The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-01-25

cier, glancing round to learn why he
didn't answer, saw where his gaze
was fixed.
That's my daughter" he said
They tell me it isn't as good, arts
tically, as another he did of her, but
II looks like her, all right. 1t did
anyhow. two years ago when 1t was
done"
1t 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 oul
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
MS iio iCohy 1liCnuiy
(For II hadn't escaped Joe's attention
that the banker had never, up to now,
asked him to his house. They'd
1unched 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 a 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
morning"
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
the execution of the order, she wrote
Gregory an adroit letter which she
persuaded Joe to sign. 1t had the
look of a proffered compromise, since
it pointed out that the need for the
more complicated machinery, for the
processing of the fax after it had
been retted, was much less urgent
than for the unloading, crushing and
conveying machinery, which if they
were to avoid heavy losses must be
ready when the flax was. 1t was writ
ten in a perfect imitation of Joe's best
vein, offhand, vigorous, shot with a
CLEAN of good-humored extravaganza.
you're wonder, Jennie" Joe said
as he read it. 81 swear I'll never do
it again." Write a letter behind her
back, he meant. He had made that
promise before, as her smile reminded
him. Il mean it this time," he as
serted. as he signed the letter.
1t brought an immediate response
from Corbett, little stiff in its phrase
ology-for he had no such executive
officer as Jennie at his right hand
but satisfactory in purport. The re-
ceiving machinery, at least, would be
ready as soon as the fax was.
Consequently, when the two men
met in John Williamson's gun-room, a
mere word or two in addition to a
mutually amiable greeting was all the
business needed. Further than that
they were never likely to go.
But If the direct result of that Sun
day morning excursion was unimpor-
tant, its by-products were not. John
Williamson in his gun-room was, it is
hardly too much to say, a revelation to
Joe. Joe began to perceive that Will
hanson here in his place-his fortress,
If you like-was a different man;
friendlier, perhaps, on the surface
that was just hospitality-but under
meath more arrogant. And, perhaps,
formidable? The question rang in
Joe's mind like tap on a big bell. He
answered it with grin. All the bet
ter If the stall-fed could show little
redder blood than he had credited
them with.
Corbett. who came walking across
the lawn to the gun-room door just
about then, had a new look about him,
too. Joe had never seen him before
except in business clothes He was
dressed now in knickerbockers, sport
shirt, ana a sleeveless shooting-vest,
unbuttoned, and the sight of his neck
and forearms gave Joe something more
to think about He wasn't used to
having to concede an unquestionable
physical superiority to those in whose
company he found himself. He'd often
thought of Gregory as some one out
of whom 1t would be fun to take a
fall. Here was misconception thor
oughly corrected. The mans strength
was evidently prodigious.
Joe said as he shook hands with him,
I'D never have written that letter If
I'd seen you first with your coat off. !"
II might have kept my shirt on,
though" Corbett replied, and blinked
as if in surprise at the unforeseen wit
ticism. He added, seriously and lit
tie stiffiy. his appreciation of Joe's
second letter, and said he didn't be
lieve there'd be anything more to com.
plain of in Corbett & Co.'S execution
of the order. Business wasn't men,
toned again all the morning.
AT the traps he watched derisively
while Williamson scored twenty-five
hits out of twenty-five chances, and
Corbett twenty-four. It.was almost too
absurd, he thought. to be credible. You
stood at known range, eighteen
yards. You held your gun at your
shoulder You said ~PulI rs RI fhn
keeper, or whatever they called him
He pulled, and the Swimming target
flew off at one of three predetermined
angles. in rotationl And you blazed
away at it with a shell containing two
ounces of bird-shot! His own failure