The Dolores star., 1924-02-01

/ catching stall-fed fish. shooting clay
birds. Pretended gambling to keep
them amused! Twenty-Five cents a
/ bird-to milllonaires And having to
| be coddled Into good temper before
| they'd attend TO what was their own
! business
II was. Joe decided afterwards, a
matter OF pure chance that tipped the
/ beam. He had. lnstinctively. turned
| away from the banker in that first mo
ment OF eSaSperation. and what came
/ under his eye was framed chalk
| drawing hanging alone on the wall. a
| portrait by Helleu of young girl. Joe
| didn't really look at IL until the finan-
clcr, 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 rs good. artis
| tically, as another he did Of her bTt
/ II looks like her. all right. II did
| anyhow, two years ago when it was
I 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 ss
vet. either from her or from the law
yer), he'd have a man as good as that
| do picture of her. And this girl on
! the wall was the one he'd picked out
to be his girls friend. charming
I,n
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
Ing his first really friendly advances.
tFor 1t hadn't escaped Joe's attention
that the banker had never. up TO now,
asked him to his house. They'd
lunched together two or three times
ut clubs and restaurants.) After all,
he'd gone into the chlna-slop of his
own free Will, hadn't he? Then why
should lie act like bull?
He walked over TO Williamson, hold
ing out his hand. you're right all the
way through" he said "Ill try to
slow down and take IT bit easier.
And I'll be glad to come up Sunday
morning."
The direct business result of the
Sunday morning trap-shootIng was
negligible. II was forestalled, Indeed.
by an action or Jennie MacArthur's.
AS soon as Williamson telephoned that
Corbett 4 Co. would 20 ahead with
the execution of the order, she wrote
Gregory an adroit letter which she
persuaded Joe to sign. 1t had the
look of proffered compromise, since
ii pointed out that the need for the
more complicated machinery, for the
processing Of the flax after it had
been retted, was much less urgent
than for the unloading, crushing and
conveying machinery, which II the,
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
CLEAN Of good-humOred extravaganza.
You're wonder. Jennie" Joe said
rs he read il. Il swear III 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.
II brought an immediate response
from Corbett. a little stiff in its phrase.
ology-fOr lie had no such executive
officer as Jennie at his right hand
but satisfactory in purport. The re-
ceivinS machinery. at least, would he
ready as soon as the flax was.
t'nnEppnnnftV t-hnn l,a
met in John WilliamsOn'S gun-room, a
mere word or two in addition 20
mutually amiable greeting was al the
business needed. Further than that
they were never likely to 20.
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. revelation to
Joe. Joe began to perceive that Will
hanson here in his place-his fortress,
If you like-was different mpn;
friendlier. perhaps. on the surface
that was just hOspitality-but under.
meath more arrogant. And. perhaps.
formidable? The question rang in
.Ioe's mind like a tap on a big bell He
answered it with grin. All the bet
ter If the stall-fed could show a 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 new look about him.
too. Joe had never seen him before
except in business clothes. He was
dressed now in knickerbockers, "A sport
shirt. and n sleeveless shoOting-vest.
unDuttoned, and the sight Of his neck
and forearms gave Joe something more
to think about. He wasn't used to
having to concede an unquestiunable
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
fall. Here was a miscOnception thor
OuRhly corrected The mans strength