Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-02

want to learn all you'll tell me ABOUT
the West. It's new to me. I'm sur
prised, amazed, sir, 1 may say.
But. Mr.. Bedding. what l want to know
most is about my son. I'm broken in
health. I've worried myself i'll over
him. 1 don't mind telling you, sir, that
we quarreled. He ven away. And
I've come to see 1 didn't know Rich
ard. I was wrong to upbraid him.
For a a we've known nothing of his
doings. and now for almost six months
we've not heard from him at all.
Frankly, Mr.. Bedding. I weakened first,
and I've come to hunt him up. My
fear is that 1 didn't start soon
enough"
Mr.. Gale paused, and the white hand
he raised expressively shook a little.
Bedding was not so thick-witted
where men were concerned. He saw
how the matter lay between Dick Gale
and his father.
swell, Mr.. Gale, sure most young
bucks from the East go to the bad
out here" he said bluntly. "They
blow their money, then go to punch
Ing COWS, ldhC " NhAohJ'
Mr.. Gale lifted haggard eyes,.
'SThen it's cumming around, regular
ramps and to the bad generally"
Relding spread wide his big arms, and
when one of them dropped round Nell,
who sat beside him, she squeezed his
hand tight. "Sure, it's the regular
thing" he concluded, c~heerfully.
= -zAho. fo1+ n ltfIp p1pp 1t MF
Gales distress, and Mrs. Gales
crushed I-told-you-so, woe in no wise
bothered him; but the look in the big,
dark eyes of Dicks sister was too
much for Bedding.
He choked off his characteristic
oath when excited and blurted out,
"Say, but Dick Gale never went to the
hadl Listenl"
Bedding had scarcely started DICK
Gales story when he perceived that
never in his life had he such an abb
sorbed and breathless audience. Pres
emily they were awed, and at the con-
clusion of that story they sat white
faced. still, amazed beyond speech.
Bedding kept back nothing but the
present doubt of Dicks safety.
Mr.. Gale rose unsteadily from his
chair. His frailty was now painfully
manifest.
"Mr. Bedding, do you mean my SON
Richard Gale-has done all that you
told us?" he asked, i~ncredulously.
II sure do" replied Bedding, with
hearty good will.
Martha, do you hear?" Mr.. Gale
turned to question his wife. She could
not answer. Her face had not yet
regained its natural color.
"He faced that bandit and his gang
alone-he fought them?' demanded
Mr.. Gale, his voice stronger.
Bedding nodded with a grin.
Hes a ranger now-riding, fight
ing, sleeping on the sand, preparing
his w food? Mr.. Bedding, you say
Richard works for you. May I ask,
at what salary?"
"He gets forty dollars, board and
outfit" replied Bedding, proudly.
Sporty dollars?" echoed the father.
"By the day or week.
1.-THE month. of course" said Beld-
lux, SOlucN HAT ldhCh oDoNN'
"Forty dollars a month for a young
man who spent FIVE hundred in the
same time when he was at college, and
who ran it into thousands when he
got out !"
Mr.. Gale laughed for the first time.
and it was the laugh of a man VINO
wanted to believe what he heard yet
scarcely dared to do 1t.
"What does he do with so much
money-money earned by peril, toll
sweat, and blood? Forty dollars q
month ~
"He saves it," replied Bedding.
Evidently this was too much for
Dick Gales father, and he gazed at
his wife in sheer speeches. aston1sh-
ment. Dicks sister clapped her hands
like a little child.
Relding saw that the moment was
propitious.
"Sure he saves it. Dicks engaged
to marry Nell here. My s~tepdaughter,
Nell Burton"
"Oh-h, Dad!'' faltered Nell and she
rose, white as her dress.
How strange it was to see Dicks
mother and sister rise, also, and turn
to Nell with dark, proud, searching
v Bedding vaguely realized some
blunder he had made. Nelrs white
appealing face gave him a pang'
What had he done? Surely this fam
lily of Dicks ought to know his rela-
ton to Nell. There was a silence that
positively made Bedding nervous.
! Then Elsie Gale stepped close to
Nell.
Miss Burton, are you really Rich
, ards b~etrothed?"
Nelrs tremulous lips framed an ar
frmative. but never uttered 1t. She
: held out her hand, showing the ring
Dick had given her. Miss Gales
recognition was instant, and her re