The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-12-16
CHAPTER TX.
To Fish or Cut Bait.

"Stannie," you know; she had neve
called me that before; though he
father had been using the familiar han
die, western-wise, right along. almos
from the day landed on the Cinnaba
reservation.
Yes" l said. and jumped up ant
went to her.
did you ever hear of such thing
as a bear with a sore head" she
asked, in the tone of schoolma'an
asking the dull boy If he'd ever heard
of the letter "a"
"Often," l admitted.
well, isn't that the way you've been
acting?"
Haven't l some little causer
Maybe, of course, I'm willing to
make some allowances. 1t does seem
provoking that your grandfather
| should have left things In such a
dreadful muddle."
How much do you know about the
muddlef" l asked.
81 know that old Mr.. Dudley let,
or partly let, contract for the drain
ing of the mine, to man who was
almost total stranger to him."
saw how it was. Fullerton, always
reader to talk than a stuck pig is to
bleed, had been giving her his own
version of things. But let that part
of 1t go.
Grandfather Jasper was laboring
for the good of my soul. He knew his
medium as the artists say. He
wanted TO make me work-something
that nobody else has ever been able
to do"
Don't you like to work."
"Why-e-e, l guess I'm like other folk
in that respect. / don't mind working
if can pick my job-and my COM
pany. I've been having a bully good
time hammering around this old bunch
of junk with your father. Or 1 was
having one until Satan came also"
Meaning Mr.. Bullerton?"
"Quite so; meaning Mr.. Fullerton,
Charles"
fought l to stay here and listen if
you're going to say things about him?"
''Not if you are going to marry him,
you shouldn't"
'Well, why shouldn't l marry him
if l want TO? Hasn't he plenty of |
And haven't 1 told you that
I'd marry for money!"
''Humph! !" said l. when you talk
that way you are saying out loud just
what Lisette says 10 herself-only you
don't mean it and she does. But tell
me how did you get permission to
come over here and talk with me?'
"Whose permission-Daddy
mo; Bullerton's, of course"
81 don't have to ask it-yet."
Not yet, but soon," l grinned. "AIl
Kings come 10 him-or her-who
waits. Just the same, you shouldn't
After a man has travelled thousands of
niles to sit at the feet of the one girl
n the universe, only to find himself
'lbowed by brown-whiskered jeet-"
"Hushi" she chlded. Cant you
'ver be serious? You are not sitting
It anybody's feet. What are you 60
ng to do about the mine?
"Bullerton offered to unwater the
'innabar If I'd deed him a bit more
han half interest-and possibly he'd
till be willing to do that, which would
lean that he'd form a stock company
nd freeze me out completely when
e got good and ready"
"And what Is the other way?
"He offers to buy the mine outright.
lst as it stands, for fifty thousand
ollars."
"But your grandfather paid nearly
alf million for it, didn't hep"
Even so. But. you see, in the pres
Mt scrap I'm the under dog. The man ,
on are going TO marry has none of the ,
ice little scruples In a business trans
you'll permit me to go that
If. He even threatens to turn me
yer to the authorities for stealing !
lat inspection car and getting 1t ,
mashed"
"Oh. / don't believe he'd do thatl" I
lie deprecated. !
ut is perfectly right and proper {
ut you shouldn't think so-ln the
Just the same, you'll Q
lrdon me if | say that I'm swearing n
and prayerfully at the
O
You don't want me to marry money
ID have good clothes and all the other k
&c things, and travel and see the II
,rld. and all that?" c
mo, by Joyel l want you to marry S
>" K
Her laugh was just a funny little
rgle d
"Bluebeard she said. just like II
1t. And you haven't even killed Il
IS Randle yet Thank you, ever so
lch but l don't want to be one Of te
re- al. Besides. you haven't any e.
ney" OF
ralk Of impasses and impossible sit "
tons. What could man say, or b,
pc to say, TO such girl as that
Did you come over here just to an
ment me?r / rasped. 10