The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-15


be held to your credit for thirty days.
during which time it will constitute an
option on the property which you have
selected. If, at the end of that time,
you are still of your present mind, the
transaction can go through as now
planned; and if you have changed
your mind your deposit will be re-
turned
Coward shifted under Dawes direct
eye. He preferred to look at Mrs.
Hardy. What Mr.. Eden has told
you about the policy CT the firm is
quite true" he managed to say. But,
as it happens, this transaction is not
with Coward & Eden. but with me
personally. 1 find it necessary to dis
pose of the property which have just
sold to you ut such an exceptional
price"-he was looking at Mrs. Hardy
-"and naturally cannot run a chance
of having my plans overturned by any
possible change of. mind on your part"
Il am entirely satisfied" said Mrs.
Hardy. 'The fact that Mr.. Eden
wants to get the property back makes
me more satisfied she added, with
the peculiarly irritating laugh of
woman who thinks she is extraordi-
narily shrewd and is only very silly.
1.-THE agreement is signed?" said
Dave. He walked to the desk and
picked up the documents, and the
check that lay upon them. His eye
ran down the familiar contract. "This
agreement is in the name of Coward
& Eden" he said. This check is
payable to Coward & Eden"
COnward's livid face had become
white, and it was with difficulty he
controlled his anger. They are all
printed that way" he explained. 81
am going to have them Endorsed over
TO me-"
'XOu are not" said Dave You are
charging this woman twenty-five thou
sand dollars for house that won't
bring ten thousand. The firm of Con-
ward & Eden will have nothing to do
with that transaction. 1t won't even
indOrse it over
A fire was burning in the CRATE.
Dave walked to it and very slowly and
deliberately thrust the agreement into
the flame.
well, if that doesn't beat all ~ Mrs.
Hardy calculated. Are all COW
punchers so discOurteOus?
81 mean no discourtesy," said Dave.
eff my behavior has seemed abrupt, 1
assure you 1 have only sought 10 serve
Doctor Hardy's widOw-and his daugh-
ter"
TT is a peculiar service" Mrs. Har-
dy answered. CURLY.
81 can only apologize for my part
ner's behavior" said Coward. at need
not, however, affect the transaction in
the slightest degree. A new agreement
will be drawn at Once-an agreement
in which the firm of Coward & Eden
will not be concerned"
''That will be more satisfactory"
said Mrs. Hardy. She intended the re-
mark for Dawes ears, but he had
moved TO a corner Of the room and was
cOnversing in low tones with Irene.
81 am sorry 1 had to make your
mothers acquaintance under circum-
| stances which, 1 fear, she will not even
| try to understand" he had said to
Irene.
ooh, Dave-Mr. Eden, mean-that
is-you don't know how proud-you
don't know how much Of 4 man you
made me feel you are" She was
! flushed and excited. perhaps
shouldn't talk like this. Perhaps"
st all depends on one thing" Dave
interrupted.
''What is that?"
1T all depends on whether we are
Miss Hardy and Mr.. Eden or whether
we are still Reenie and Dave"
Her bright eyes had fallen to the
| floor and he could see\ the tremor OF
her fingers as they rested on the back
of a chair. She did not answer him
| directly. But in a moment she spoke
Mother will buy the house from
Mr.. Coward" she said. "She is like
that. And when we are settled you
will come and see me, won't you
! Dave?"
! When the Hardys had gone Coward
/ turned to Eden. I'VE had better try
and find out where we stand" he said,
trying to speak dispassionately, but
! there was a tremOr in his voice
81 agree" returned Eden, who had
no desire to evade the issue do you
consider it fair to select inexper:-
enced women for your victims?"
Coward made a deprecating ges-
ture. There is nothing to be gained
by quarreling, Dave" he said. LET
us get at the facts. When we have
agreed as to facts, then we may agree
as to procedure"
Shoot" said Dave. He stood with
his shoulder toward Coward, watch.
ing the dusk settling about the foothiIl
city.
ST Think" said Coward, I'VE can
agree that the boom is over. We have
done well, on paper. The thing now
is to convert our paper into cash"
Dave turned about. 'You know ]
don't claim TO be any great moralist
Coward he said, ''and have no pity
for a gambler who deliberately sits In
and gets stung. Consequently I am
not troubled with any self-pity, nor
any pity for you, and If you can get
rid of our holdings to other gamblers
I have nothing to say But If it is to
be loaded onto women who are In
vesting the little savings Of their lives
women like Bert Morrison and Mrs
Hardy-then I am going to have a
| ooO6 deal TO saw" Dave went On With