Licking Valley courier., 1921-12-22

it mighty WELL"
"Maybe not; but can make it stand
with you-which is much more to the
purpose. You said minute ago that
| couldn't turn wheel without your
consent. You can't turn wheel al
all-without money"
His rubbing the poverty gibe into me
made me madder than ever and ]
thought it was about time to tell him
where he got of. i
"Then, by Jove, the wheels needn't |
turn!' ! countered. sand that lets
you out. II you want to 90 to Law
about that contract-sail In. That's
al I've got to say"
"Oh, hold onl" he protested, with
mock concern. Then he showed me
plainly what he'd been doing in the
interval between his first and this sec
ond appearance in the Red Desert
region. "I've had time to look you up.
you know. You're engaged to q girl
back East and you can't marry her
because you haven't money enough.
Half loaf is better than no bread
and I'm offering you very nearly the
half loaf. Take day or so to think
1t over. I'm In no hurry" And with
that he went back to the cabin across
the dump and left me warming the
anvil. =
l guess 1t will say itself that the
next few days stacked up about as
wretched an interval as had ever
been called. upon to put over.
'Bullerton had, masterful sort Of
grip that seemed to give him a stran-
gle-hold upon everything he tackled.
At table and in the evenings before
the fire he monopelized the talk and
the rest of us sat around like slough
tOn-bOttles and let him do IT.. =
1t didn't help matters out much
when Daddy Hiram, chasing me up on
one Of the days when was lodging
Bullerton, gave me the soaked enye.
lope which my grandfather had left
with him. AS will be remembered, II
was on the night Of BullertOn's arrival
at the Cinnabar that had told Daddy
and his daughter who was, and the
subject hadn't been again referred to
by any Of u.s. But now Daddy, having
Overtaken me on one of the trails
above the mine, sat beside me on a
fiat rock and we had it out together.
"You knew who was from the first
I3addy?" asked.
mot right plumb at first, no." he
qualified. "You see, didn't know who
l was looking for. Always reckoned
sOmebody'd be along, I course, but ]
hadn't had any idea who r. when." !,
"I'm afraid I've been pretty sorry
disappointment to you," muttered. II
have no money and / don't know
enough to be any good at the mining
game. And that reminds me: my
grandfather paid you regular salary
for the caretaking, didn't he"
"Uh-huh."
"That has been discontinued since
his death?"
II reckon so."
e II have a little income Of my own
T. not much, but enough for the. way
we're living here. 1t must be under
stood that I share it with you and
+ Jeanne, so long as stay with YOU"
- "Ain't no need o. your doin' that
Stanhle. | got little stake hid out
for pinch"
In all this, you will notice, there
was no word said about Bulerton. VIZ
sat In silence for while, Daddy chew
Ing a spear of grass. After time he
called attention to the envelope which
| still held unopened In my hands.
Don't ye want to know what YOU
gran'paw says?' he asked mildly.
At this slit the end of the envelope
Its contents were deed in fee simpl,
to the Cinnabar and note to me
written In Grandfather Jasper
cramped, old-fashiOned handwriting
In the note he merely said that he wal
leaving me property which had cos
him pretty wen up to half q million
and that he hoped I'd brace up and g,
to work and make something out Of II
adding that IL hadn't been such
hopeless idler all nay life he Nigh
have considered the propriety Of add
Ing an experimental fund to the gift
As It was, must work out my owl
mlvation-if were anxious to posses
} any Of that commodity.
: think II was on the fourth day afte
his arrival that Bullerton cornered m
again and again II was I'm the deserte'
blacksmith shop.
"Well, Broughton," he began abrupt
ly, seating himself once more upo
the empty dynamite boz, "rve give
you plenty Of time to think It ovel
Where do you stand nowf" :
Fright exactly where I did IN tn
beginning" l snapped. II don't war
any observation-disclosures per cent par
nership with you; neither that nor an
other kind" ~
"All right" he rejoined, brusQuely
"ye'll call that phase Of II q back nun
ber and 90 on to something else. +
buy your mine, just as II stands. wats
|. and all-and that's what nobody els
would do, you'd better believe"
'"F0r how much?"
"For fifty thousand dollars-cash.'
"No," grated. ~ don't need a II
lie money that badly"
Fifty thousand isn't a little; at
good, safe, investment interest 1t wi
give you an income Of three thousar
year. And that's more than you'l
getting now out Of what your faith,
left. you"
"You seem to know q good bit abo,
my private AFFAIRS" growled.
."You said a mouthful, then. T.
| made 1t my business to find out abo
| them. There's nothing much to 20
| Broughton, when you come right dow
to brass tacks. You had good educ
ton, but you haven't had get-up-and.g
enough in you to make any use Of Il
l." "The less you dig in my private ca