Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-04-04
BARBARA is ENLIGHTENED AS tt
HER HUSBANDS IS SCHEMES.
CHAPTER xix.

CHAPTER XLIX.
After that they talked more quietly
had to listen very closely to catch
anything Of what they were saying
But they seemed to be arguing. Neil
spoke more loudly than the other men,
and | would occasionally catch a SEN
tence.
"Others do the same thing" was
one. "Why shouldn' 7 l make a little
money selling shares in oil lands as
well as other men2" was another Then:
You know as well as / do that oil
has been found on that tract. Where It
has been found once, and so near, it
is good gambling chance it may be
found on my land. "
"DO you own that landW it was
Frederick who asked the question.
81 have an option on it " Just then
there was a scraping Of chairs and
hurredly abandoned my position and
seurried upstairs.
What did it all meant Surely, as he
had said, Neil had as much right to
make money as other men. If oil had
been found, wasn't he also justified in
thinking that il would again be found
on land evidently so near other weliAl
Then he had told Frederick that he had
an option on the land. Why in the
world wasn't he all righ. in his bust
ness ideasl They seemed sound to me,
yet Mr.. Frederick seemed to think
otherwise-had even talked of "iail. ~
| shuddered as / recalled his words:
81 tell you, Forbes, they could put
you in jail for what you have done. 4"
Then; "For Cody sake, man, stop
i'll"
Would a man Of his, Frederick 5 type
say such a thing without having good
reason-or what he thought one9 II
felt sure he was speaking honestly, yet
like many other wives | gave Neil
credit for being better business man
knowing a bit more about making
money than Other men. "Mr. Fredor !
lex didn Z understand" thought as I
undrcssed. Neil would be up soon, and
he hated to see me sitting up so late,
especially since baby came.
II was nearly an hour later when
Neil came upstairs. was awake and |
so sat up in bed TO talk with him while |
he uudressed
"What in the world were you men
quarreling about " asked,
''We weren't quarreling"
"You talked awfully loud"
'Pcrhaps." "
''Who is Mr.. Black9"
como of the compuny-how did you
know he was here2"
81 heard the name when I passed
the door"
Neil looked sharply at me, but said
AZ first ! was inclined 20 tell
him what ! had heard, what Mr. Fred .
erick had said Then | looked at him
and ! just eouldn 7. / could not insult .
him by repeating what ] had ovor.
heard. He looked so far removed from
a man who would do anything the least
bit crooked that / felt myself blush
and was glad Of the halflght so that I
he would not see IL.
"What else did you hear ," the uucs.
tion was so unexpected. i started.
should I tell himl He himself had
given me the opportunity Then once
more as l looked at him found It inn.
possible TO accuse him Of anything
wrong, and hastily preyaricated
81 came upstairs, you know; so
while heard talking, It was impossible
10 tell what you were saying"
"Fhat means that you triedl"
"I did not stop on the stairs, if that
Is what you mean. came directly up"
Again ! had cyadcd the truth.
"Well We had IL hot aud heavy.
Frederick is an old crank. lie Is about
/ thousand years behind the times in