The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1916-09-21
Getting the
Best Of 1t
He Lost a Mine. but Won
a Heart.
By FREDERICK sE4ADER

some Gay Lefty OueSlcE Noulu mar
nv Henry Bruce. The two had
grown up together in the east, and
Bruce had come west with Letty's
father in search of health and for
tune
Garaen Chester had found some
small wealth, while Bruce had
found the health he sought. Then
Chester had died, leaving his little
fortune in the hands of Bruce as
executor.
The camp looked to see mar
rage follow quickly after Letty's
year of mourning, but no such an
nouncement was made. Then the
arrival Of Chiswick on the scene put
new complexion on affairs.
Down at the Spread Eagle dance
hall the women called him scute.
Men applied other and less comph-
mentary adjectives, but Lefty look
ed on him with favor.
He was the sort Of man who at
tracts irnpressiOnable women-only
about FIVE feet six in he@ght, but he
vas natty and trim Of person and
carried himself with a little swag-
ger that always impresses the IN
thinking.
He was neatly groomed and IN
every way the antithesis of SIX foot
Henry Bruce, whose clothes tapped
about his lank form and who walk
ed with a slight stoOp, as most tan
men do.
Chiswick had come TO camp as
the agent for a supply firm The
camp had grown in the last few
years, and, though no bonanza strike
had advertised the place to the rest
Of the world, there was gold in
plenty in the mountains and every
prospect that the place would con-
tinue to grow.
Chiswick had shack built for
his samples, and once the place was
open he left a clerk in charge and
devoted himself to Lefty. Chiswick
had the odd faculty Of making 9TH
ers work, though he himself lacked
habits Of industry, and he preferred
riding into the hills with Lefty to
attending to business at the store.
For six months the courtship con-
tinued; then one day Chiswick
found Bruce waiting for him at the
store. His lean length was sprawled
over Chiswick's own chair at the
rear Of the shack, and Chiswick eyed
his caller angrily as the latter slow
ly rose.
ssIt was a long wait, and that was
the only comfortable chair" ex-
planned Bruce, guessing the cause Of
the others anger.
1T must be important since you
wait In spite Of discomforts," re-
torted Chiswick. 81 left word that
would be back at s."
II had the time" said Bruce,
'and l wanted to see you-about
Miss Chester"
@That was to be expected" sheer
ed Chiswick. Eve been expecting
it for some time. Because you
haven't the nerve TO win her for
yourself l suppose that you want to
use your club as guardian and tell
me that / am to keep off your pre-
serves. Rather handy, isn't it,
Hank 20
at would be If wanted to do
such a thing" was the quiet retort,
''but what / came to see you about |
vas to ask if you are going to pro-
pose.
you've made lot Of talk in the
camp, but you have said nothing
5efnite to Lefty, or at least she has
told me nothing about it if you
have, and I think / have a right to
snow."
ffYou are man Of the world, or
gou we're before you buried yourself
n this place. You must know that
lust because a man is nice to a pref
y girl it does not argue that he
rants to marry her"
Eve look at things differently
lere in the mountains" retorted
Bruce. ~You know very well that
lie entire camp expects you to mar
Y Lefty, and they are wondering
Thy you don't say something about
t. As her guardian / have come
o ask you to come out in the open.
That's our way"
There was a glitter in Bruce's
yes that warned Chiswick to be
,areful, and the snarI faded from
us face, and his oily voice returned
Is he sought to argue that his in
ome was too small and. too uncer-
ain to permit him to marry. Bruce
listened patiently until the end;
hen he looked up slowly.
'eThen it's only because you can't
ford to marry that you don't ask
offw 20 demanded Prince