South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-29

him Only that wasn't worth
while.
{ Before ne left town for the trip
/ back. Dabney told him he guess
ed the woman In the blue suit was
a little bit stumped" About every
; thing along the Ramazan had been
taken up and the owners knew
! enough 10 hang on IL. she was
asking now. he said, where the
man was who owned the ten claims
/ called the Lucky Lou group.
Tell her he's gone out OF town.
but given you orders 70 dicker on
terms replied Nick. gravely And
B II you can sell az a good figure and
keep my name out OF Il. why there's
nice slice 10 you. Dabney. I've
got reasons for dealing through
third party Never did like 20 DO
/ any business with the sex. any
how. They're so ALFRED slippery
and cOaxing"
The deal went through the next
morning. and while the papers were
being signed over az the record Of
ice the stage coach lay half way
down the side OF RamRzan moGp-5
tain with its driver buried under the
debris. Little Nick took tho new
stage In a few DAYS while they
tried 10 patch up what was left OF
the old man at the hospital IN Har-
den city.
He was standing at the horses
heads when Ban came along. head
up and smiling. The secret assay
had been made three weeks before
on the old Lucky Lou group by
scouts sent out ahead OF her. and
the ore showed UP clean and steady
in its drift straight down into the
river bed She had taken Il IN her
own name and would transfer ie
later on 10 the Munson-KAne peo-
pie. There would be a fins oom-
mission for her out or it, and prob
ably a bonus from Munson him
self
All at once she stopped dead
short. staring at the boy who held
the mares heads. out or the past
there stood Nick Nick In his
youthful vigor and good looks. his
lazy blue eyes meeting hers, his
yellow hair curling thicl1Iy on his
uncovered head. She gave him
one startled look and held out her
hand before she thought twice,
speaking only his name
''Nick!"
Yes. ma'am," answered little
Nick. cheerfully.
And then occurred a strange
thing in the local history OF Ma
hOnk. The little self sufficient
woman in the blue suit keeled over
in a faint, and Nick lifted her in
his arms and carried her into the
sitting room behind the bar. start
ing out again 10 call Mrs Rafferty,.
the landlady. But Fan opened her
eyes and looked up at him long
ingly.
Come here" she said Come
here to me. you big. long-legged.
blessed boy. Don't look scared at
me, Nick. I'm only your silly old
mother. Where's the old man.
Nick told her with the latest re-
port that old Nick had only crush
ed a few ribs and sprained his arm.
That's the Raeburn luck" she
sighed happily. He could have
the whole mountain tumble on him
and come up smiling Nick. dear.
you know those claims OF your
fathers that just took over from
that fellow Dabney? They're
worth about two hundred thousand
dollars at a rough estimate. I'll
Just keep them in the family now.
and Wen try and make a millionaire
out OF the old fellow. you and 1 to-
gether. He's running on the level
now. isn't hep"
Nick grinned and assured her he
sure was" he looked at this lit
tie blue-eyed efiient woman who
said she was his mother. with
sheepish admiration.
Didn't he ever speak OF me.
Nick?' she asked.
And Nick, not being versed in the
feminine psychology. could not
know how much OF future happi-
ness lay on his reply. Yet Il was
simple and candid.
He said you wers the prettiest
girl ne ever saw. and you made the
best panakes in the Panhandle.
Fan sighed happily and pushed in
a couple OF hairpins.
He won't find me much chang
ed" she said. Take me down 10
him. Nick"
Copyright, 1917.