Arizona state miner., 1926-09-04
BY j. ALLAN DUNN
Author of "A MAN TO HIS MATE"
''RIMROCK TRAIL"
g BY Dodd, Mead Co.
WNU Service

Thank you, I shall be glad to con-
slider it, he said finally. 'Do you wish
immediate acceptance?"
Make up your mind before the first
of the month";
There were sixteen days between
then and the first of the next month.
Time enough, Caleb thought, to do
something with his theory, prove or
discard it.
They walked up together to the Al
TRUSTS. Caleb thought that Baxter
might be there. Instead, there was
a message to call up the apartment
house.
Want to see you, Cal" said Bax-
ter. "If you haven't anything on that's
important come for a spin with me.
l know little roadhouse over the San
Mateo line where we can get some
good chow"
AS they motored Baxter commented
on Cox's attitude.
"You don't owe me anything" he
said. "Get that out Of your head, for
it is exactly what Cox meant to put
into it. About the Beaver Lake Job,
Cox is one Of those divided interests
that have come together. Each side
owned rights they wouldn't sell. 1 got
to know about it over a real estate
deal Of my OWn-that didn't come off.
Can't you see that it will be to Cox's
advantage to have a man up there Of
his own choosing, on whose reports he
can absolutely rely? That's why he's
been nice to you-nothing much out
of the way, at that. It's what you'd
call using the personal element, l sup
pose."
Caleb was convinced that Baxter
had something on his mind concerning
his own affairs but he did not refer
to them until the excellent lunch was
finished.
'Im in mess, CAL" he said when
the waiter was tipped and dismissed.
Anything 1 can do, Ted?"
81 don't know. l want to talk it
over It's a girl"
The statement was almost unnec-
essary to Caleb but he said nothing.
'"The peach is turning out to be
citron. She's nice enough and good
sport and l believe she's fond of me.
She says she is," he went on moodily.
"And I've got to take her word for it.
She wants me to marry her. And l
can't. 1 won't Whether it's the
square thing to do or not. 1t wouldn't
be the square thing. We'd be fight
ing In a month. We're miles apart in
most things. You know, CAL"
"She thinks you have to marry
her?"
$50 she says. I can't disprove it.
I'm not saying she lies. 1 might buy
her off. 1 haven't got the money. She
won't listen to reason-about the
kid"
ut seems to me that's up to her.
How long have you known her, Ted"
Little over two months. Her pic
ture's on my bureau. In one Of the
silver frames. Just put it there Oh.
HI" He threw away his unsmoked
cigar.
what do you want me to do? See
her? L"
"No, that wouldn't do any good But
we had bit of a row. / suppose I
didn't take the news gracefully. She
swears 1 don't love her. Perhaps she
doesn't altogether believe that-but
she might. It's the truth, when you
come right down to brass tacks.
suppose I'm mucker but l honestly
believe I'd be a worse one if I mar
ried her"
"Well?"
"She talked about going away-till
it was over with. She's a crackeriack
of a stenographer She can earn her
own living anywhere when she's not
handicapped. think could fix things
so she would go, if 1 could raise the
money to look out for her while she
goes through with the thing. She's
set to do that" he added gloomily.
Tried to reason with her but il was
no go.
'It would take a couple Of thou
sand dollars" he went on, talking
more rapidly. 1--WE got a deal on.
I've got some parties who want to buy
land for a little colony. A bona-fide
proposition and I'm handling it di-
rect. l should make at least twenty
thousand out of the deal. It's ripe.
Got to come off pretty soon. But, I'm
stumped as usual. You know that.
What the mater sends just sees me
through. / may have to raise some
for an option. Could you let me have
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