of intelligence the man had to
convey-that Mr.. Gene Cannon had ar
rived half an hour earlier from San
Luis Obispo-was not calculated &c
abate the Bonanza Kings irritation.
Gene. however. was not at all
abashed by any lack of cordially. AT
the best of times, he was not a sen.
sitive person, and as this had been
his portion since his early manhood,
he was now used to It, Moreover, to.
night he was in high spirits. In his
year of exile he had learned to love
the outdoor life for which he was
fitted, and had conceived passionate
desire to own the splendid tract OF
land for which he felt the love and
pride of a proprietor.
Always loquacious person, a
stream of talk flowed from him to
which the old man offered no inter
ruption. and in which even Rose found
II difficult to insert an occasional. ar
resting question. Gene had a number
of new plans.
The old man listened without speak
ing, his chin on his collar. his eyes
fixed in a wide. dull stare on his happy
boy. At intervals-Gene almost clam
oring for responsible emitted one
of those inarticulate sounds with
which It was his custom to greet in
formation that he did not like or the
exact purport of which he did not
fathom.
The only thing which would have
sweetened his mood would have been
a conversation, peaceful and uninter
rupted, with his daughter. He had
not seen as much of her as usual dur
ing the last few days, as she had been
confined to her room with a cold. This
was the first evening she had been al
dinner for four days, and the old man
had looked forward to one of their
slow. enjoyable meals together. with
long. comfortable chat over the
black coffee, as was their wont.
When dinner was over. and she rose
from her seat, he asked her to play
on the piano in the sltting-room near
by.
Neither of the men spoke for a
space while the music crept in softly
from the sitting room. The old man
gazed for while maliciously at his
| son.
| We'll. you've got it," said the IA
ther at last, in loud. pugnacious tone
| nNnu,un nnt IL hnYen,t ynu ~