The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-10-10

S<'Au SAiOA n.y. oASNA VI a A1SthusS
Sanford and himself.
Bow, wow" retorted Judith, look
up from Trevors' table. "On your
high horse, are you? All right. stay
there. What l want is some informa-
ton. How long have you been on the
Blue Lake pay roll?"
"A little over six months" he an
Swered cOlorlessly.
"Over six months?" A quick look
of interest came into her eyes. Tire
vors hired you? Or dad?"
Your father"
"Then"-and a sudden, swift smile
came for the first time that morning
into the girls eyes-"youre square !!
Thank God for one man to be sure
Of
She had risen with a quick impetu-
oSity AMI put out her hand. Lee took
it into his own, and felt it shut hard,
like mans.
"Just how do you know I'm
square?" he asked slowly.
Dad was human" she replied
softly. "He made some mistakes. But
he never made mistake in a horse
foreman yet. He has said to me a
dozen times: Judy, watch the way a
man treats his horse if you want to
size him up! And never put your
horses into the care of a man who
isn't white, clean through Dad knew,
Bud Lee!"
Lee made no answer. For a little.
Judith, back at the long table and
looking strangely small in the big,
bare room before this massive piece
of furniture, stared into vacancy with
reminiscent eyes. Then, with a little
shrug of her shoulders, she turned
again to the tall foreman.
''Why did you tell TrevOrs this
morning that you were going to quit
work." she asked with abrupt direct
peSS.
Because" he answered, and by
now his flush had subsidized and his
grave good-humor had come back to
him with his customary serenity. ~
felt like moving on" ~
Because" she insisted, you knew
that there was some dirty work afoot
and did not care to be messed up in
IT."
Now here, most positively, Bud Lee
said within himself, was a person to
reckon with. How did she know all
that? What business did a kid like
this have of knowing so blamed much ?
you've got your rope on the right
pair of horns" he said after his brief
pause.
How did you know that Trevors
was working the dOuble-cross on this
deal?" she demanded.
Il didn't know" he said stiff1y. 81
just guessed. The same as you. He
was spending too much money; he
was getting too little to show for 1t !;
he was selling too much stock too
cheap"
What's the matter with your
cried the girl, surprising him with the
heat of her words and the sudden
darkening of her eyes. why dc you
insist on being so downright stand
Offish and stiff and alOof? What have
1 done to you that you can't be de-
cent? Here 1 am only putting foot
on my land and you make me feel
like an intruder"
IL am answering your questions"
Like a half-animated trained ice
berg, yes. Can't you act like a hui
man being? Oh, I've got your mum.
Der, Bud Lee, and you are just as
narrow between the horns as the
rest of the outfit. You are narrow
and prejudiced and blindly unreason-
able, l know as much about ranch
ing as any of you; l know more about
this outfit because the best man that
ever set foot on it, and that's Luke
Sanford, taught me every crook and
bend of it; and now, just because I'm
a girl and not boy, you stand off like
l had the smallpox; just when I need
loyalty and understanding and when,
the Lord knows, I've already got a
double handful of trouble, can't
count for Il minute on men that have
been taking my pay for months, Get
some of the mildew and cobwebs out
of your head and tell me this: What
reason in the world is there why you
choose to think haven't any business
wearing my own shoes?"
That's sure putting it straight"
said Lee slowly.
You just bet it's putting 1t
straight" she announced vigorously
And you'll find that it's a way nave,
putting things straight. l was trained
to the business by better man than
you'll ever be, Bud Lee"
Maybe So" he admitted without
neat. 'I'E take off my hat to Luke
Sanford for man. And I'll take
off my hat to you, if you want to
know. But. training or no training,
this is no job for lady, and shoot
ing up Trevors and riding the Prince
isn't going to make it So"
what you're looking for" shifted
Judith contemptuously, "is a female
being extinct this one hundred years
You'd have every girl wear tails to
her gowns, and duck and dodge be-
hind fans and faint every time she
jabbed her thumb with PIN"
Il can't see that woman's place
is riding bucking broncos and ramp
sing around. -
"A woman's place!" she s:offed.
Her place where blunder-headed
man puts herl How do you know
where her place isl How would you