Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-06-25
Hips Partner
Copyright by the Frank A. Mun>ey Co..
By Iz0LA FORESTER.

kip's partner GOT cold feet. ~ the pop
ular saving goes, and left Kip in the lurch.
THE two boys had made their way up from
Portland A. best they could to the land
they had taken up. with nothing but youth
and enthusiasm and about two hundred
dollars Ia back them up. And il was late
fall.
Billie. kip'S partner, said that made no
difference. With 4 few slabs of bacon.
plenty of corn meal. and a good rifle. he
would face any wanter that ever came
down from the circle. Billie was from 4
state university in the Middle West. and
all things were possible "a him. lie would
have tackled any proposition under the
light Of heaven with a grin Ut delight. The
lgrin was gone before the sack of meal
quite gave ont that first winter in the
snowland.
Kip said little. He was not from any
university. The two hundred had been
mostly hi savings. hut he had lacked en-
thu>iasm and initiative. and Billie had sup
piled both M to 4 certain point.
They had been boy chums back in Day
willie. had trudged TO the same village
school. and later 10 the academy. a. they
called their high school down home. and
then the two paths separated.
Billie went on 10 college. and Kip went
behind hi fathers grocery counter. and
doled out tea, sugar and various neceS~i-
ties Of life, while he thought Of how gold
dust would really look, and ii nugget,
came in pockets large a loaf sugar. They
were pleasant dreams, and profitable. too.
for Kip managed 10 put by his spare cash,
and evenings he would dress ~ and 60
over 10 Billie's house.
MOI that Billie was there. but he liked
10 st by BilIie'~ sister out on the yeranda.
and talk about Billie's progress. Dayville
hoped great things from Bill. They even
said Some day he would 90 up to the capi-
tai 10 the legislature; but no one expected
Kip to make a biplane dash TO fame.
However. kip'~ ambition did not let IT,
compass toward the legislature.
I'm going out West" be told Ruth those
quiet evenings when Billie was I'd college.
'l'm going to save money until | get
%enough 10 take up a government claim ont
IN Oregon. Billie says he'd like to 70. too
Il don't think he would after he cot
There. Kip. lie isn't suited to roughing it,
"He says he'd like to-" repeated Kip 4
bit d~oggedly. II was always hard work
getting Kip's teeth out Of any proposition
he had laid hold Of for his own. III
would do him lots Of good to put up 4 fight
out there. There's stacks Of money Ia he
made"
Digging for gold. do YOU mean. Kip9'
"No: grubblng and hard work: but Won
get the greatest returns in the world for
what You give the soil, and the third wear
you're in clover. I'm going 10 do it. Ruth.
sure. You don't think you'd ever like II
ont there, do YOU"
II was only a boys tentative wig-wag ~
Eros, and il brought no response. Ruth
was very certain she would never, never.
like IL IN Oregon.
But Billie jumped at the chance. Kin
caught him fresh from college, when he
wanted 10 get at the earth and have 4 tuS-
>le with i, when no proposition IN the uni
verse seemed too great for him To tackle.
KIP added nothing to his former query.
but when the express pulled out from Dav-
vile station, after Billie had gone on into
the vestibule, Kip stood out on the obSer-
walton platform, and his gray cap was of
his head until the figure on the platform
and the waving handkerchief were out of
sight.
I'll get her vet he thought. ~ he
swung back into the ear, head up. lips
shut tightly. And she'll like Oregon Ill
right when it, home 10 her.
The very last thing that Ruth had said
to him was this:
"Be good 10 Billie"
This was one poignant reason why Bill
le was not licked to a finish several times
along the trail. Ii waS not thai he lacked
enthusiasm then. He was strong on en-
thuSiasm: but when IL came To detail Bill
preferred drawing plans and opecifica-
tions Of the general plot.
They took up the claim. 1t was well 10
Gated, and had plenty Of fine timber and
water power. Kip figured that the tim
Der alone would pay the expenses Of de-
veloping the agricultural section Of their
Hand.
But Won need horses and lumber drags,
and men 10 work 4 steam MILL" Billie pro
Tested. kip, | think myself we're III