Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-03-21

mind and body that is bred of FARM
resourcefully along rude ways. Sh
thrilled at the touch of his hand, wa
content to lay her head on his Shout
der and forget everything in the jo,
of his phya4~>l nearnesS.
They elected to spend the evenins
quietly at home, as they used to do
To Hazel it seemed quite like ole
times. Bill told her of the Klappar
country, and their prospects at the
mine.
Its going to be mighty big thing
he declared.
I'm so glad" said Hazel.
We've got a group of ten claims.
Whitley Lewis and the original stakers
hold an interest in their claims. I,
acting as agent for these other fell
lows in the company, staked five more.
L took in eight more men-and, be-
Heve me, things were humming when
l left. And, say, went in by the
ranch. Old Jake has q fine garden.
He's still pegging away with the mule
'und Gretchen, der cow offered him
a chance to make a fat little stake at
the mine, but he didn't want to leave
the ranch. Great old Teller, Jake.
Something of philosopher in his way.
Pretty wise old head. He'll make
good, all right"
In the morning, Bill ate his break
fast and started downtown.
"That's the dickens of being bust
ha RI
in the hallway. "It rides man, once
it gets hold of him. Adios, little per-
son. I'll get out for lunch, business
or no business"
Eleven-thirty brought him home,
preoccupied and frowning. And he
carried his frown and his preoccupa-
ton to the table.
Whatever is the matter, Bill?" Ha-
Eel anxiously inquired.
"Oh, I've got a nasty bunch that
there's a niger in the woodpile," he
replied.
And that, was all he vouchsafed.
He finished his luncheon and left the
house. He was scarcely out of sight
when Jimmie Brooks runabout drew
up at the curb. A half minute later
he was ushered into the living room.
"Bill in?" was his first query.
"No, he left just a few minutes
ago." Hazel told him.
Mr.. Brooks, short, heavy-set, neat
ly dressed gentleman, whose rather
weak blue eyes doomed preternaturally
large and protuberant behind pince-
nez that straddled an insignificant snub
nose, took off his glasses and twiddled
them in his white, well-kept fingers.
"Ah, too bad" he murmured.
Thought I'd catch him.
"By the way" he continued, after
a pause, "you-ah-well, frankly, I
have reason to believe that you have
a good deal of influence with your hus-
band In business matters, Mrs. Wag-
staff"
"Well, I don't know; perhaps I
have. WhyT
"Well-ah-you see," he began rath-
er lamely. '"The fact isl hope you'll
regard this as strictly confidential, Mrs.
I wouldn't want Bill to
think I, or any of US, was trying to
bring pressure on him. But the fact
Is, Bills got a mistaken impression
about the way we're conducting the
financial end of this mining PROPOSE
ton. You understand? Very able
man, your husband, but headstrong as
the deuce. I'm afraid-to speak frank
ly-he'll create a lot of unpleasant
ness. Might disrupt the company, in
fact, If he sticks to the position he
took this morning. Thought I'd run In
and talk it over with him. Fellows
generally In a good humor, you know,
when he's lunched comfortably at
home"
'Pm quite In the dark" Hazel con-
"Bill seemed a trifie put out
about something. He didn't say what
1t was about"
"Shall explain?' Mr.. Brooks sug-
gested. you'd Understandable you
might be able to help. ] don't as rule
believe in bringing business into the
home, but this bothers me. hate to
sec SOOu lhIhS 81 WAOA5s
Explain, by all MEANS" Hazel
promptly replied. eff I can help, I'll
be glad to-"
"Thank you" Mr.. Brooks polished
his glasses industriously for a second
and replaced them with painstaking
exactitude. 'Now-ah-this is the sit
uation: When the company was
formed, five of US, including your hus-
band, took up enough stock to finance
the preliminary work of the undertake
ing. The remaining stock, seventy-five
thousand dollars in amount, was left
in the treasury, to be held or put on
the market as the situation warranted.
With the first cleanup, Bill forward
ed facts and figures to show that we
had a property far beyond our great
est expectations. And, of course, we
saw at once that the thing was ridicu-