The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-12-29

claimed; nh be ding-swizzled If l
don't believe you've struck the true
lead, Stannie, my son! If you have,
here's what follers: Charley Butler
tons here to do the dickerin' for that
same old high-bindin' Cinnabar outfit
that did your gran paw up. They sold
for half a million r so and now they're
willin' to buy back for thirty or forty
or fifty thousand. BY Jezebel! l just
knew that s~lick-tOngued rooster was
tryin' to work some skin camel"
"Yet he is going to marry your
daughter" l 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 a morsel O. use
for that cOn-dummed blOwhard. But
just you look at the way things are
stackin' up now! He's snOopin' round
hCI iulSHty near I'LL Lie WuOlC tlIuc
and she hain't never nee give me the
wink to send him a-kitin', like I'm
itchin' tot"
He told me to look. l had beer look
ing until my Eyes ached. The indi-
cations were all one way, tons of
them; with only n little impulsive
kiss to put in the other pan Of the
scala diInt< fnJI nnI1v, nhr,k %ho
kiss; but I did tell him that jeanne
had told me not to sell the Cinnabar.
"SO?" he CONNIE Tted, livening up a
little. THAT brings on more talk.
Reckon you can make out to hang onto
the old cows tail for a spell longer?"
/ took time to consider my answer
tive 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 I 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 Jeanne. II she's 60
ing to marry Fullerton, why, that's a
horse of another color. I'm not enough
of a dOg-in-the-manger to bite her nose
off to spite Bullerton's face"
"Um," was the grunted response.
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 so?-or is it
on'y another one O. his frilly lies?"
/ laughed.
81 wish l knew, Daddy I'd sure tell
you if l would anybody. We were
really engaged-the back-East girl and
/; but / don't think we are now, and
I don't think she thinks so. Anyway,
she called it all off when we found out
or thought we found out-that my
grandfather hadn't left me anything
in his will. She's like jeanne says she
is, you know: she's got to marry
money"
Jus So" he said, with a rather
grim CLINT in the mild blue eyes. "All
the same, If you had the old Cinnabar
in slap-up workin' order, I reckon you'd
have to go back yonder and marry
her, wouldn't YEP
"Td be in honor bound to offer to,
anyway"
"That don't sound much like you was
carin' a whole lot for her" he OBJ
jected gravely.
I despaired in advance of making
him understand the lack Of sentiment
In the case or the viewpoint from
which any such condition could be con-
sidered as a human possibility. He
was much too supplemented. SO l
got rid Of the Lisette obstacle, or got
around it, as best I could.
"She has been free for several weeks,
now in all probability she is wearing
But about the Cinnabar: assuming
that my string of guesses is hitched
up to the true state of affairs. what
would you advise me to do? Shall
/ hang on-with no prospect. that I
q see, Of getting anywhere 90 NY
W hook? Or shall l sell out to Bull
lertOn and thus let your daughter in
for a wife's share of a possible for
tuner"
"GOsh-all-hemlOck !" he sputtered,
"when you line it up hathaway, 1
reckon l amt the nan to tell you what
to do" Then, as upon a second and
belated thought: "Jeanie says for you
not to sell If she said that to me, I'd
hang on till the cows come home. I
would so !"
1 got up and knocked the ashes from
my pipe.
"And that, Daddy, is precisely what
I'm going to do" 1 said and the say
Ing Of it ended the conference In the
abandoned tunnel Of the Little jean
ie."
(To be continued)