The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-09-26

the job I've got in my hands? You
know that the ranch Is million
dollar outfit; you know that you car
ride fifteen miles without getting of
the home-range; you know that we
are doing dozen different kinds OF
farming and stock-raising. But you
don't kno,' just how short the money
is! There's that young idiot now
Hampton. He holds third interest
and I've got to consider what he says
even If he Is a weak-minded, inbred
pup that can't do anything but spend
an inheritance like the born fool he
Is. His share Is mortgagedi I've tried
to pay the mortgage off. I've got to
keep the interest up. Interest alone
amounts to three thousand dollars q
year. Think of that! Then there's
Luke Sanford dead and his one-third
interest left to another young fool, a
girl! Every two weeks she's writing
for report, eternally butting in
making suggestions, hampering me
until I'm sick of the job"
| "That would be Luke's girl, JUDITH
| "Yes. Two of the three owners
kids, writing me at every turn. And
the third owner, Timothy Gray, the
only sensible one of the lot, has just
up and sold out his share, and sup
pose I'll be hearing next that some
superannuated female in an old lady's
home has inherited a fortune and
| bought him out. And now you, the
best man I've got, throw me down y
81 don't see," said Lee slowly, after
brief pause, lust what good it does
to sell good string of horses like they
were sheep. Half of that herd is real
horse-1esh, / tell you"
"Well," snapped Trevors, suppose
you are right. I've got to raise three
thousand dollars in a hurry. Where
will / get it?"
'Who is offering fifty dollars a head
for those horses?" asked Lee abruptly.
at might be the Big Western Lumber
company?
"Yes."
"Uh-huh. Well, you can kill the
rats in your own barn, Trevors. I'll
go look for job somewhere else"
Bayne Trevors, his lips tightly COM
pressed, his eyes steady, a faint, angry
flush in his cheeks, checked what
words were flowing to his tongue and
looked keenly at his foreman. Lee
met his regard with cool uncon-
Germ. Then, just as Trevors was about
to speak, there came an interruption.
The quiet of the morning was
broken by the quick thud of a horses
shod hoofs on the hard ground of the
courtyard Bud Lee in the doorway
turned to see a strange horse drawn
up so that upon its four punched
hoofs it slid to a standstill; saw a
slender figure, which in the early
light he mistook for boy, slip out
of a saddle And then, suddenly, a
girl, the spurs of her little riding-boots
making jingling music on the veranda,
her riding-quirt swinging from her
wrist, had stepped by him and was
looking with bright, swapping eyes
from him to Trevors.
81 am Judith Sanford" she an
nounced briefly, and there was a note
| in her young voice which went ring
ing, bell-like, through the still air. us
one of you. men Bayne Trevors"
A quick. shadowy smile came and
went upon the lips of Bud Lee 1t
struck him that she might have said
| in lust that way: II am the queen Of
England and l am running my own
kingdOm!" He looked at her with eyes
| filed with open interest and curiosity,
making swift appraisal of the flush in
the sun-browred cheeks, the confusion
of dark, curling hair disturbed by her
furious riding. the vivid, red-blOoded
beauty of her. Mouth and eyes and
the very carriage of the dark head
upon her superb white throat an
nounced boldly and triumphantly hat
here was no wax-petaled lily Of lady
but rather a maid whose blood, like
the blood Of the father before her, was
turbulent and hot and mist boil like
wild mountain-stream at opposition.
Her eyes, little darker than Ire
vors', were the eyes Of fighting stock.
Trevors, irritated already, turned
hard eyes1up at her from under cor
rugated brows. He did not move in
his chair Nor did Lee stir except that
now he removed his hat.
81 IN Trevors," said the general
manager CURLY. 'And, whether you
are Judith Sanford or the queen of
Siam, / am busy right now"
"You talk soft with me, Trevors !"
cried the girl passionatel.-, "if you
want to hold your job five minutes !!