The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-12-14


them amused Twenty-Five cents
| bird-to mlllionaires And having t.
be coddled into good temper befors
they'd attend to what was their OWL
business
1t was, Joe decided afterwards, q
matter OF pure chance that tipped the
beam. He had. instinctively, turned
away from the banker in that first mo-
ment Of evaporation. and what came
under his eye was a framed chalk
drawing hanging alone on the wall. a
portrait by Heleu of a young girl Joe
didn't really look at II until the finan-
cier, giancing round to learn why he
didn't answer, saw where his gaze
was fixed
That's my daughter" he said.
They tell me 1t Isn't as good, artis-
tically, as another he did of her. bnt
1t looks like her, all right. 1t did,
anyhow, two years ago when II was
done"
II was beautiful, Joe thought, and
he said so, his mood and intent chang
ing with the suddenness of an alternat-
ing current as he spoke. When Beat
rice came Che felt sure she would
come. although he'd heard nothing as
yet. either from her or from the law
yer), he'd have man as good as that
do picture of her. And this girl on
the wall was the one he'd picked out
to be his girls friend. A charming
young thing she was. too, though a bit
disconcerting, somehow. And he, with
that ID temper Of his, had been
on the point of wrecking the whole
plan. just when Williamson was max
ing his first really friendly advances.
Cor 1t hadn't escaped Joe's attention
that the banker had never. up to now,
asked him TO his house. They'd |
lunched together two or three times |
at clubs and restaurants) After all, |
he'd gone into the china-shop Of his |
own free Will. hadn't he? Then why |
should he act like bull?
He walked over to Williamson, hold
ing out his hand. You're right all the
way through" he said. "I'll try to
slow down and take 1t bit easier.
And I'll be glad to come up Sunday
The direct business result of the
Sunday morning trap-shooting was
negligible. 1t was forestalled, indeed
by an action of Jennie MacArthur's.
As soon as Williamson telephoned that
Corbett & Co. would go ahead with
he execution of the order, she wrote
Gregory an adroit letter which she
persuaded Joe to sign. 1t had the
ook of proffered compromise, since
t pointed out that the need for the I
more complicated machinery, for the
processing of the flax after ii had ;
zen retted, was much less urgent +
han for the unloading. crushing and :
onveying machinery. which II they
7ere to avoid heavy losses must be .
eady when the flax was. 1t was writ !,
IN In a perfect imitation of Joe's best :,
elm, offhand, vigorous shot with a r
lean of good-humored extravaganza.
You're wonder. Jennie" Joe said
S he read It. Il swear I'll never do :
again" Write a letter behind her =
ack, he meant. He had made that .
romise before, as her smile reminded
i'm. Il mean IT this Time" he as a
'rteu, as De signed the letter.
II brought an immediate response %
ON Corbett. little stiff In It's phrase u
ogy-for he had no such executive "
hcer as Jennie at his right hand az
II satisfactory In purport. The re- "
living machinery. at least, would be ia
ady as soon as the fax was. ="
Consequently, when the two men ak
IT In John Williamson's gun-room, a Gu
ere word or two In addition to a ha
ltually amiable greeting was all the DIT
siness needed. Further than that
ey were never likely to go. "a
But II the direct result OF that Sun no
y morning excursion was unimpor- no
1t, its by-products were not. John We
lliamson In his gun-room was, 1t is 20
rdly too much to say. revelation to pr
,. Joe began to perceive that VIII wa
mson here in his place-hls fortress, pls
you like--was different man;
endlier, perhaps. on the surface no
t was just hospitality-but under da,
18th more arrogant. And. perhaps, Tho
The question rang In hir
Is mind like tap on big bell. He ore
T~itu IL Win q grin. All the Det- iJil
II the stall-fed could show a little mil
der blood than he had credited ait
m with. cat
orbett. who came walking across ney
lawn to the gun-room door just a S
ut then, had new look about him, +
Joe had never seen him before obj
ept In business clothes. He was less
ssed now in knickerbockers. sport and
I, and sleeveless shooting-vest, | wa:
and the sight of his neck bris
forearms gave Joe something more pro
think about. He wasn't used to hon
ing TO concede an unquestionable and
steal superiority to those in whose her
pany he found himself He'd often s
light Of Gregory as some one out beer
whom 1t would be fun to take a she
Here was a misconception thor som
lly corrected. The mans strength 10 (
evidently prodigious. the