Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-29
FLOWING GOLD
BY REX BEACH
CHAPTER VIII

| play game OF make-Del1eVe with miss
Good for she rigidly held him to his prom
| Use, and however adroitly he undertook to
ascertain who what she was, she foiled
! him.
The luncheon went off gaily enough, then
| Gray was again banshed with instructions
| to return at closing time.
But disappointment awaited Calvin
| Gray when, late that afternoon, he returned
| to the store, Miss Good was gone. At first
he refused to believe Ma Briskows state
ment, but it was true; she had disappeared
| as quietly and unobtruS1vely as she had
appeared, and, what was more annoying, she
had left no word whatever for him.
| Where is Allie?" Gray inquired.
Lord knows! She's som'eres around
bein' worked over by couple Of women
Gettn' her hair washed an her finger nails
cured an l dunno what not. Mercy mel
The things Miss Good had 'em do to her!
An the money we've spent! Allies gone
| hog wild"
Gray pretended to listen as the good
woman babbled on, but he was thinking
about the girl who had disappeared
So engrossed he in his thoughts
| that he did not notice Allegheny Briskow
until she stood close beside him. Then, in
| deed, he experienced shock, for it was diff
ficult to recognize in this handsome, mod
ish young the awkward, addressed
country girl he had seen at noon. Allie was
| positively stunning. She was completely
| transformed from the soles of her well-shod
feet to the tip of her French coiffure and
what was more astonishing, she had lost
much of her self-conscousness and carried
herself with naive grace that became her
well.
"Why, Allie!" Gray exclaimed. you're
wonderful! Let me see you" He stood off
and gazed at her while she revolved before
him.
"sakes alive! Who'd ever s'pose you'd
Lao NJ i1yo hiatt
1t was on the second day thereafter that
Gus Briskow appeared at the hotel. He
came Unexpectedly, and he still wore his
rough ranch clothes. After an hour or
more spent with his wife and daughter he
went down to Gray's room and thanked him
for the assistance he had rendered the two
women.
Followed a few moments of desultory
conversation, then he put abrupt ques-
tion MIR. Gray, you're a rich man, amt
your"
Gam so considered"
"Um-m! Dunno's I'm glad or sorry"
''Indeed! What difference can it make
to you?"
"A lot It's like this: my boy Buddy
has took turribe shine to you, an he can
talk about nothin' else. was sort of
hopin'-"
"Yes?"
'Budd's isnerunt. He'd ought to go to
school, but he says he's too big, an he'd
have to set with lot of little children. Him
an Allies alike, that way-it r'ars EN- up
on their hind feet to be laughed at"
Get tutor for Them
"a WHAT" When Gray had explained
the meaning of the word, Mr. Briskow's face
cleared. That's what 1 fingered on, but I
didn't know what you called EN- That's why
I'm sorry you so well off: Y see I'd of
paid you anything-Id doubled whatever
you're gettin'-" The speaker raised a
hopeful gaze; he paused as if to make sure
that his bearer was beyond temptation. 81
thought mebbe him and you'd like to travel
sOme-go to furrin places-see the hull
world. l kin afford it."
1t was in voice graver than usual that
the younger man spoke "Briskow, you're
sensible enough to understand plain talk
I'm not fit to teach Buddy what he|
ought to know. In fact, I'm about the worst
person you could select"
The father sighed. II s'pose you know.
but Well, I'm disap'inted. But it wasn't
hully on that account come to Dallas. Ma
told me the telephone how nice you
been an what you done for her m Allie so
[ says to myself Ille square things by giyin'
him a chance to make some money
!, Gray stirred slightly in his chair and re-
garded the speaker more keenly.
when oil come in at Ranger, nobody
thought it would get out our way, but Ma
had dream-lot of dreams-about oil on
our farm, so I got an outfit to come there
an drill. Folks thought we was crazy and
we didn't expect they'd find much, our
selves-a few bar'l day would of looked big
but I allus had ambitions to be good an
rich, 1 got options on quite bit of acre
age. 1t didn't take no money at the time,
cause land was what people had most of.
Along with the rest, there's a hundred an
sixty right next to ours-hill stuff that
wouldn't feed a goat It's with a lot of
money now but the options most run out"
when does it eXpire?"
Saturday"
"That's tomorrow"
Gus Briskow nodded. "It's cheap at a
hundred"
'Of course you'll take it."
Nope"
"Why not?"
For one thing, got lot of other land
Just good an mebbe better, an I been
takin' it up out of the royalties that come in
We got enough money in sight to do
us, but I promised Ma to play safe, an
we can't take everything. You kin have
that option, Mister Gray, for nothin You
kin sell the lease inside of week an make
fifty thousand dollars, you kin hold it an
make mebbe million. All it'll cost you is
thirty-two thousand dollars. I don't make a
cent out of it,
Gray nodded and smiled queerly as he
thanked the hester, then from his pockets
he removed several crumpled wads of cur
rency and a handful of silver. These he
counted before saying: What capital have
is entirely liQuid-it's all in cash. There is
eighty-seven dollars and fortv-three cents
1t is every dollar in the world that I pos
sess."
"Huh?" Gus Brskow's bright eyes search
ed the smiling cOuntenance before him.
You're jokin'. I thought you said you was
III