The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-12-16

| | tive.
| This conclusion led promptly an,
| logically to another. Surprising, at tn
moment when l had decided upon tn,
shutdown, some doddering old gentle
man had come along and offered t
buy the mine? Add, as a corollary
the supposition that the water problem
was daily growing more insistent, with
the ultimate threat of flood. AS an or
binary, garden-variety mining shark
what would l have done?
That answer came pat, also.
should have taken the old gentleman's
money. trusting to the rising flood to
make him sick of his bargain In due
course Of time and thus willing to sell
out for anything he could get
II believe have 1t doped out" /
told Daddy at the end of the cogitating
pause; and then / passed the infer
ences along to him. The immediate
effect was to evoke a couple of his
quaint substitutes for profanity.
Observation-Disclosures p he ex-
claimed; '.Pll be ding-swlzzled If l
don't believe you've struck the true
lead, Stannie. my sonI If you have,
here's what folders: Charley Butler
toms here to do the dickerin' for that
same old high-bindIn' Cinnabar outfit
that did your gran'paw up. They sold
for half million r so and now they're
willin' to buy back for thirty or forty
or fifty thousand. BY Jezebel / Just
knew that slick-tongued rooster was
| tryin' to work some skin game 7"
"Yet he is going to marry your
daughter" / put In grimly.
At this the old man turned gloomy
serious In the batting of an eye, draw
ing his mouth down at the corner and
sucking hard at the pipe which had
long since burned out.
THAT'S been a-pinchin' me like a
tight boot. Stannie." he admitted. IF
you'd asst me afore he come, I'd "a
told you she hadn't morsel o. use
for that con-dummed blowhard. But
just you look at the way things are
stackin' up nowl He's snoopin' round
her mighty near all the whole time
and she hain't never once give me the
wink to send him a-kitin', like I'm
itchin' tor
He told me to look. had been look
ing until my eyes ached. The indi-
cations were all one way, tons of
them; with only one little impulsive
kiss to put In the other pan of the
scale. / didn't tell Daddy about the
kiss; but / did tell him that Jeanne
had told me not to sell the Cinnabar.
"So?" he commented, livening up a
little. ''That brings on more talk. |
Reckon you can make out to hang onto |
the old cows tail for a spell longer7" |
took time to consider my answer.
I've been wondering If, all things
given their due footing 1t were worth |
while to hang on, Daddy. AS matters |
stand now, Fullerton is stuck unless
i sell out to him. If / should take my
foot In my hand and walk out. he'd |
be left up In the air. But, on the 9TH
er hand, there's Jeanie. If she's go
ing to marry Fullerton. why, that's
horse of another color. I'm not enough
of dog-in-the-manger to bite her nose
off to spite Bullerton's face"
|
Then, with a side swipe that l wasn't
looking for: Charley Bullerton's been
hintin' round that you're tied up with
a girl back East. Is that so7--or Is It
on'y another one O. his frilly lies?"
l laughed.
II wish knew. Daddy; I'd sure tell
you If / would anybody. We were
really engaged-the backEast girl and
[; but / don't think we are now, and
don't think she thinks so. Anyway,
he called 1t all off when we found out
or thought we found out-that my
hadn't left me anything
n his will. She's like Jeanne says she
S, you know: she's got to marry
Money"
"Jus' So" he said, with rather
rim CLINT In the mild blue eyes. "All
he same, If you had the old Cinnabar
q slap-up workin' order reckon you'd
ave to go back yonder and marry
Ter. wouldn't yer"
"Td be In honor bound to offer to,
nyway."
'eThat don't sound much like you was
arm a whole lot for her." he OBJ
ected gravely.
/ despaired In advance of making
I'm understand the lack of sentiment
/ the case. or the viewpoint from
hich any such condition could be con-
dered as a human possibility. He
as much too supplemented. So / 2
Dt rid of the Lisette obstacle, or got
round II, as best | could.
"She has been free for several weeks. q
DIV; In all probability she is wearing 2
me other fellows ring by this time b
ut about the Cinnabar: assuming c.
at my string of guesses Is hitched cl
} TO the true state of affairs what cl
ould you advise me to do? Shall a
hang on-with no prospect. that | v,
n see, of getting anywhere on my
rn hook? Or shall sell out to Bull sc
-ton and thus let your daughter In at
r a wife's share of a possible for ou
neT' ia
Gosh all -hemlock 80 he sputtered. DO
hen you line II up that-away. ! 81
rkon | amt the man TO tell you what stl