The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-01-20
CHAPTER IV-continued.

B
The hostess signed her Indian boy to
take the box into the parlOr. together
with the ice bucket, in which was still
left bottle of champagne. As he
obeyed, she bowed her dismissal of the
guests from the table.
81 shall now permit myself to be
fatigued," she said. Good evening,
Mr.. Vandervyn. Good evening. Captain
Hardy"
Vandervyn nodded, and followed Du-
pont with a nonchalant bearing that
drew attention from the slight uncer-
tainty of his step. Hardy fingered for
a word of appreciation: "This 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"
''Believe me- it is not question of
contrast or comparison" he protested.
"'Not even In New York or Washing
tom
"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 it
behind the guest at 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 it had not Van
dervyn jumped up and taken it from
him. Thrust aside by the younger
man, he lurched and sat down in a
chair near Hardy.
"Shelipp'ry-ben in ice," he ex-
planned with solemn emphasis. He
threw back his head and burst into an
uproariOus laugh. "Shelipp'ry = like
that gobe-mouche Redbear. Him trying
to smooth me dOwn-zif that'd give
him q show with M'rfe! An me the
SquareSt trader in the q. S.! Why,
lash time 1 got goods on credit, they
silent me a skeshule to lisht my
H'bil'ties. n jush took my pen in ham
n wrote cross tina shere fish, I don't
owe no man nushing.'" He again drew
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"
ST 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 squaws what's aching for work
good pay in trade goods, and US tax
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 a new treaty, to parti-
ton the reservation and give land in
severalty to each head of a family?''
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 q good idea for US to
take charge of the mine-pay all who
want to work at fair wages, and take
the risk of getting our money back
out of the ore Shipments?
as Vandervyn made the suggestion,
he smiled ingenuously, and his hand
some, flushed face shone with philan-
thropic enthusiasm. Hardy'S face light
ed with a 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"
t'You will. will you, Cap?" exclaimed
Dupont. He reached out his thick-fin.
gered hand. "You're in, hey? Put II
there, old pard Just you make them
damn ki-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"
whats that?" demanded Hardy, in.
stantiy stiffening to stern rightly.
He failed to catch the furious glance
from Vandervyn that sent their half.
fuddled host lurching over to the
whisky bottle. When he did turn. the
chief clerk met his hard glance with q
knowing wink and a chuckling com
ment: sSplfHedI"
Hardy did not smile. Explain" he
ordered.
"ohryou mean Jake's pipe dream
that this Iow-grade stuff may some
time turn into streak of solid goI.l
But of course you wouldn't stand FOL
the three CT US dividing up the pro
ceeds, even If it did turn out a bo
nanza?''
aCertainly not"
sYour idea would be to give all th'
profits to the tribe, even if we hat
bought the ore and taken the risk OF 1t
turning out northeast"
81 am the acting agent. not trader
~Eom'chies nuttered Dupont