The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-09-06

"a See" Said Gramont With Harsh I'M
pulse. "What Do You Get Out
Of III"
to answer them with blow. Gramont,
aware of his mistake, FASTENED to re-
tract it.
"Forgive me, Fell" he said, quickly.
"That was> an unjust insinuation, and
1 know it. Yet, 1 can't find myself In
agreement with you. I'm firmly set IN
the belief that fortune in oil will be
made of that land of Lucie's. sim
DIV can't agree to sell out for COM
parative pittance, and I'll fight to per-
suade her against doing it! AS l look,
at it, the thing would not be just to
her. I'm thinking, as you are, only
Of her interest" =.
A light of sardonic mockery gilt
tered in the pale eyes Of joachim Fell.
You are basing your firm convic-
tion," he queried, Every largely upon
your discovery Of the free oil2"
ITO a large extent, yes"
Il thought you would" and Fell
laughed harshly.
"What do you mean?"
II mean," said the other, fierceiy
earnest, "that for a month I've worked
to sell that land! i had young Mall
lard hooked and landed-it would have
been poetic justice to make him hand
over a small fortune to Lucie! But
that deal Is off, since he's in Jail. And
Hv-hy
wanted to buy the land? For the same
reason you don't want to sell. sent
him out there and he saw that oil
seepage, as l meant that he should !!
He thought he would skin Lucie out
of her land, not dreaming that had
prepared a nice little trap to swal-
low him. And now you come along
"Man, what are you driving at?' ex-
claimed Gramont. He was startled by
what he read in the other mans face.
Merely that planted that oil seep-
age myself-or had it done by men 1
could trust" 7said joachim Fell, calmly.
He sat back in lis chair and took up
his cigar with an air Of tlnality. 1.-THE
confession Is shameless. love Lucie
more than my own ethical purity. Be-
sides, intend to wrong no one in the
matter"
Gramont sat stunned beyond words.
The oil seepage-a plant.
There was no reason to doubt what
Fell said. Gramont believed the little
man sincere in his love for Lucie.
mo matter what the outcome, your
reputation will not be affected" said
Fell, quietly. 1.-THE company which
will buy this land of Lucie's Is con-
trolled by me. You understand? Even
If no oil is ever found there. I shall
see to it that you will not be injured
because of that signed statement"
Gramont nodded ins:dull comprehen-
sion. He realized that Fell had de-
.vised this whole business scheme with
Internal ingenuity had devised 1t in
order to take a hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars out of his own pocket and
4gpnt it into that of Lucie. 1t was a
4 present which the girl would never &C.
::seept as gift, but which, if it came
in the way of business, would make
ii her financlally4 sindependent. Nobody
% would. be defrauded. There was no
chicanery about 1T The thing was
straight enough. ~s...aL
! :. 'That's not quite all Of my plan"
pursued Fell, as though reading Ora
4 mont's unuttered thoughts. "The min
& ute this news becomes public, the min
. ute your statement is published, there
will be a tremendous boom in that
: whole section. shall take charge Of
Lucie's money. and within three weeks
should double it, treble it, for her.
Before the boom bursts she will be out
Of it all. and wealthy. Now, my dear