The Coolidge examiner., 1933-01-13
CHAPTER iV-Continued

"You two will now have n delight
ful secret together. You will have
a community interest-my abject,
hopeless self. While this mythical
deal is on. not word of love to Ro-
berta. There must be no sentiment
In this business. or you'll spoil
everything.
"Well, i'm the fullness of time
when the market breaks-as you
and | know blamed well it will-you
make the mythical cleanup. hand
me back the deed to Hillcrest and
a fake check for my winnings-or
rather. let Roberta do 1t. so she'll
feel that the credit for the coup is
all hers-remind me of my word of
honor TO quit stock gambling. shake
hands all around. bid Roberta
somewhat suppressed good-by and
announce you are Off for trip
around the world. TO be gone for
year. And at that moment. old son.
IL you play your cards with the skill
and judgment which a lawyer of
your proved ability should. Roberta
will go with you or I'm fit for an
insane asylum"
I'm not so certain your plan will
work out as perfectly as you appear
TO think. Mr.. Latham" Hackett re-
piled doubtfully.
'0f course il will. Why not? Ro
berta will be serious now. No more
flirting. no more attempting to work
her wiles on you to see you squirm
and satiate her with a sense of her
power over you. She'll begin 10
study you then. to appreciate the
fact that you have qualities she
must respect: she'll feel grateful
to you. but owing to the fact that
she secured your loan the obliga-
tion will he more mine than hers.
No love. Business. Then love will
bob up of its own accord"
Glenn Hackett looked genuinely
distressed. Crooked Bill rambled
on: IL want Roberta TO 70 to Tex
as to look after that estate She
has a jolt coming TO her when she
gets there. and I'm the little boy
that knows 1t. Twenty-Five years
ago | was in the cattle business
myself. in Las Cruces county. Tex
as. ! owned the Rancho Verdugo
and sold out to a chap named Bill
Hobart. | know this Higuenes fam
fly. don't know Don Jaime Miguel
Higuenes. but did know his IA
ther. and a grand piece OF work he
was. Spanish with broad streak
of Irish or Irish with broad
streak of Spanish. | forget which.
] remember the old man had an
Infant son named Jaime, so this
chap who killed Tom Antrim must
be that boy"
"Higuenes says man named
Jim Higgins killed Antrim. Ro-
berta told me over the telephone"
Jaime is Spanish for James,
readily corrupted to Jimmy, and
Higuenes is Spanish for Higgins.
Don Jaime went over to Antrim's
camp TO order him and his sheep
of the Higuenes range. Antrim.
the skunk. figured on numbering the
boy without risk to himself. For.
tunately a third man was present
at that conference just before the
~killing-a ranger named Kenneth
Hobart-son of old Bill Hobart TO
whom ! sold the Rancho verdugo.
Higuenes borrowed the rangers
rifle unknown to Antrim-and al
though Antrim shot Higuenes three
times. eventually Higuenes got our
of range. Then he stalked Antrim
and killed him. have had re-
port on the matter from the cor
oner at Los Algodones."
very interesting. Mr.. Latham"
BEST news rye had in fifty
years. Glenn. But what challenges
my interest Is this Antrim is dead.
EIiguenes lives and is not seriously
injured. yet Antrim's sheep. with
the tacit consent of Higuenes. con
time to trespass. Meanwhile IIig-
uenes is doing all he can to profecf
roberta. whom he has never met
and all al considerable loss and
Inconvenience TO himself. becauSe
those sheep are running mis- range
Sheep foul a range up. and cattle
Will not Craze where a sheep has
graZed. Also. sheep destroys the
range. Eats the grass down to the
roots and then some Now, why is
Higuenes doing this?"
Search me. sir
HE has some ulterior motive
and Roberta will discover ii, of
course Well. ! want Roberta tn
20 down there all het up with the
mental picture she has painted of
this romantic Huguenes She'll
lind brand of man she never met
before. All hope Is that he makes