The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-02-09

That answer came pat, also.
should have taken the old gentlen,an's
money, trusting to the rising flood to
make him sick of his bargain in Cue
course of time and thus willing to sell
out for anything he could get.
Il believe l have it doped out" I
told Daddy at the end OF the cogitating
pause; and then l passed the infer
ences along to him. The immediate
effect was to evoke a couple Of his
quaint substitutes for profanity.
Observation-Disclosures! he ex-
claimed; "Tu be ding-swizzled IL l
don't believe you've struck the true
lead, Stannie, my son! If you have,
here's what folders: 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! / just
knew that slick-tongued rooster was
tryin' to work some skin game!"
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
her mighty near all the whole time
and she hain't never once give me the
wink to send him a-kitin', like I'm
itchin' to"
lie told me to look. l 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. l didn't tell Daddy about the
kiss; but I did tell him that Jeanne
had told me not to sell the Cinnabar.
so? he commented, livening up a
little. THAT brings on more talk.
Reckon you a make out to hang onto
the old cows tail for a spell longer?''
[ took time to consider my answer.
"Tve 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
| 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. If 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
d 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 il
only another one O. his frilly lies?"
laughed.
Il wish I knew, Daddy I'd sure tell
you If I 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. 1 reckon you'd
have to go back yonder and marry
her, wouldn't We"
"T'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
jected gravely.
I despaired in advance of makins
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. FL,
was much too Supplemented. So
got rid of the Lisette obstacle, or 60
around it, as best I could.
"She has been free for several weeks
now; in all probability she Is wearin,
some other fellows ring by this time
But about the Cinnabar: assumin;
that my string of guesses is hitche,
up to the true state of affairs, wha
would you advise me to do? Shall
hang on-with no prospect, that
!, can see, of getting anywhere on m.
own hook? o: shall I sell out to Bull
Ierton and thus let your daughter IL
/ for a wife's share Of a possible for
tuner"
II "Gosh-aIl -hemlOck !" he sputtered
"when you line 1T up ~that-away,
reckon | amt the man to tell you wha'
!, to do" Then, as upon a second ant
belated thought: "Jeanie says for 20,
not to sell Ii she said that to me, IL
hang on till the ows come home.
would s !" -
1 got up and knocked the ashes from
my pipe.
"And that, Daddy, is precisely what
I'm going to do" I said ; and the say
Ing OF It ended the conference IN thu
abandoned tunnel Of tile Little Jean
ie." s@ II
"a ~ ~ 81 LE%USTAE4Lg a. re- Al