The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-11-28
By JACKSON GREGORY
Copyright BY Charles scribner's sonr

was extended, little more than dou-
bled. Plans were made for an abLn-
dance of dry fodder to be fed with the
lush silage during the coming 4
months Bud Lee broke his string of
horses and, with Tommy Burkitt and
one other dependable man, began per-
fecting their education, with an eye
! turned toward profitable sale in jan
uary.
Quinnion, perforce. was left undis-
turbed upon the sheep-ranch, whittier
Emmett Sawyer had followed him.
Against Bud Lees word that he had
had hand In the trouble at the old
cabin were the combined oaths of two
Of the sheepmen that he had been with
them at the time.
Hampton's guests, who had planned
for month at the ranch, stayed IL.
But they would be leaving at the end
of June. That Is, Farris and Rogers
positively; the Langworthys, perhaps.
The major was content here, and to
stay always and always, would be an
unbounded jOy-of course, with little
runs to the city for the opera season
and for shopping trips. and great,
jolly house-party now and then.
The only fly in Marcia's ointment was
Hampton himself She confessed as
much to Judith. She liked him, oh,
ever so much But was that love? She
yearned fer man who would thrill
her through and throug-i, and Hamp-
ton didn't always do that. Just after
his heroic capture Of the terrible
Shorty, Marcia was thrilled to her
hearts content. But there were other
days when Hampton was just Pollock
Hampton. If it could only be arranged
so that she could stay on and on, with
no day of reckoning to come. no matri-
monial ventures on the horizon !.
That's simple, my DEAR" Judith
smiled at her. when you get through
being Pollock Hampton's guest, you
can be mine for while"
Hampton was now great puzzle to
Mrs. Langworthy, and even an object
of her secret displeasure. Not that
that displeasure ever went to the limit
of changing Mrs. Langworthy's plans.
But she longed for the right to talk to
him as a mother should. For, seeking
to emulate those whom he so unstint-
eddy admired, Bud Lee and Carson
and the rest of the hard-handed, quick
eyed men in the service of the ranch,
Hampton was no longer the careless.
frankly inefficient youth who had es-
corted his guests here. He went for
days at time unshaven, having other
matters to think of; he came to the
table bringing with him the aroma of
the stables. He also wore pair of
trousers as cylindrical In the leg as
stovepipe; over them he wore pair
of cheap blue overalls, with the proper
six-inch turn-up at the bottom to show
the stovepipe trousers underneath.
The overalls got soiled, then dirty,
then disgracefully blotched with
wagon grease and picturesque stains,
and Hampton made no apologies for
them.
Twice he left the ranch. once to be
gone overnight, intending that II
should be a mystery where he went.
But, since he rode the north trail
which led to the Western Lumber
camp, no one doubted that he had
gone to see Bayne Trevors, in whom
he still stoutly believed.
Between the 18th and the memoir
able Both of June, Bud Lee saw little
of Judith Sanford. She was here,
there, everywhere; busy, preOccupied.
Marcia he talked with twice; once
when they rode together while Hamp-
ton, racing recSlessly down a rocky
slope for shot at deer got fall, a
sore shoulder and made his debut in
certain new swear-words; once when
all of the guests, with the exception
of Farris, who was painting the por
trait Of the stallion, Nightshade, and
the major, who had "letters to write"
came out to watch the horse-breaking.
This time, introduced TO Mrs. Lang
worthy, Lee got for his bow remark
ably cold stare. Others might forget,
here in the open, the distinction be-
tween people of the better class and
their servants-not Mrs. Langworthy,
IL you please.
Having created his imaginary wom-
an. Lee was ripe to fall In love with
her when she came. He had thrilled
to the touch Of Judith's hand that
night In the cabin his thoughts, many
and many day, centered about the
superbly alive beauty that was Ju-
dith's. The fact disturbed him vague
". The thought that he was very
deeply interested in her In the good
old way between man and maid, never
entered his stubborn head. She was
as far removed from his ideal woman
as the furthermost star in the infinite
armament. Perhaps 1t was this very
disquiet within him, caused by Judith,
which now turned his thoughts to
Marcia.
That's the sort of woman he told
himself stoutly. "a mans woman !;
his other self, not just pardner; the
necessary other side of him. not just
the same side In different way"
Marcia had little, feminine ways of
helplessness which turned fiatteringly
to the strength of the other sex. Ju-
dith asked no man to aid her in mount
ing her horse; Marcia coquettishly
slipped a daintily slippered foot into
mans palm. rising because Of his
strength.
| Now, when his thoughts went to Ju-
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