The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-01-04
CHAPTER VIII.
Rest-Laid Schemes.

Hardy had gone to the Duponts' for
supper when Vandervyn returned to
the agency. He made a hasty toilet
and followed. Marie met him with
marked coldness. This, however, melt
ed before he had finished his report to
Hardy. All agreed that the old chief
probably would take fancy to Oinna.
and that, as result, there would be
fair chance of pacifying the tribe.
When Hardy turned to the girl, he
found her and Vandervyn exchanging
glances and murmuring remarks. His
habitual gravity sOftened to a smile
of wistful sadness. At the first Oppor-
tunity he excused himself. Midnight
had passed before the light in the little
citified parlor of the Dupont house was
eXtinguished.
When, at sunrise, Hardy went for
breakfast, Marie's eyes were very
bright and her look was pensive. She
ate little, and her manner toward Har-
dy was cold and ungraciOus.
After the officer left, Dupont squint-
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 he?"
A red blush famed in the girls
cheeks. Without looking up, she mur,
INJURED a regretful "No."
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 off our hold OIL
the mine"
"What do you mean? He'd send
Reggie away. The stiff, solemn ole
fOgy-I hate him.
Easy, easy, grill" soothed Dupont
"No use plunging when you're hltchet
to the snubbing post. Just now he's
got us rOped. He'll have US all hog
tied if we go to buck!ng. We've got
to make him think we're gentled."
what if we act toward him as we
feelY
"YOu don't savvy about that mine
Me and Nogen discovered it and paiC
honest for developing it, as you know
Well, we let Mr.. Van in on it. Ther
NOgen up and gifts killed. That make!
it half and half between me and Mr.
Van, according to all that's fair anC
square. But do you believe Hardy viii
look at it that way? Not by aeon
siderable. He'll talk about it being thu
! tribes, just because it's on the reser
vatiOn."
81 see" The girls eyes flashed, ant
her nostrils dilated. "He will rob yol
and Reggie Of fortune-yet you wisl
me to be nice to him"
"'You bet 1 do! Can't you git tn,
point? He amt going to be bluffet
into quitting. That means we got t
make friends with him or lose tn
mine"
"Oh! SO that is it?"
"Yep. Worst of it is he's one o
them there fellows what stand s.
straight they lean backwards. w
talked to him about how it would he'll
the tribe if he Joined us in opening tn
mine. He was mighty Oftish. Cues
we'll have to give him Nogen's third t
get him into our camp"
"What a shameI The mine is your
and Reggie's. He hasn't done thin
toward developing it."
II know. But he's the agent. He
got us roped. He can rob us of on
mine if we don't make friends wit
him. Now do you savvy?"
sThe girls thick black eyebrows me
in q frown of vexatiOn. IF he is
man whose friendship must be bOugh
l do not wish to be pleasant to him.
ats business, Marie. There ain
no two ways about it. Mr.. Vans hanI
ing fire, awaiting to see if we los
the mine. If we do, he can't afford
marry no poor girl off a reservation
Every well. shall make myse
, agreeable to Captain Hardy. But wa
until l am free to pay him out for it
"Nom dun chienp muttered DupOI
| at sight of her Strengthened lip
''Thats the lnjun in you. Don't Il
; him, see you look that way till aft
we git the mine cinched."