The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-06-01
CHAPTER III-Continued

Rance Kershaw's not too stable
heart leaped in triumph. Keep your
check" he ordered harshly. land I'll
keep my water"
Lorraine Kershaw came out of the
house. Straight down the little grav-
eled walk Sue came TO the gate. Nate
TichenOr noticed how straight she
walked; noticed. too that she had
been weeping recently. She was
strikingly pretty girl; her hair was
jet-black and shiny. her eyes large
and dark and lustrous; her skin a pale
ivory with a faint rose radiance seep-
ing up through it
The Hensley apology is accepted"
she cried in a clear ringing voice.
And you may keep your check That
fence was charged of TO depreciation
before you and | were born. Please
give our compliments TO your mother
and your aunts and say that the Ker-
shaws will be very pleased TO see that
hereafter the Bar q ranch gets all
the water the Circle & can give it."
They won't either" old Rance
shouted.
PAY no attention to father" the
girl admonished, in a tone meant for
young Tichenor's ears alone. He
can't help holding his ancient grudge.
But the Bar q shall have the water.
l give you my word of honor it shall
This morning al eleven O'Clock I be-
came the foreman Of the Circle &, and
I'll keep the fioodgates closed at orr
diversion dam and turn the water into
your irrigation bitches when we're
done with it. instead of diverting IL
back into Eden Valley creek. Run
along now, Nate Tichenor, and may
God bless you and protect you and
bring you safe back to your mother
in Eden Valley
He stared at her. And then he
blinked because the tears of emotion
were in his boys eyes. He held out
his hand across the gate. "Good-by,
Lorry Kershaw," he said with diff
Guilty. Il thank you with all my
heart You're mighty sweet"
She accepted his hand. TO the great
scandal of her father: she stood at the
gate and watched him jog away down
the valley. sitting very straight in his
carved and silvermounted stock
saddle.
Come, come, old settler" she said.
''It's time to cease hurting maledic-
tons and start praying. And prom
ised him the water"
He was silent at that Then: well,
i suppose il won't hurt US to let 'em
have IL" He must have thought then
of his own gallant STRIPPING son. "Just
as well TO take things easy now, Lorry
Even If they both come back they'll
never shoot each other. II that Tiche-
nor pups fair sample. the Hensley
clan amt run TO seed in this genera
ton"
Nate Tichenor's farewell sentence
came back to her. She patted her IA
theirs cheek You're mighty sweet, -
she said.
Nathan Tichenor had come back to
Eden Valley. He arrived In a gilt
tering limousine, driven by a liveried
chauffeur, beside whom SAT- a dignified
mIddle-aged individual any Forlorn
Valleyite would have accepted as a
banker or railroad president but who
was in reality Nathan Tichenor's Eng
liSh valet.
Arrived in the grass grown farmyard
Of the deserted Bar q headquarters,
Tichenor alighted
We'll, lads, this is where | was
born and raised" Nate Tichenor spoke
finally.
The house reeked of that indescrib-
able odor inseparable from closed and
deserted houses, but cursory inven-
tory satisfied Tichenor that the con-
tents bad NOT been molested.
Bring In the meats and groceries 1
purchased in Gold Run, Darby" he
ordered the chauffeur. There should
be firewood in the woodshed. Start
fire in that fireplace. Joseph Ito the
valet), get busy and organize our
housekeeping, while | take q run up
the valley to call on a neighbour
When Nate returned from his visit
up the valley, Joseph had the house
swept and aired beds made, and a
luncheon in preparation. Tichenor
was prowling around the venerable
home of his ancestors, reviving old
memories, when upon his ears i'm
pigned the steady. insistent footing Of
an automobile siren. Somebody ID
on the valley road wants something"
he decided.
Tichenor glanced out the window
and saw an automobile with two per
sons in il halted on the main road
just outside the entrance TO IRE Bar
II headquarters.
They must want me-" lie decided
Now. how do they know I'm here?"
He pondered "Ah- yes. Smoke Is
rising from my chimney Kershaws
/ wonder? Must be the Kershaws
or they'd drive in