Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-01-30

rank place like this, after the floods
must be full OF them. But I've
got to thank you. Mr.. Sayce."
He laughed. 1.-The beauty Of a small
town like this Is that n knows every
body by name. at least"
And by sight" she smiled. She was
thinking that his quiet well bred, rather
shy voice carried out the distinction
she had noted in his face. I've seen
you about a great deal. I
was wondering what you were doing in
a one horse place like this"
I'm beginning to wonder myself"
he smiled. In fact the moment you
called l was sitting on this bench won
dering If 1T was not time I stopped
making q fool Of myself and started In
on real work."
Are you looking for work?" she said.
MY father. She blushed
a little. She had already been guilty
OF thinking that it would be very at
~tractive il this stranger became the
mayodomo her brother was In Santa
Orca TO find.
Yes" he answered, and not I'M
eagerly.
Yes, I'm looking for work from this
moment on. UP to now I've been look
ing for a dream.
That sounds enigmatical," she said.
What do you mean, a dream?"
Some n whose existence in Santa
Orca was a myth" he said. He looked
at her quickly. Your father has been
in this district for twenty-six years,
they tell me, Miss Leicester. Does he
have you ever heard of people called
the Wilds, the Henry Wilds?"
She thought. mo. I've never heard
the name. Were you looking for them?
Are they friends?"
II don't know them" he said. Il
had word they were here five or six
years ago. I've got a message for
them"
II don't remember any such people
five or six years ago." she said. but
what you say sounds vague
1T is vague" he laughed a little
bitterly. I'm the vaguest idiot in two
hemispheres. If you realize what I
am, a little city clerk chasing a will
o~'-the-wisp."
He told her enough to show how he,
a clerk, had thrown up everything in
} order to follow a rumor, and what he
had gone through for his folly. He
told it in a spirit of ironic mOckery,
but she listened with parted lips and
her eyes grew rounder and rounder as
he told his hard story, and at the
end
But, I've never heard anything like
it," she breathed. you are rather
wonderful, Mr.. Sayce. Tt
!; throw up everything to carry this mes
sage you mention to unknown people
|, Why, it's-it's fine!"
: "Fine!" he cried. I've wasted my
life for a dream"
; Not wasted" she cried. 1T cam
: be that" She blushed. There mus
be something waiting at the end.
And-and look here, Mr. Sayce, m.
: brother came to Santa Orca to find
mayodomo. He hasn't found one.
!. If you I mean it would be some
!, thing to do while you look around.
His lips Strengthened. He'd forge
his folly. He'd begin again.
!. Leicester engaged him on trial. Tha
= was surprising, for Owen felt that tn
: youngster did not like him. The feel
ing baff1ed him and half inclined hir
: to decline, but he in his turn SCENE
swayed by something outside himself
= Valentin was not there; he heard sh
: had gone up-river to the estate. ]
y was because he wanted to see her agai
: that he accepted the post, though b
:. felt more like punching the stiff youn
!. cubs head.
y Two days later they went up to tn
y estate. Jim Leicester still maintaine
: his curious attitude. He was chill,
y aloof, even hostile, unless he was ask
: ing questions, impairment question
y Fortunately the river journey was nc
: long, for even the desire to see Valen
tin would not have prevented a quar-
: rel. AS it was, he landed at the Lei
. cester's estirao feeling very much q
y odds with the world and ready to fgt
: at the slightest excuse.
= And his reception was CHASTITY. II
: was uShered into a long, comfOrtabl
u room, in which an oldish man an
:. woman and Valentin sat. Valenti
y started up at the sight Of him, locke
y at him in a queer way, frightened, dis
Il gusted, incredulous in one. 80. H
= couldn't understand it. But he 500
{ did. Jim Leicester pushed him fol-
? ward and snapped: This is the chal
u father. This is the bounder who
. been nosing round Santa Orca, as Va,
entin told you"
To Ovens establishment Jim shut tn
y door, locked it, and stood with his bac
e to it, hand on pistol. The old man ha
y risen grimly and faced him with a BIZ
ter look on his face. The woman ha
Ie risen and caught Valentin's arm
y though to lead her out of the
E. another door. The old nan sa
l. harshly:
le mo, stay, my dears. Better leal
sc what it means to face blackmailir
1t brutes-and how to tackle them"
q. "Blackmailing!" Owen was amaze
Y as we'll as angry.
Eyes, Matchmaking" said the old ma
&c in a grim voice. II am the Hen
ID Wild you looked for. Now what ha'
4. YOU to say to me?"
to owen Sayce sat down in a chair ar
began to laugh. He laughed with 6
W unrestraint and yet a bitterness tn
1T startled them. He jeered at them.
r And putting two and two togeth
II YOU thought you'd trap me here as
d. blackmailerl A blackmaile
ut I thought myself many things, from
It. fool to a hero, but blackmailer-
t; wasn't brainy enough to think of tina,
p what are you then, if you are n
lie that, said the old man. "You wi
t. seek me out in my hiding"
owen Sayce suddenly sobered.
IN heard the agony of a lifetime in tn