The Ely miner., 1920-09-03

uiSSt Seioh WdS tiic DcllcI psli VI Nuioi
promptly subsidized, although Bryce
could see that he was mumbling threats
to himself, though not in an audible
voice.
The demon Cardigan halted beside
Shirley and stood gazing down at her
He was smiling at her whimsically
She met his glance for few seconds
thea her lids were lowered and she Bit
her lip with vexation.
Shirley" he said.
"You are presumptuous," she qua
vered.
You set me an example in presump-
tion," he retorted good humoredly.
did you not call me by my first name
a minute ago?" The heir to Cardi-
gan's redwoods bent over the girl.
"You spoke to me-after your promise
not to, Shirley" he said gently. "You
will always speak to me-"
She commenced to cry softly. 81
loathe you,' she sobbed.
"For you have the utmost respect
and admiration" he replied.
mo, you haven't. If you had, you
wouldn't hurt my uncle-the only hu-
man being in all this world who is
dear to me-"
"Goshr' he murmured plaintively.
"Im jealous of that man. However.
I'm sorry hurt him. I give you my
word I came here to fight fairly"
''He merely tried to stop you from
fighting'
"No, he didn't, Shirley. He inter
fered and fouled me. Still, despite
that, if had known you were spec
tator 1 think I should have controlled
myself and refrained from pulling off
my vengeance in your presence. /
shall never cease to regret that sub
jected you to such a distressing spec
tacle. I do hope, however, that you
will believe me when tell you i am
not bully, although when there is a
fight worth while, never dodge it.
And this time / fought for the honor
Of the House Of Cardigan"
''If you want me to believe that, you
Will DCS lily . pdlu
II can't do that. He is my enemy
and 1 shall hate him forever; / shall
fight him and his way of doing business
until he reforms or I am exhausted"
"You realize, of course, what your
insistence on that plan means, Mr..
Cardigan?"
"Call me Bryce" he pleaded.
you're going to call me that some day
anyhow, so why not start now?"
"You are altogether insufferable,
sir Please g away and never pre-
sumo to address me again. You are
quite impossible"
He shook his head. II do not give
up that readily, Shirley. / didn't
know how dear-what your friendship
meant to me, until you sent me away (;
I didn't think there was any hope until
you warned me those dogs were hunt
ing me-and called me Bryce" He
held out his hand. "'God gave us our
relations" he quoted, but, thank God,
we can choose our friends And I'll
be a good friend to you, Shirley Sum-
ner, until have earned the right to be
something more. Won't you shake
hands with me? Remember, this fight
to-day is only the first skirmish in a
war to the finish-and / am leading a
forlorn hope. If / lose-well, this will
be goodbye"
81 hate you" she answered dreariIy.
3"All our fine friendship smashed
and you growing stupidity sentimental.
Il didn't think it of you. Please go
away. You are distressing me-"
He smiled at her tenderly, forgiv-
ingly, wistfully, but she did not see it.
'Then it is really goodbye" he MUIR
INJURED with mock dolorousness.
She nodded her bowed head. EYES,"
she whispered. "After all. / have
some pride, you know. You mustn't
presume to be the butterfly preaching
contentment to the toad in the dust"
"As you will 1t, Shirley" He turned
away. "Pll send your axe back with
the first trainload of logs from my
camp, Colonel" he called to Penning-
ton.
Once more he strobe away into the
timber. Shirley watched him pass out
of her life, and gloried in what she con-
ceiyed to be his agony, for she had
both temper and spirit, and Bryce
Cardigan calmly, blunderingly, rather
stupidity (she thought) had presumed
flagrantiy on brief acquaintance.
The Colonels voice broke in upon
her, bitter reflections. 'sThat fellow
Cardigan is hard nut to crack-rll
say that for him." He had crossed the
clearing to her side and was address
ing her with his customary air of ex-
pansiveness. 81 think, my dear, You
had better go back into the caboose,
away from the prying eyes of these
rough fellows. I'm sorry you came,
Shirley. I'll never forgive myself for
bringing you. If I had .thought-but
how could I know thatscoundrel was
coming here to raise disturbance?
And only last night he was. at our
house for dinner!" II.
81 wonder what could have occurred
to make such a fnadman out of him -
the girl queried wonderingly. "He
acted more like demon than human
being"
"Just like his old father" the Colonel
purred beneyolently. .'When he can't
get what he wants, he sulks. I'll tell
you what got on his confounded
nerves. I've been freighting logs for
the senior Cardigan over my railroad I;
the contract for hauling them was a
heritage from Bill Henderson, from
whom l heught the mill and timber
la,. s,,,.l .f t>o,i,.Sa his, asssiarrx.x, if