The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-01-19

In through the street window. Inc
Morgans were celebrating uncommon
ly. Rubbing 1t In, eh. Johnf" sug-
gested Jeffries.
think Of it." gasped Lefever, "to
be beaten by an eighteen-year-old girl"
snow that" declared Jefrries, wax
ing up as If for the first time inter
ested. SIS exactly where you made your
mistake, John. A gunman shoots his
best when there's somebody shooting
at him. That's why you shoot we'll
because you're a gunman, and not a
marksman."
"That boy can shoot all around me,
jeff"
For instance" continued Jeffries,
"if you had put Gale Morgan up
against Henry, and told him to shoot
at each other, instead of against each
other, you'd have got bulrs-eyes to
burn from De Spain. And the Gala
basas crowd wouldn't have your
money. John, If you want to win
money, you must study the psycholog-
ical."
There was abundance of raillery In
Lefever's retort: THAT'S why you are
rich, Jeff?"
mo, l am poor because I failed to
study 1t. That is why / am at Sleepy
Cat holding down a division. But
now that you've brought Henry up
here. we'll keep him."
"What do you mean, keep him?"
demanded Lefever, starting in protest.
81 mean l need him. 1 mean the
time to shoot a bear is when you see
him. John, what kind of fellow Is
De Spain?' demanded the superintend-
ent, as if he had never heard Of him.
Lefever, regarding Jeffries keenly,
exclaimed with emphasis: "Why, If you
want him short and sharp, he's man
with soft eye and snap-turtle jaw,
a man Of close squeaks and short-arm
shots, always getting into trouble, al
ways getting out; man that can
wheedle more out Of a horse than any
body but an Indian; coax more shots
out of gun than anybody else can
put into tiff you want him fiat, that's
Henry, as I size him."
Jeffries resumed his mildeSt tone !:
''Tell him to come In minute, John"
De Spain himself expressed con-
temptuous impotence when Lefever
told him the superintendent wanted
him to go to work at Sleepy Cat. He
declared he had always hated the
town, raised one objection after anoth-
er to leaving Medicine Bend. and JEFF
fries finally summoned show Of Inn
patience.
"You are looking for promotion,
aren't your he demanded threaten
ingly.
Eyes, but not for motion without the
pro-" objected De Spain. II want to
stick to the railroad business. You
want to get me into the stage busi
ness"
Temporarily, yes. But I've told
you when you come back to the divi-
sion proper, you come as my assist
ant, If you make good running the
Thief River stages. Think of the sal
ary."
81 have no immediate heirs"
"This is not matter for Joking De
SPAIN"
81 know that, too. How many men
have been shot on the stages In the
last six months?"
"Why, now and again the stages
are held up, yes" admitted Jeffrfes
brusquely; "that Is to be expected
where the specie shipments are large.
The Thief River mines are rotten with
gold just now. But you don't have to
drive q stage. We supply you with
good men for that, and good guards
men willing to take any kind of
chance If the pay is right. And the
pay is right, and yours as general man.
ager will be right"
81 have never as yet generally man.
aged any stage line" remarked De
Spain, poking ridicule at the title, mo
matter how modest an outfit"
"You will never learn younger. We
must have a man to run that line that
can curb the disorders along the route.
Calabasas valley, De Spain, Is bad
place."
"Is itT' De Spain asked as naively
as IL he had never heard Of Calabasas,
though Jeffries was nervily stating a
fact bald and notorious to both.
"There are lot Of bad men there"
Jeffrles went on, "wfro are bad simply
because they've never had a man to
show them"
"The last general manager was
killed there, wasn't hef"
"Not In the valley, no. He was shot
ut Calabasas inn."
"Would that make very much differ
ence In the way he felt about itT'
Jeffries, with an effort, laughed.
"That's all right, Henry They won't
get you" Again he extended his fin
ger dogmatically IF thought they
would, wouldn't send you down
there"
"Thank you"
"You are young ambitious-four
thousand year isn't hanging from ev-