Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-03-07

shot rose and moved toward the sum-
mons to feed.
LETS go eat 1t up" Evans said and
left the bunk house with Harris.
"Did you gather all the information
you was prospecting for?" he asked.
Harris nodded. II sorted out one
mans number" he said.
"NOw If you'd only whispered to-
me I'd have told you right off," Evans
said. "It's astonishing how easy 1t
is to pick them If you try"
All through the meal the gigantic
cook lowered near Billie Warren as
she sat near one end Of the long
table. It was evident to Harris that
the big man was self-appointed guar
dian and counsellor of the Three Bar
boss. He showed the same fussy
solicitude for her welfare that hen
would show for her helpless clicks.
"Praise the grub and have friend
at court" Harris murmured in Evans
ear.
Billie Warren had nearly completed
her meal before the men came in.
She left the table and went to her
own room. When Harris rose to go
he slapped the big man on the back.
I'D work for half pay where you
get grub like this" he said. "That's
what I'd call q real feed"
Waddles beamed and followed him
to the door.
"It's fact that l can set out the
best bait you ever throwed lip over"
he confessed. you're a man Of ex-
cellent tastes and it's a real pleasure
to have you about"
Billie Warren opened the door and
mOtiOned to Harris. He went into the
big front room that answered for both
living room and sleeping quarters. In
dian blankets partitioned off one end
for the girls sleeping room.
"You had something to tell me-" she
observed, after he had remained 81
lent for the space of minute, sitting
in the chair she had indicated and
gazing into the fire.
'And I'll have to start it little diff
ferent from the way l first counted
on" he said. "Have any of the boys
mentioned my name to your
81, shook her head and waited for
him to go on.
You won't care much to hear It,"
he announced. "I'd thought some of
spending two years here under some
other name-but perhaps it's better
to come out in the open-don't you
think?"
The girl had Strengthened In her
chair and was leaning toward him, her
face white and her gray eyes boring
straight into the mans. She knew
now who he was-the man she had
more reason to despise than all others
on earth combined Of the Harris
family she knew nothing at all except
that her fathers lifelong regret had
tween himself and his oldest friend,
William Harris, had never been
brought to pass. And this regret had,
in the end, led him to try and cement
that arrangement In the second gen.
Grafton. Five years before his trail
had crossed that of the elder Harris
for the first time since he had taken
over the Three Bar brand; and when
his will had been read she had known
that on the occasion of that visit his
old friend had played upon this SEN
timent to trick him into making 1t.
On oil 81 % ho hol
that men were wolves who preyed
upon the interests of others, and
there was not doubt that the IA
ther of the man before her had preyed
upon her interests through the senti-
ment of her parent; no other possible
theory could, account for the strange
disposal of his property, the will
dated and signed at the exact time
of his visit to the HAIRLESS.
The tenseness of her pose was re
placed by lethargic Indifference and
she relaxed into her chair.
1--WE known all the time you would
come" she said.
Its too bad, Billie" he said. Its
tough having me wished on to you this
way"
Don't play that game with me"
she fiared. "Of course you've dis.
proved every drop of human decency
in advance"
st sure looms up like that on the
surface be admitted ruefully. But
l didn't have hand In cinching you
this way"
"You could have proved that by
staying away. wrote you year
ago that I'd donate you half-inter-
est in the Three Bar at the expiration
of the time IL you'd only keep off the
place. But at the last moment you
couldn't resist having it all. Ten more
days and you'd have been too late"
The man nodded slowly.
TOO late" he agreed and sat look
ing into the fire.
She had been almost son to her
father, had ridden the range with him,
managed the Three Bar during his
sickness; and such was her loyalty
to his memory that not trace of her
bitterness had been directed toward
her parent. He had loved the Three