The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-01-11
CHAPTER IV-continued.

left bottle Of champagne. AS h'
obeyed. she bowed her dismissal OF Tho
guests from the table.
II shall now permit myself TO be
fatigued." she said. Good evening
Mr.. vandervyn. Good evening, Captain
Hardy"
vandervyn nodded, and followed Du
pont with nOnchalant bearing that
drew attention from the slight unccr
talnty Of his step. Hardy fingered for
word OF appreciation: "Thls has
been a most enjoyable evening, Miss
Dupont"
She chose to disregard the sincerity
and warmth behind the formal phrase,
"You are very kind Captain Hardy,
But pray do not overestimate. Where
all else Is off-color, three-quarters
white seems dazzling"
"Belleve me, II is not n question of
contrast or comparison" he protested.
mot even 10 New York or Washing
ton"
"You flatter me. And now, as ! am
tired"
He bowed and left her, concealing
the sting OF her polite rebuff under his
grave smile. The Indian boy, who was
standing at the parlor door, closed II
behind the guest at q sign from Marie.
Dupont took the drink that he had
poured out for himself and undertook
the perilOus operation of opening the
champagne. He fumbled the bottle and
would have dropped II had not Van
dervyn jumped up and taken II from
him. Thrust aside by the younger
man, he lurched and sat down In q
chalr near Hardy.
"Shellppry-ben In Ice" he ex-
plalned with solemn emphasis. He
threw back his head and burst into an
uproarlous laugh. "Shelipp'ry - like
that gobe-mouche Redbear. Him trying
to smooth me down-zif thatd give
him show with Mrlel An me the
squarest trader In the U. S.! Why,
lash time got goods on credit, they
shent me skeshule to llsht my
u'birties, n jush took my pen in han
n wrote cross tha' shere llsh, 4 don't
owe no man nushlng." He again drew
back his head and let out hoarse
laugh.
! Poor grammar, but rich rhetoric,
Jake" remarked Vandervyn as he filed
the champagne glasses. you told me
they gave you the credit you asked
for.
II got the goods" said Dupont, pull
ing himself together and SOLDERING his
tongue with an effort. "Nothing like
being on the square. That's what
makes me sore at them there chiefs,
Cap. Won't let me help out the bucks
and sqdaws what's aching for work
good pay In trade goods, and us tnk-
ing all risks on the ore smelling out
N. G.. Whatll the tribe do after they
git their last Issue next spring?
That's what I'd like to know"
"Yes, captain" said Vandervyn.
"Next spring will come the last issue
Of goods that Is provided for In the
government treaty with this tribe.
They will be In bad fix If something
Is not done to get them used to white
ways"
"HOw about q new treaty, to parti-
ton the reservation and give land in
severnlty to each head Of familyT
suggested Hardy.
"That would take a long time to
bring about, and meantime the young
bucks should be taught to work. Why
wouldn't It be good Idea for us to
take charge Of the mlne-pay all who
want to work at fair wages, and take
the risk Of getting our money back
out OF the ore shlpmentsi"
AS vandervyn made the suggestion,
he smiled ingenuously, and his hand
some. flushed face shone with phllan-
thropic enthusiasm. Hardy's face light.
ed with n responsive glow. He smiled
into the boyish blue eyes.
"The proposal does you credit" he
responded. "You may count on me to
contribute my share"
"You will, will you, Capf' exclaimed
Dupont. He reached out his thlck.iin-
gered hand. "You're In. hey2 Put II
there, old pard Just you make them
damn h.yi-s savvy they've got to
hustle for what we give 'em, like No
gen done, and wen round up fifty
thousand apiece before snow flies"
"What's thatf" demanded Hardy, IN
stantly stiffenlng to stern rigldlty.
He failed to catch the furious glance
from vandervyn that sent their half.
fuddlcd host lurchlng over to the
whisky bottle. When he did turn, the
chief clerk met his hard glance with u
knowing wink and chuckllng COM
ment: "Splfied"
Hardy did not smile. Explain" he
ordered.
"Oh--you mean Jnke's pipe dream
that this low-grade stun may some
time turn Into a streak Of solid gold.
But OF course you wouldn't stand for
the three of US dividing up the pro-
ceeds, even II 1t did turn out bo-
nanza?"
Certainly not"
"Your Idea would be to give all the
profits to the tribe, even II we had
bought the ore and taken the risk Of Its
turning out worthlessi"
II am the acting agent, not trader"
"Nomchien muttered Dupont.