The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-08-26
CHAPTER VI-Continued

julie, you an Phil wouldn't keep me
outa my share Of the property, would
you? That would be q low-down trick.
jus because Dad got sore al me an
hadn't time TO forget it"
Phil and | 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 il till-for a few
days anyhow"
Easy enough for you 10 talk" he
grumbled. "Nobody's done you d
meanness like they have me-"
Wen 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-
ciauy-"
She bit her lip to keep back a sob.
Both the men knew she was thinking
OF her father.
Well then. why not throw EN- out?"
Jasper wanted TO know.
Because we're rot savages. Be-
cause one OF EN- is dying-and the
other is mis- father Can't you see,
Jas? Its not what We want 10 do, but
what we've got to do"
Folks are liable TO do a lot of
talkin I'll say that"
Then they'll have to talk. We
can't help il"
Il don't Sabe this business, julie" he
told her, narrowed eyes full in hers.
whats back OF it? What game are
you playing"
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. wave OF nausea engulfed her.
II think you're the most hateful man
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. 100. Kid" the
older brother answered. II got eyes.
an use EN-. She's mighty high
heeled julie is. But she can't draw
the wool over my eyes. II amt all
Christian kindness that's moving her
Not on yore sweet life It's that wills
Mccain. She's in love with him"
"WhatI"
Sure as you're a foot high. There's
somethin doin' between her an thar
lobo wolf that killed Dad" Jasper
nodded malevolently and triumphantly.
His brother recoiled. hard hit. II
don't believe IT."
-Youn see" Jasper promised. wisely.
To those stricken by grief ii seems
AT first that death has damned the
river of life and that its channel must
be forever dry. But ii 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 il was with Julia in the days
after her fathers body had been laid
10 rest Fer 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 it Julia did not
understand him ar all II was not
only that he considered himself ILL.,
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
70 him Of one-third the property left
~ hasr 60 ~
the ranch according to his fancy with
out interference.
II he had been ar all reasonable
Julia would have been tempted to join
with Phil in acceding TO his demand.
But she knew in her heart that IL she
gave way ii would be weakness In
this Fhil concurred He knew, better
even than Julia, that Jasper had flung
away the reins of all self-confrol, that
he was drinking heavily and spending
his time with worse than worthless
characters In Mesa was Mexican
fendejon that had become a sink of
iniquity where the scum of humanity
gathered II was known as Pedro's
place. Here Jasper went every morn
ing and remained most of the day.
Wilson Mccain and his father were
still AT the Stark ranch Slowly, inch
BY inch. the young man was beating
back the tide thai had almost enguifed
him. His strength began TO renew
itself He was so nearly out of danger
that the question of moving him be
came imminent Neither PHI nor Julia