White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-12-21
Copyright by Hal G. Evarts

in that" he sale. He looked down at
his gun; it swung on his left side In
front, the butt pointing toward the
right. "It's easier to work with 1t
sort of out of the way of my hands"
he explained and smiled.
She found herself liking him, even
in the face of the treachery he had
practiced against her father and was
correspondingly angry, both with her
self and at him. She left him without
word and returned to the house.
He finished putting the shoes on the
colt and as he turned him back into
the corral he observed horseman
jogging up the lane at trail trOt.
He knew the man for Slade, whose
home ranch lay forty miles to the
south and little west, the owner OF
the largest outfit in that end of the
state; man feared by his competi.
tors, quick to resent an insinuatiOn
against his business methods and cap
able Of backing his resentment
Slade dropped from his horse and
accorded Harris only a casual nod as
he headed for the house. He walked
the door of the girls quarters without
the formality of knock, as If ire.
quent visitor and sure of his privi
leges.
"How many times have told you
to knock?" she demanded. THE next
fir,,n oil
come in"
Slade dropped into chair.
II never have knocked-not In
twelve years." he said.
sit was somewhat different when !
was small girl and you were only a
friend of my father" she pointed out.
But now"
but now that I've come to see you
as a woman it's different?" be In
quired. mo reason for that"
She switched the channel of CONVEX.
sation and spoke Of the coming round
up, of the poor condition of range
stock owing to the severity of the
winter; but it was monologue. For
time the man sat and listened, as
If be enjoyed the sound of her voice,
contributing nothing to the converse.
ton himself, then suddenly he stirred
in his chair and waved hand to in.
dictate the unimportance Of the topics.
Eyes, yes; true enough" he inter.
rupted. "But | didn't come to talk
about that When are you coming
home with me, Billie?"
"And you can't come If you insist
on talking about that" she eountered.
"Ill come" he stated. "Tell me
when you're going to move over to
the Circle F."
mot ever" she said. I'D rather
be mans horse than his wife. Men
treat women like little tinsel queens
before, and afterward they answer tt
save cooks wages and drudge theil
lives out feeding bunch Of half
starved hands-or else go to the other
extreme. Wives are either work
horses or pets. was raised like a
boy and want to have say in run.
ming things myself"
SldU6 EOS6 anu luOfGu OV0T W uc1
taking her hands and lifting her
from her chair.
The girl pushed him back with @
hand braced against his chest.
"Stop It'll" she said. "You're get
ting wilder every time you come, bul
you've never paved at me before
won't have peoples hands on me" ane
| she made grimace of distaste.
The man reached out again anC
drew her to him. She wrenched away
and faced Slade.
"That will be the last time you'll dc
that until give the word" she said
II don't want the Circle P-or you
When do I'll let you knowp
He moved toward her again and she
refused to back away from him but
stood with her hands at her sides.
eff you put finger on me it's the
last time you'll visit the Three Bar,
she calmly announced.
(TO BE CONTINUED)