Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-03-31

she was out of earshot. "What do you
think, Johnny"
II think" said John Stuart Webster,
slowly, that you're good picker, Bill.
She's my ideal of a fine young woman,
and my advice to you is to marry her.
I'll grub-stake you. Bill, this stiff col
lar is choking me; wish you'd wait
here while go to my room and rustic
up soft one"
In the privacy of his room John
Stuart Webster sat down on his bed
and held his head in his hands, for he
had just received a blow in the solar
pleXus and was still grOggy. Present
ly, however, he pulled himself together
and approaching the mirror looked
long at his weather-beaten counte-
nance.
''Too old" he murmured, "too old to
be dreaming dreams"
He changed to a soft collar, and
when he descended to the patio to join
Billy once more he was, to all outward
appearances, his usual unperturbed
self, for his was one of those rare ma
lures that can derive a certain comfort
from the misery of self-sacritice-and
in that five minutes alone in his room
John Stuart Webster had wrestled
with the tragedy of his life and won.
He had resolved to give Billy the
right of way on the highway to happi-
ness.
In Mr.. Webster's own whimsical
phraseology, his clock had been fixed,
on the instant he recognized in the OBJ
ject of his youthful partners alteration
the same winsome woman he had en-
| thrOned in his own secret castle of
| love. From that precise second Billy's
preserve was as safe from encrOach-
ment by his friend as would be bale
of Confederate currency in an armOr-
steel vault on the three-thousand-foot
! level of water-tilled mine.
John Stuart Webster had unanimously
! resolved upon the course he should have
pursued in the first place. He would
investigate Billy's mining concession
Immediately; provided it should prove
worth WHILE he would finance 1t and
put the property on a paying basis /;
after which he would see to it that
the very best doctors in the city of
! Buenaventura should inform Billy, un-
! officially and in the strictest conf
dence. that if he desired to preserve
the life of SenOr Juan Webstaire be
should forthwith pack that rapidly dis
integrating person off to a more salu-
briOus climate.
Having made his decision, John
! Stuart Webster Immediately took heart
of hope and decided to lead trumps.
Dolores rejoined them for siesta
after luncheon.
Webster leaned over and slapped
Billy Geary's knees affectionately.
"WelI, Bill, you saffron-colored old
wreck, how long do you suppose it
will take for you to pick up enough
strength and courage to do some ac-
tive mining? I'm anxious to get that
property on a paying basis, so l can
get out of the country"
"Why, Johnny" the amazed Billy
declared, 81 thought you would stay
and help run the mine"
Indeed! Well, why do you sup
pose l spent so much time teaching
you how to run a mine, you young
idiot, if not against just such a time
as this? You found this concession
and tied it up I'll finance it and help
you get everything started; but after
that, I'm through, and you can man
age it on salary and name the salary
yourself. You have a greater inter
est in this country than l, William
and so with your kind permission
We'll hike up to that concession to
morrow and give it the dOuble-O
then, if can o. X. the property, Wei
cable for the machinery l ordered just
before l left Denver, and get busy
We ought to have our first cleanup
within ninety days"
"Gosh, but you're in a hurry" Billy
murmured. He disliked exceedingly
the though of having his courtshiI
interrupted on a minutes notice.
"You know me, son. I'm a hustler
| on the JOD, WEBSTER reminded MN
brutally; $50 the sooner you start, the
sooner you can get back and accumu
late more malaria. What accommoda
tions have you up there?"
"NOne Jack"
"Then you had better get some
Billy. l think you told me we have
to take horses at San Miguel dc
Padua to ride in to the mine" Billy
nodded. "Then you had better buy 6
tent and bedding for both of us, shiI
the stuff up to San Miguel de Padua
go up with it and engage horses, q
good cook, and a couple of reliable
mozOs. When you have everything
ready telegraph me and I'll come up
"Why can't ynn come W with me|
Billy demanded
81 ave to see a man, and write
some letters and send a cablegran
and wait for an answer. l may have
to loaf around here for two or three
days. By the way, what did you dc