The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-02-10

nave SHUT inc llllle GOWN 10 wait untll
| could hear the whistle of TIL. locomo-
tive.
This conclusion led promptly and
logically TO another. Surprising, ut the
moment when | had decided upon the
shutdown, some doddering Old gentle
man had come along and offered to
buy the mine? Add, as a corollary,
the supposition that the water problem
was daily growing more insiStent, with
the ultimate threat Of food. AS an or
binary, garden-variety mining shark,
what would | 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 it doped out" l
told Daddy at the end of the cogitating
pause; and then | passed the infer
ences along to him. The immediate
effect was to evoke q couple OF his
quaint substitutes for profanity.
Observation-Disclosures =" he ex-
claimed I'll be ding-SwiZzled if !
don't believe you've struck the true
lead, Stannie, my son! If YOU have,
here's what folders: Charley Buller-
tons here to do the dickerin' for that
same Old ~high-bindin' Cinnahar outfit
that did your gran'paw up. They sold
for half a million + so and now they're
Willin' to buy back for thirty or forty
or fifty thousand. BY JezebeI! l just
knew that siici-tongued rooster was
tryin' to work some skin gamew
"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 Il
tight boot, Stanmie," 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 b%lOwhard. But
just YOU look at the way things are
stackin' up nOw! He's Sn0Opin' round
her mighty near all the whole time
and she hain't never once give me the
wink to send him a-kitin', like Tn
| itchin' tor
He told me to lock. 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.
SOP he commented, %livcning 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
1--WE been wondering If, all things
given their due footing, it were worth
while to hang on, Daddy. AS matters
stand now, Fullerton is stuck unless
I sell out TO him. IL ! 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. II she's 60
ing to marry Bullerton, why, that's a
horse OF another color. I'm not enough
Of a dOg-in-the-manger TO bite her nose
of to spite Bullerton's face"
"Um," was the grunted response.
Then, with n side swipe that I wasn't
looking for: Charley Bullerton's been
hintin' round that you're tied up with
4 girl back East. Is that so?-Or Is 1t
on'y another n O. his frilly liesT
laughed.
Il wish knew, Daddy I'd sure tell
you II l would anybody. We were
really engaged-the back-East girl and
/: hut ] don't think we are now, and
/ 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
i'm 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, II you had the old Cinnabar
in slap-up workin' order, l reckon you'd
have to 60 back yonder and marry
her, wouldn't ye?"
I'D be In honor bound to offer to,
anyway"
THAT don't sound much like you was
carin' a whole lot for her" he OBJ
5ected 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 q human possibility. He
was much too simple-hearted. SO
got rid Of the Lisette obstacle, or got
around II, as best I could.
"She has been free for several weeks,
now in all probability she Is wearing
some other fellows ring by this time.
But about the Cinnabar: assuming
that my string Of guesses Is hltched
u D to the true state Of affairs, what
would you advise mi to do? Shall
I hang on-with no prospect. that
can see, OF getting anywhere on my
own hook? Or shall ! sell out to Bull