The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-08-08
BY Randall Parrish

announced finally, land l don't believe
I'll fire you-not yet, anyhow"
ut will not be at all necessary" she
said quietly. 81 shall attend to that
for myself"
you mean you will quit?"
81 certainly shall"
"Oh, h-ll Spunky little tigress
amt you? I reckon I'll have some
thing to say about that"
you mean you will compel me to
remain whether I wish to or not?' she
asked in surprise. "Why, that cannot
be done; l am not a slave"
at can't hey? Do you know where
you areT
Certainly I do"
"By Cd, 1 doubt 1t. This is the
Meager ranch In Arizona. There amt
another outfit within fifty miles, and
nothing else round us but desert
there amt no water and no grass
I'm a-runnin' things here, and you bet
1 know how to run them. You get
me? I'm the boss; before another
weeks out every white man on this
ranch will be hunting a job, and
therell be Mex In their places.
know how to handle Mex; they'll dc
what 1 say-you bet they will. Sc
Miss Deborah Meredith, how is ii
you're going to quit before ever I say
you can? Aim to hoof it across the
alkali to Nogales? Ten miles O. that
stuff would break your heart. You
better think 1t over"
She saw him clearly in the light OF
the window, and, in spite of her nat
ural courage, the girls heart sank.
Was there any act of brutality the
man would be incapable of? He was
big, burly, with broad shoulders and
a deep chest, almost giant Of a man.
but 1t was the face which bespoke
his character. Brute was written
plainly all over it, seemingly i'm
printed on every feature, yet at the
moment she did not fear him; in
stinctively she felt the coward skulk-
ing back of his brutishness.
Il prefer" she said quietly, mot to
discuss the matter now. Surely this
was not why you came In hereT
II sure like your nerve, little girl, ~
he admitted admiringly. mo, didn't
come exactly for that, but whatever
brought me I've changed my mind.
Well let things go on Just as they are
at present, 1 reckon. But don't you
ever imagine 1 am playing with you ;
law don't count for much out here,
sister, an what 1 say goes"
She watched him as he turned and
went out the door, her hands clenched,
a wave of intense hatred surging over
her. Yet in another moment she had
conquered herself, and moved quietly
back to the side of the bed on which
her patient lay sobbing. She bent
above the distressed woman.
"He is worse even than 1 thought"
she said, unable wholly to hide her
distress. "What caused him to come
in here, do you suppose"
HE came to send me away" an
swered the other clasping the girls
hands. 81 knew it would not be long
he has disliked me always"
"Send you away Why, you were
his fathers wife. Even if there was
no will you must have dover rights
in the estate. Surely, that is the law"
IL do not know" YEARLY. tom
never explained anything to me, but
but 1 am afraid of Bob Meager. Don't
cross him; don't anger him. He is
dangerous, and l am afraid of him, for
your sake as well as my own"
"What do you want me to do?" the
girl questioned Influenced by the
timidity of the other. Let that beast
have his own way with me?"
MONO. not that. But-but treat
him fairly, Miss Meredith. He will
not always be as he is today. AS he
said, you cannot fight or run away.
All depends on winning his favor.
Then sometime there will be chance.
We must wait and watch, until he is
in a mood to let us both go. But
even if there was a way for you to
escape alone, you could not leave me
here in his power"
"You fear him like that?"
"If 1 stand between the man and
this fortune his father left, my life
is worth nothing-I know that"
And Deborah Meredith, looking
down into the white face lying on the
pillow, made her choice.