Evening star., 1934-04-16
CHAPTER XXXV.

Shimmerin' like 1t had
%ff fish scales on it," Scog-
ttris went on.
"Seouins, they're called" said
Judith, little metal things that
dovetail into each other"
well, this one was a green one and
Mamie she looked at it and then she
looked at me and her eyes were
chock-full of tears, just bein' happy
Amt it grand?' she says.
Next mornin' I made like was
goin' up to buy me ceegar and l
went to that store amin to buy that
dress for Mamie if it took my roll
Whatcha think they asked for it?
Two hundred and fifty dollars. I
didn't get it.
Judith appeared to be as shocked
as Scoggins had hoped she would be,
but beneath her sympathetic express
sion was worry. What in the name
of goodness was the man leading
UP to?
Miss Judith, got chance to git
them things for Mamie, an git Tom
nv a car and send him to college,
without waiting for trees to grow and
him too old to go and Mamie too old
to enjoy things. I got chance r1ght
now.
"You know that piece land I got
that juts into your flood basin?
There's oil there and I'm here to tell
you, you CANT use it for water.
One trick that Judith had learned
during her years as secretary to Big
Tom Bevins was to maintain silence
in a crisis, to let the other person
speak first.
Judith felt that the fate OF the
Rio Diablo Dam hung in precarlous
balance as she sat watching Scrog-
gins. without his land there could
he no dam, it formed queer shaped
snakes figure jutting far out into
the flood basin.
Bib Toms faith in Scroggins had
been so complete he had neglected to
gain his consent to its use in Wrltlng'
Judith remembered calling his al
tention to it the night OF their nrsI
vigil but he had insisted such pro-
cedure would be jeopardizing Scog-
gins trust in him, after Scogglns nao
refused such big price Tor MS lano.
"Dont reckon you understood, MISS
.b,dv" he began, troubled shame IN
his3 voice. I'm going to git oil on my
land and I CANT if its flooded, see!
"What makes you think there Is OIL
IN vollr land?" she inquired, Win
nothing but sympathetic interest In
her voice. ,;.b a
"Theres been man there Win
diytnin' rod working about the piace.
To tell you tn truth. MISS judy nc
leaned close and half Wnispeieu'
"there's a great lake of oil unoer.
meath this here valley, yes ST. Jus'
like they've got up to LongVie"'
"strange the man didn't want 10
purchase it from you" she museo.
I'VE did" was the quick answer
then lovally, "but promised Big Iom
wouldn't sell to nobody"
Judith represed smile at tne uli-
,,+entioned satire of his remark. ana
then what did he say?''
.sThat he'd sink test well ana Iake
a nercentage for the Sinkln' II 10 see
the MACE didn't get flooded"
"And how was that to be orougnt
sbout?"
He SAID ne SO W NoN
and git an in-an m ,..x +o
Injunction" offered Juolth 10
whom the word was fast becoming
q nemesis. No
ives. that's it, court order, ne
exnlained. keepin' you from going
ahead with your work until we couio
nroye there's oil there" w
AIS he going to do that?" judith
asked, as calmly as she could.
Not unless he has to-"
"But, Mr.. Scoggins, you know as
reIl as I do that the construction OF
the dam as it is going along now
won't harm your land. The gates
will be kept open for the very SAKE
of the dam until it is completed.
There isn't much chance OF naVlne
a food like you had here last year
and if you did your oil would o.
flooded anyway, wouldn't it?"
"Yeh. but he says once you get IL
built we can't stop you, II were
eoin' to do anything we got 10 90
It now
"Then what did you mean he
wouldn't get out an injunction unless
he had to?" . ,-,r,,
dtnless you'd agree to quit work
without it."
Judith sat few moments in ST.
lence. A crisis like this needed a
man like Big Tom not justin Gun
ard. Judge Morgan nor any man she
knew could handle 1t.
She was Big Toms stenographer'
she repeated to herself and she was
r5ing to act as she had acted IN MS
Office when things came up sne
couldn't handle during his absense.
She would pretend he was Temporarily
absent.
HMr. scoggins, have you signed any
papers?" she asked.
mo, Miss Judith, they was egglng
me on to do it, this man and Mamie,
but I says no, I'm not slgnln'
nothing"
That's fine, Mr. Scoggins. tried
to talk Big Tom into getting you 10
sign an agreement for our use OF
YOUR land in the flood basin and he
wouldn't do it. He said ne would
bank everything he had on your
word"
He said that?" came the pleased,
1ncredulouS question.
"Yes"
Miss Judy, I . I don't
want to do this It's just Tommy
and Mamie and being able to give
them things. I've got to, Miss Judy.
I owe it to them, that flsh-scale dress
and a car for Tommy"
"I know" Judith, like Big Tom,
was putting her trust in the man as
she spoke, Il do understand how
you feel, but I'm going to ask you
to do something tor Big Tom. No,
not give up your oil. Mr.. Bevins
would never have asked you to sac
rifce yourself for him, would he?
And you could have depended upon
him to play fair with you, always.
couldn't you?"
'Yes, indeed, Miss Judith"
eWell, Mr. Scoggins, I'm acting as
his secretary now and I'm going to
carry out his orders, so think of
yourself as dealing with him. Give
mo q feu daUS tn think this over