The diamond drill., 1920-02-14

''Buenos tardes. senoritai I'll bet I'm
too late TO draw any dinner"
"Buenos, senor." she answered
promptly. "Tll bet you'd lose your
money. You can wash over there by
the pump. There's u towel on the
fence"
She disappeared into the house and
Curly took care OF his horse. washed.
and sauntered back to the porch. He
could smell potatoes frying and could
hear the sizzling OF ham and eggs.
While he ate. the girl fitted IN and
out, soft-footed and graceful. replen-
ishlng his plate from time 10 time.
Presently he discovered that her IA
ther was away hunting strays on
Sunk creek. that the nearest neighbor
was seven miles distant and that
Stones ranch was ten miles farther
up Dead Cow.
"Ever meet lad called Sam Gull
lIson?" the guest asked carelessly.
Curly was hardly prepared TO see
the color whip into her cheeks or to
meet the quick stebblng look she fast.
ened on him.
You're looking for him. are your
she said do you know him?"
lie shook his head. She looked at
him very steadily before she spoke
again.
"You haven't met him yet, but you
want 10. Is that itf"
That's t."
"lvnl you have another eggr'
Flandrau laughed. mo. thanks
Staying up at Stones, is hep
"How should / know who's staying
at Stone's?"
II was quite plain she did not In
tend TO tell anything that would hurt
young CullIson.
Are you expecting TO stop In the
hills long-or just visltIng?"
"Yes." Curly answered, with his
most innocent blank look.
"Yes which?
'Why, whichever you like, Miss
London. What's worrying your II
you'll ask me plain out III know how
to answer you"
$50 you know my name7"
Anything strange about thatf The
Bar 90 Is the London brand. saw
your calves In the corral with their
TANKS still sore. Naturally l assume
the young lady | meet here is Miss
Laura London"
"What do you want with Sam Gull
lis0n7 Are you friendly TO him7 Or
aren't your
Ladies' first. Are you friendly TO
him? Or aren't your
Curly smiled gayly across the table
at her. A faint echo of his pleasantly
began 10 dlmpIe the corners OF her
mouth. Both OF them relaxed to peals
OF laughter. and neither OF them quite
knew the cause OF their hilarity.
"Oh. your she reproved when she
had sufficiently recovered.
$50 you thought l was a detective
or a deputy sheriff. That's certainly |
funny"
For all know yet you may be
one"
II never did see anyone with dis
pOHlilou 80 uAIh-CoNnlitNttu hh eVuio-
II you won't put them suspicious TO
sleep I'll have 20 table my cards"
From his pocket he drew a copy OF the
Saguache Sentinel and showed her a 1
marked story. Maybe that viii ex-
plain what I'm doing up on Dead
Cow"
This Is what Laura London read:
"From Mesa comes the news OF an
other case OF bold and fagrfrnt
rustllng. On Friday night bunch OF
horses belonging to the Bar Double M
were rounded up and driven across
the mountpIns 20 this city. The
stolen animals were sold here this
after which the buyers set
out NJ once for the border and the
thieves made themselves scarce. IL
IL claimed that the rustlers were mem-
bers OF the notorious Soapy Stone out
AZ. Two OF the four we're identified. IL
Il alleged. az william Cranston. gen
orally known as Bad Bill and a
-. ........~.. ralInI aCurlvf Ilnndrau. |