The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-12-19

| that In his 0ufSpoken aQmlrauOh Vi
things rough and manly and primal
there were certain lasting qualities.
Whereas formerly his being thrown
/ from a spirited mount was almost a
daily occurrence, now he rode rather
well. With tanned face and hard
hands. he was, as Carson put it, grow
| ing up
He came to Judith one day serious
faced, thoughtful-eyed.
Look here, Judith" he began alb
ruptly, I'm no outsider just looking
on at this game You're the chief
owner and the boss and I'm not kick
| ing at that any longer. Your dad
raised you TO this sort of thing and
you have way of getting by with it
But, on the other hand, I'm part own
er and you've got to consider me-"
Judith smiled at him.
what now, Pollock" she asked.
you're the boss" he repeated
stoutly But I've got right TO be
next in authority. Under you, you
know. Why, by cripes, l go around
| feeling as If had to take orders from
Carson or Trip or any other of the
! foremen!"
by cripes' is good!" laughed
Judith. go ahead"
That's ALL" he insisted. "You can
| tell them. when you get chance, that
I am your little old right-hand man.
| Suppose" he suggested vaguely, that
you left the ranch day or so. Or
even longer, some time. There's got
TO be some one here who is the head
when there is need for it,
Judith mirthfully acquiesced. Hamp-
toms interest was sufficiently he-vy
for him to be entitled to ONE con-
sideradon. Besides, she had come to
experience a liking for the boy and
had seen in him the change for the
better which his new life was work
\ ing in him. Further, she meant to
make it her business that she did not
! leave the ranch for a day or so, or
an hour or so, when she should be
there Consequently, within week
Pollock Hampton was known humor-
ously from one end to the other of
the big ranch as the Foreman-at-
Large.
Marcia Langworthy, visiting in
southern California. wrote brief, sun
ny notes to Hampton, intricate let
tiers TO Judith. The mystery of Bud
Lee of which she had had a glimpse
when the artist, Dick Farris. and Lee
recognized each other as old friends
had piqued her curiosity in a way
| which allowed that young daughter of
Eve no rest until she had made her
| own Investigations She wrote at
| length of Lee How he had been quite
! the rage, my dear. Oh, tremendous
| ly rich. with great ranch in the
| South. a wonderful adobe hacienda. of
the old Spanish days, where, like a
young king, he had entertained Law
ishIy. How, believing in his friends,
he had lost everything. then had
dropped out of the world, content
equally to allow that world to believe
him soldering in France or dead in
the trenches and to take his wage as :
common laborer. Wasn't it too ro-
| mantle for anything?
In due course, following -p her let
| tiers, Marcia herself came back TO the
Blue Lake ranch, Judith's guest now.
The major and Mrs. Langworthy were
visiting in the East-it seemed that
they always visited somewhere-and
Marcia would stay at the ranch In
| definitely. Hampton drove into Rocky
Bend for her and held the girls
breathless admiration all the way
home, handling the reins of his young
team in thoroughly reckless. shivery
manner.
Isn't he splendid?- cried Marcia
when she slipped away with Judith to
her room
Under the bright approval of Mar
cia's eyes Hampton flushed with pleas
ure. Could Mrs Langworthy have
seen them together she would have
nudged the major and whispered in
/ his ear
/ During the two months after the
dance. Bud Lee and Judith had seen
virtually nothing of each other. When
brought them for few minutes into
each others society there was a
marked constraint upon them Never
| had the man lost the stinging sense
/ of his offense against her; never had
Judith condeseended to be anything
but cool and brief with him. While
no open reference was made to what
was past, still the memory of Ii must
lie in each heart, and though Lee held
| his eyes level with hers and drank
deep of the warm loveliness of her, he
told himself angrily that he was be-
meath her contempt. The chivalry
within him, so great and essential a
part of the mans nature. was a
wounded thing. hurt by his own act.
The old feeling of camaraderie which
bad sprung up between them at times
was gone now; they could no longer
be ''pardners" as they had been that
night in the old cabin
| He told himself CURLY that he did
not regret that; that now it was in
eyitable that they should be less than
strangers since they could not be more
than friends. That the girl was ready
10 forgive him, that she had never
been as harsh with him as he was
himself. that there was a golden, de
licious possibility that she should feel
as he did-so mad an idea had not
come to Bud Lee, horse foreman
A few days after Marcia's arrival
there came to the ranch letter which
was addressed:
Pollock Hampton, ESQ.,
.sGeneaI Manager.