The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-10-13

put the pTOpOslllOu up u YOU the way
! ii looks to me-"
! Bromfield's eyebrows lifted. His
! face asked with supercilious polite
ness what the devil business it was Of
Lindsay's.
MIR. Whitford has put in twenty
years of his life building up the Bird
Cage into good property. It's a
| One-man mine. He made it out of a
hole in the ground, developed 1t, ex-
| banded it, gave it market value. He's
always protected the stockholders and
| played the game square with them.
| Don't 1t look like he ought TO stay In
control of it?'
Did he send you here to tell me
that?"
NO, he didn't. But he's gettin'
! along in years, Bromfeld. 1t don't
look hardly right to me for you to
step in and throw him out. What do
/ you think about it, yourself?"
The clubman flushed with anger. Il
think that it's id impertinent of you
TO come here meddling in my business.
l might have expected it. You've al
ways been an impertinent meddler."
''Mebbeso," agreed Clay serenely,
showing no surprise at this explosion.
But I'm here. And 1 put a question.
Shall / ask it again?"
mo need. I'm going to take what
the law allows me-what / and my
friends have bought and paid for in
the open market. The more it hurts
Whitford the better I'll be pleased"
answered Bromfield, his manner of
cynical Indifference swept away by
gathering rage. The interference of
this "bounder" filled him with a pas
sion of impotent hate.
us that quite correct? Did you
buy control in the market? In point
of fact, aren't you hOldin' a bunch
! of proxies because Whitford wrote
and asked the stockholders TO sign
| them for you to vote? What you in
| tend doing is a moral fraud, no mat
ter what it's legal aspect is. You'd
be swindling the very stockholders
you claim to represent, as well as
abusing the confidence of Whitford."
what you think isn't of the least
Importance to me, Mr. Lindsay. If
you're here merely to offer me your
advice, / suppose l shall now have
regretfully to say good-day." The
| New Yorker rose, a thin lip smile
scarcely yelling his anger at this in
truder who had brought his hopes to
nothing.
Il reckon I'll not hurry off, Mr..
Bromield." Clay replied easily. "You
might think 1 was mad at you. I'll
stick around awhile and talk this
| over"
Unfortunately 1 have an engage
ment," retorted the other Jelly.
"When?"
81 really think, Mr.. Lindsay, that is
my business"
I'm maxim it mine" said Clay
CURLY.
Bromfield stared. Il beg your par
don?'
II said it was mine too. You see l
bought a coupla shares of Bird Cage
stock yesterday. I'd hate TO see Whit
ford busted from control. I've got
confidence in him."
Its your privilege to vote that
stock this afternoon. At least it
would be if it had been transferred
to you on the books I'll vote my
stock according to my own views"
81 wonder" murmured Clay aloud.
whats that?" snapped Bromfield.
81 was just figurin' on what would
1 ho cyio nd A.,+
tend that annual meeting this after
noon," drawled the westerner Il
reckon mebbe some of the Stockhold-
ers you've got lined up would break
away and join Whitford."
| The New Yorker felt a vague alarm.
What idea did this fellow have in the
back of his head. Did he intend to
do bodily violence TO him? Without
any delay Bromfield reached for the
| telephone.
The large brown hand of the west
erner closed over his.
| I'm talkin' to you, Mr.. Bromfeld.
It's not polite for you TO start 'phon-
| ing, not even TO the police, whilst
we're still engaged in conversation"
Don't you try to interfere with me-"
said the man who paid the telephone
| bill. "Pll not submit to such an in
dignity"
I'm not the only one that inter-
feres. You fixed up quite an entertain
ment for me the other night, didn't
you? Wouldn't you kinda call that
| interferin' some? sure ought TO comb
yore hair for it,"
Bromtield made hasty decision to
| get out He started for the door.
| Clay travelled in that direction too
They arrived simultaneously. Claren-
don backed away. The Arizonan
locked the door and pocketed the key.
His host grew weakly violent. From
! Whitford he had heard a story about
| two men in a locked room that did
| not reassure him now. One of the
men had been this cattleman. The
other-well, he had suffered. Let me
QUIT I'll not stand thisl You can't
| bully mei' he cried shrilly.
Don't pull yore picket-pin, Brom-
field" advised Lindsay. 1--WE elected
myself boss of the rodeo. What l say
goes. You'll save yorese'f heap of
worry if you make up yore mind to
that right away"
what do you want? What are you
trying to do? I'm not a barroom
brawler like Durand. / don't intend
to fight with you"
you've ce'tainiy relieved my mind"
murmured Clay iazily. whats yore
own notion of what | ought TO do TO