The Winslow mail., 1923-09-21

Meager's nurse, you said? Pretty soft
job, isn't it? l don't believe there will
be any necessity for her having a
nurse very long What's your name%
Deborah Meredith"
He laughed, showing a row of cruel
white teeth
Sounds like a story book; where
did the old man pick you up?"
MY home is in Chicago"
"Wen, he certainly showed gooo
taste, I'll say that for him. You are
some good-looker, Deborah Meredith.
I'm ID if 1 don't rather like your
style"
He stared at her insolently his
glance appraising form and features
much as he might take in the points
of some animal he contemplated pur-
chasing. The girls face flushed in
dignantly, but her eyes never fell.
"You sure do look good to me-" he
announced finally, "and 1 don't believe
I'll fire you-not yet, anyhow"
'It will not be at all necessary" she
said quietly II shall attend to that
for myself"
''You mean you will quit?"
II certainly shall"
ooh, HI! 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 wish to or not?" she
asked in surprise. "Why, that cannot
be done; 1 am not a slave"
"It can't hey? Do you know where
you are?"
"Certainly I do"
'By Cd, 1 doubt It, 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
| 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
there1l be Mex in their places. 1
know how to handle Mex; they'll do
what l say-you bet they will. SO
Miss Deborah Meredith, how is it
you're going to quit before ever l say
you can? Aim to hoOf it across the
alkali to Nogales? Ten miles o. that
stuff would break your heart. You
better think it 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 a giant of a man,
but it 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.
81 prefer" she said quietly, mot to
discuss the matter now. Surely this
was not why you came in here?
81 sure like your nerve, little girl"
he admitted admiringly. mo, 1 didn't
come exactly for that, but whatever
brought me I've changed my mind.
w Z IL ICl IlIlIlSS go Ou just as IIlSy are
at present, I reckon. But don't you
ever imagine 1 am playing with you
law don't count for much out here,
sister, an what l say goes.''
She watched him as he turned and
went out the door, her hands clenched,
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" wearily. "Tom
never explained anything to me, but
"''+ am afraid of Bob Meager. Don't