Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-04-19


today Gordon had not seen them since.
While Elliot was brushing his dinner
coat before the open window Of the
room assigned to him at the hotel.
somebody came out to the porch below.
The voice of woman iioated family
to him.
'Seen DANES Irish beauty yet.
Ned?"
Yes" q man answered.
The woman laughed softly. Mrs.
Mallory came up on the same boat
with her" The infection suggested
n fact. but some less obvious infer
ence
"She's wonderfully pretty. and OF
course Diane will make the most OF
her. But Mrs. Mallory is woman
among ten thousand"
I'D choose the girl If 1t were me-"
said the man.
"But it isn't you. Wen see what
we'll see."
They were moving up the street and
Gordon heard no more. What he had
heard was not clear to him. Why
should any importance attach to the
fact that Mrs. Mallory and Sheba
ONeill had come up the river on the
same boat? Yet he was vaguely dis
turbed by the insinuation that In some
way Diane was entering her cousin as
q rival Of the older woman. He re-
| Spnfpd hnt ha
personality Of the Irish girl was being
cheapened by management on the part
Of Diane Paget.
Elliot was not the only dinner guest
ut the Paget home that evening. He
found Colby Macdonald sitting in the
living room with Sheba. She came
quickly forward to meet the newly ar
rived guest.
MIR. Macdonald has been telling me
about my father. He knew him on
Frenchman creek where they both
worked claims" explained the girl.
The big mining man made no COM
ment and added nothing to what she
said. There were times when his face
wall.
The dinner went off very we'll. Diane
and Peter had a great many questions
to ask Gordon about old friends. BY
the time these had been answered Mac
donald was chatting easily with Sheba
She listened with glowing eyes to the
strange tales this man of magnificent
horizons had to tell. Never before Ind
she come into contact with anyone like
him.
Paget was superintendent of the
Lucky Strike. a mine owned princi
pally by Macdonald. The two talked
business for few minutes over theil
cigars. but Diane interrupted gayly t.
bring them back into the circle
Adroihy she started Macdonald on the
account Of n rescue of two men lost
in blizzard the year before He had
the gift of dramatizing his story. OF
selecting only effective details. There
was no suggestion Of Boosting. If hi
happened to be the hero Of any of hi.
stories the fact was Of no Importance
to him. 1t was merely detail of the
picture he was sketching.
Gordon interrupted with question
a story he was telling of fight he haC
seen between two bull moose.
"Did you say that was while yoy
were on the way over to inspect thu
Kamatlah coal fields for the frs
time?"
The eyes of the young man were
quick with interest.
YES"
-Four years ago last spring."
Macdonald looked ut him with 9
wary steadineSs. Some doubt hat
found lodgment in his mind Befor,
he could voice 1t. If, indeed. he hat
any such intention. Elliot broke In
swiftly
"Don't answer that question.
asked it without proper thought. an
a special agent Of the general LAND
office sent up to investigate the Mac
donald coal claims and kindred in
tereStS"
Slowly the rigor of the big Scots
mans steely eyes relaxed to a smile
that was genial and disarming. If this
news hit him hard he gave no sigr
Of II. And that II was an unexpected
blow there could he no doubt.
"Glad you've come. Mr.. Elliot. We
ask nothing hut fair play. The mer
who own the Macdonald group OF
claims have nothing to conceal. III
answer that question. I meant to say
two years ago last spring."
His voice was easy and his gaze I'M
wavering as he made the correction
yet everybody I'm the room except Sheba
knew he was deliberately lying tC
cover the slip. For the admission thai
he had inspected the Kamatlah field
just before his dummies had filed upor
IT would at least tend to aggravate sus
picion that the entries were not bona
fide.
1t was rather an awkward moment
Sheba uncOnsciously relieved the stu
alton.
but what about the big moose. Mr.
Macdonald? What did 1t do then?"
The Alaskan went back to his story
He was talking for Sheba alone. fol
the young girl. with eager. Fascinated
eyes which flashed with sympathy q.
they devoured selected glimpses of hi.
wild, turbulent career. She saw hin
with other eyes than Elliot's. The gov
eminent official admired him tremen
dOuSly. Macdonald was an empir,