The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-02-03
CHAPTER TX.
To Fish or Cut Bait.

the sourest crouch can sometimes be
banished by a single word. That word
~"Stannie," YOU know; she had never
called me that before; though her
father had been using the familiar han
die, westcrn-wise, right along, almost
from the day | landed on the Cinnabar
reservation.
Eyes" | said, and jumped up and
went TO her.
Did you ever hear of such a thing
as a bear with a sore head?" she
asked. in the one of "A s~choolma'am
asking the dull boy if he'd even heard
of the letter "A"
"Often,' | admitted.
"Well isn't that the way you've been
acting"
Haven't | some little cauSe?"
Maybe, of course, I'm willing TO
make some allowances. 1t does seem
provoking that your grandfather
should have left things in such Il
dreadful muddle."
How much do YOU know about the
muddleE' l asked.
Il know that old Mr.. Dudley let,
or partly let, a contract for the drain
ing of the mine, to Il man who was
almost a total stranger to him.
saw how it Il 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 it 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, | 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 was
having one until Satan came also"
Meaning Mr.. Bullerton?'
quite so: meaning Mr.. Fullerton,
christened Charles"
Ought ! 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"
We'll, why shouldn't l marry him
if / want to-? Hasn't he plenty of
money? And haven't | told you that
I'd marry for money!"
"Humph :" said /; when YOU talk
that way you are saying out loud just
what Lisette says to 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 Observation-Disclosures"
"No; Bullerton's, of course"
81 don't have TO ask it-yet."
"Not yet, but soon," | grinned. "All
things come TO him-or her-who
have come. IGs cruelty to animals.
After a man has travelled thousands of
miles to sit ut the feet Of the one girl
in the universe, only to find himself
elbOWed by a br0wn-whiskered jet"
Hush" she chided. Cant you
eve" - serious? You are not sitting
at anybody's feet. What are you go
ing TO do about the mine?"
"Bullerton offered to unwater the
Cinnabar if I'd deed him a bit more
than Il half interest-and possibly he'd
still be willing to do that, which would
mean that he'd form Il stock company
and freeze me Il completely when
he got good and ready"
"And what is the other wayY"
"Iie offers to buy the mine outright.
just as it stands, for fifty thousand
dollars"
but your grandfather paid nearly
half Il million for it, didn't he?"
Even so. But, you see, i'm the pres
ent scrap I'm the under dog. The man
you are going to marry has none Of the
nice little scruples in a business trans
action-if you'll permit me to 90 that
far. He even threatens TO turn me
over TO the authorities for stealing
that inspection car and getting it
smashed
ooh, | don't believe he'd do that ="
she deprecated.
1T IL perfectly right and proper
that you shouldn't think so--in the
circumstances. Just the same, you'll
pardon me if say that I'm swearing
continuously and prayerfulIy at the
circumstances"
You don't want me to marry money
and have good clothes and all the other
nice things, and travel and see the
world, and all that"
"No, by Jove! / want you to marry
me-"
Her laugh was just a funny little
gurgle.
"Bluebeard !" she said, just like
that. "And you haven't even killed
Miss Randle yet! Thank you, ever so
much; but | don't want TO be one of
several. Besides, you haven't any
money"
Talk OF impaases and impossible sit
uati0ns! What could a man say, or