Meade County news., 1917-03-08

After the officer left, Dupont suuinN.
ed across the table at her and began
to scratch his head.
"You and Mr.. Van burned a lot of
coal oil last night. He didn't git far
enough along to ask you to hitch up
with him, did hep
A red blush famed in the girls
cheeks. Without looking up, she mur-
INJURED regretful mo"
"Guess he figures he'll wait and see
If Hardy is going to bust us up. Like
as not he'll skip back east If Hardy
gifts sore and chOkes of our hold on
the mine"
"What do you mean? He'd send
Reggie away. The stiff, solemn old
fogy-I hate himr
Easy, easy, girlF' soothed Dupont.
mo use plunging when you're hitched
to the snubbing post. Just now he's
got us roped. He'll have us all hog
tied If we go to bucking. We've got
to make him think we're gentled."
"What If We act toward him as we
feelY" .te.
"You don't savyy about that mine.
Me and Nogen discovered 1t and paid
honest for developing it, as You know.
Well, we let Mr.. Van in on 1t. Then
NOgen up and gifts killed, That makes
1t half and half between me and Mr..
Van, according to all that's fair and
square. But do you believe Hardy will
look at 1t that way? Not by a-con-
siderable. He'll talk about 1t being the
tribes, just because it's on the reser-
vation."
Il seep The girls eyes flashed, and
her nOstrils dilated. "He will rob you
and Reggie of fortune-yet you wish
me TO be nice to himv"
"You bet i do! Can't you git the
pOintp He amt going to be bluffed
into quitting. That means we got to
make friends with him or lose the
mine."
"Ohl So that Is it?"
"Yep. Worst of 1t is he's one Of
them there fellows what stand so
straight they lean backwards. We
talked to him about bow it would help
the tribe If he Joined us In opening the
mine. He was mighty Ofiish. Guess
Wen have to give him NOgen's third to
get him into our camp"
"What shamel The mine rs yours
and Reggie's. He hasn't done thing
toward developing It,"
II know. But he's the agent. He's
got us roped. He can rob us Of our
mine If we don't make friends with
him. Now do you savvyT
The girls thick black eyebrows met
In frown of vexatlon. "If he is a
man whose friendship must be bought,
do not wish to be pleasant to him."
'It's business Marie. There amt
no two ways about it. Mr.. Vans hang
ing fire, awaiting to see II we lose
the mine. If we do. he can't afford to
marry no poor girl off reservation"
Every well. l shall make myself
agreeable to Captain Hardy. But wait
until am free to pay him out for 1t I"
"Nom dun chienI" muttered Dupont
at sight of her Strengthened lips.
"Thats the Injun In you. Don't let
him see you look that way till after
we git the mine cinehed."
~ am not fool, mon PEREZ"
Dupont shook his grizzled head du-
blously.
But at midday, when Hardy came
over for the noon dinner, Marie re-
celved his courteous greeting with a
graclousness that soon lightened the
penslve severity Of his look. Before
the end Of the meal they were chatting
Id d, manner that brought twinkle
into Dupont's cunning eyes.
The girl proposed ride up the val
ley. Hardy was greatly pleased. He
had already grasped the simple details
Of the agency business, and now, pend
ing the absence Of Vandervyn and Red
bear, had nothing to do except instruct
the police in his ideas of cleanliness
and discipline.
Marie never looked more charming
than when on a horse. She took her
new friend for long ride around one
Of the mountains. Every cliff and
rock and piney slope was familiar to