The Coolidge examiner., 1934-03-16
CHAPTER vI-conanued

Donald" be 81 tua3y n
Matter - fact ii would sav. the op-
e-ai.on. To set hold - that tim.
her~-p playing boldly On ihc favor
De had found lu the others eyes
-ao-,j o. TIE thing that came inio
tlis ceuutry % 90. Otherwise. Ii
iaaas pretty dark ahead
Iae Scot nodded
-rts heru e. burden. iu a WY.
te'1.n' thls property. "a might r.
ueve % oiI heart Go hac mouey uut
at .rirug Instead 90. I'm avon.
drrn' 81 yer fafherd De In pos!-
fna io bay iic spoke ga ut once
lg. 90 tae none r. ~ fbrn.
-ro'a-.s ran and ulll bay q; any
uu- NiF Macdonald steve said
c4'miy-
"Wc1 uts a harrd decision 90
make uigh a tsisi - hls head =
uouli nae SOL g a'L 10 hold a sec
t.on or two Ter myssF. But come
... We wili iook It's no matter 20
decide on ~ turn o. a moment"
lle 'ed fbe way outside and as
they ueui alpng Slowly Drake was
sasskine against his memory with
tht cruisers report un this stand
wtich rvppscd In the safe AZ Coed
Bye Three hundred aad twenty
Thousand. McNaiiy had said. vas
90. price of OLD Jim's ofrr
once the Laird said Yer not
aioae in wau;ln' 90 buy Young
FraUZ faithful lad : been
waHtlu ut Had he taken ser grand
trtot noo. ~ might - him I'd be
falEln' wf today. Mind. I'm not
sas in' III scll 20 yer father set. I'm
cui siberia only.
thrice more during that rambling
walk he spoke % Franz saying that
wvfe hr here now. Instead of Steve.
be mlght b. talking over the possl-
bIiiy ~ selling with him
When ihey reached the house
again tie Laird dropped heavily lnto
chair. more wearled with The
sense ~ are that had come upon
him than by the physical exertlon.
lic listened 90 Steve tell him frank.
ly ~ the poiaris predlcamenf. steve
knew. from what Kate had writ.
ten. that This purchase could bs
financed be knew. as well. that 20
tossess !; vas the only way out Tor
lo.aris So much hung IN the bal.
ancr that piar.3 summer afternoon Z
suddenly the Laird sat erect.
You're authorized o. represent
Puiarisf~ he asked
Steve d.d no, hesitate: = am rep.
rrs"nting the company be said.
"Thrce hundred nd fluffy thou.
sand dollars then. ne 10 hold out
N section my hulid'n's stand on.
Drake calculated quickly. That
was thirty thousand more than old
Jim Flynn had offered and n sec.
tion was held ont. But Jlm's offer
had been made two years ago. Val.
ues had stepped upward.
That's your best ogYerf"
"Ay. tn best tn only orer.
James -
And the iermsT I've told you
how badly PoiarIs Is pInched. sir
A heavy down payment might make
Il impossible 10 take you up at
once
The Laird nodded. twenty-five
thousand doom: fluffy thousand In
six months. tn balance In one year
vi inirusi I six per cent"
and bow long before the frs,
tweuty-iiveF"
IL ye want Ut he said bruskly.
'yell take ut wl'out delay. II We
don't want ut. others will Ye must
take NJ noo. In q week Seven days
Ay. That's enough. That's final"
a short time" Steve protested.
but saw that II was no use 10 ask
for more ''Youn give an option
now. surely. so I'll have something
20 20 on:~
That's only fair An option. Nd
IN doom payment must be here. In
thus room. In cash. nd on time.
Ay' 10 tn hour :"
lie rose then and walked 10 a
desk. fumblIng for paper and pen.
From book the old man copied
the descriptions. muttering that Il
would all be legal and regular and
that the down payment must be de-
livered on the hour. "Mlnd that.
lad IN hoor -
Down by the river voices sounded
and Steve, looking through the win
dow. saw Franz there, sitting In his
canoe. talking with one of MacDon-
aids Indians. Franz He was
getting out. now. asking question
Eiancing AZ the house.
The pen scratched on so slowly.
-. Franz was starting up the trail
The pen stopped. The Laird
leaned hack. reading what he had
written. moving his lips as he read
Nd moo. the old man said. dip
ping the pen again Moo fer tn
signature which binds ut -
scuff on gravel outside; foot
fall at the threshold. Slowly the
pen point traced the letters and as