White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-07-28
CHAPTER VI-Continued

"Jule, you an Phil wouldn't keep me
outa my share of the property, would
you? That would be low down trick,
JUS because Dad got sore at me an
hadn't time to forget it."
'Phil and 1 haven't talked this over.
We haven't even thought about It,"
She broke into sudden passionate pro-
test. I'D think, Jas, you'd have the
decency to forget it till-for a few
days anyhow"
Easy enough for you to talk" he
grumbled. "Nobody's done you
meanness like they have me-"
well do what's right, Phil and /.
But you can't come here and bully us.
We don't want the McCanns here any
more N you do. We hate it-espe-
cially-"
She bit her lip to keep back sob.
Both the men knew she was thinking
of her father.
'Well, then, why not throw 'em out ?"
Jasper wanted to know
Because we're not savages. Be-
cause one Of 'em is dying-and the
other is his father. Can't you see
Jas? It's not what we want to do, but
what we've got to do"
Folks are liable to do lot Of
talkin'. I'll say that"
"Then they'll have to talk. We
can't help it."
II don't sabe this business, julie" he
told her, narrowed eyes full in hers.
"What's back of it? What game are
you playin'?"
A flush swept the girls cheeks and
died away leaving her white and STILL
She knew what he meant-that this
was a covert insinuation of a love
affair between her and Wilson Nc
Cam. A wave Of nausea engulfed her.
II think you're the most hateful man
I ever knew" she famed, and went out
OF the room on a crescendo Of sobs
Phil missed the point but knew that
his sister thought Jasper had insulted
her. He asked a question bluntly.
"What you drivin' at, anyhow"
Don't you get sore, too, kid" the
older brother answered. II got eyes,
an use 'em. She's mighty high
heeled, julie is. But she can't draw
the wool over my eyes. 1t amt all
Christian kindness that's moving her.
Not on yore sweet life. It's that Wills
Mccain. She's in love with him"
What"
"Sure as you're a foot high. There's
NJ 1N{r hofu
lobo wolf that killed Dad" Jasper
nodded malevolently and triumphantly.
His brother recoiled, hard hit Il
don't believe It,"
you'll see," Jasper promised, wisely.
To those stricken by grief it seems
at first that death has damned the
river Of life and that it's channel must
be forever dry. But 1t is Of the for
tunate essence of our being that life
flows on in spite Of US. The very de
tail of existence so absorbs us that our
sorrow is pushed into the background.
Thus it was with Julia in the days
after her fathers body had been laid
to rest Her time was very fully occu-
pied, for she had inherited the joint
management Of large interests. Jasper
still called the ranch his home appar-
emily, though he was Of no use what
ever in looking after 1t. Julia did not
understand him at all. 1t was not
only that he considered himself i'll
used. There was something on his
mind that made him savage and ir-
ritable. His idea of justice was that
Phil and she should make out a deed
to him Of one-third the property left
by their father and should let him run
the ranch according to his fancy with
out interference.
II he had been at all reasonable
Julia would have been tempted to join
with Phil in acceding to his demand.
But she knew in her heart that II she
gave way 1t would be weakness. In
this Phil concurred. He knew, better
even than Julia, that Jasper had flung
away the reins Of all self-contrOl, that
he was drinking heavily and spending