Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-12-07


Chicago Trlbans-Nss xork NeWs Syndicate
gcopyEisht: 1854: BY DousIas Nswtonl
ON TWO PARTS PART CNE
VyHE SNOW had thickened by the
/ time Hardron had finished lunch al
st. F1ail. The old, Tweedlecum-
/ built porter at the inn did his mild
best to warn the millionaire.
You'll not be going far In this. I'm
| hoping, sir"
Elm going as far as mean TO go"
Hardron's way of answering WIS char
acteriStic But they did not know Si-
mon Hardron nor the iron behind hiz
name IN this district. yet, and the por-
I ter responded with q simplicity that
made the grim mouth sneer.
Heaven and its snow willing"
willing or not, sleep at Several
tonight" Hardron said.
Several in the hills" the porter
pursed fatherly lips. squirting at the
pfling snow clouds. I've a sore doubt
you'll not reach Several Of the hills
this day"
I've a good car" Hardron snapped.
AYE, big an strong, but with this
wind thereu be drifts no machine can
master. An there's the Spenny Brook,
~ o4dSS 0l3QCA Atito QOWAAAAs AnC
pink benignant face smiled coaxingly.
''Now you'll not want to be marooned
all night in a deep, cruel drift, win ye,
sir?"
II can look after myself" HardrOn
snapped.
"Aye, yourself" the mild, overdue
eyes examined his harsh, gray face
with an unexpected Shrewdness. "Or
think you can till you find Nature
stronger than the pride o. men I.
There's your driver chap TO think OF,
too: he's human, anyhow, and itn be
cold charity freezing him to death at
the price Of duty"
"That1l do" snarled Hardron, who
paid chauffeurs and others for their
efficiency, not their feelings. Shut the
door"
asurely, and God bless you" smiled
the porter. "All the happiness OF the
season go with you. sir.
He would say that HardrOn's mind
sn0rted. as the starting car sank
him softly into the luxury Of mis-
seat. He looked one Of your Christ
mas keeping fools that porter.
Or wasn't it rather the low cunning
Of the breed? Sentimentality. about
Christmas meant tips for porters. They
capitalized the emotions of the herd
for their own ends. just as the shop
keepers commercialized the Season of
Good VIII" to encourage extra spend
ing on rubbishy gifts. What land Of
idiots 1t wasl
Not that he minded. In a world Of
fools the hard-headed came into their
own, and he, Simon HardrOn, was
harder-headed than most. He, too. had
seen how he could put to good use these !
days of holiday that sentiment had
forced upon him. It was his opportun-
ity to make sure of taking Drannys
from that stubborn ass, Robert Rule.
A stupid as well as stubborn ass. this
Rule, from all Hardron could gather.
Drannvs had been steadily beggaring
the Rules for generations, as mere
farming estate must; vet instead of
cutting his losses and closing with the
gOod-well. anyhow. reasonable offer
Hardrou's lawyer had made the man
still chung on desperately. And for no.
sane excIiSe-nerely because the Rules
had lived and died in Drannys for 400
odd years.
Worse, Rule was still hoping against
hope that something would turn up t0l
save the place, and yet-and how char
acteristic of the type It was the chap
never as much as dreamed that that
something" was even then lying under
he hills Of his own northern meadows
A farmer Of a race Of formers, he had
thought only Of his silly roots and
rain and cattle, while all the time
'ortune in china clay was buried under
lis nose.
Wen. II Rule did not know 1t Simon
7ardron, who had spies to inform him |
# sglch things did. Also, being Simon
iardron, he meant to have that clay,
or china clay was booming IN the
pottery works Of the world. Rule had
'efused to sell Drannys. but that did :
lot worry Hardron: title deeds 400 ]
hem TO give q good lawyer sll the
OophnIes he wanted. Hardron's LAWYER I
Vas practically sure that the Rules !
tiles were like that-if one could only
'et q lo0k at them.
Hardron was on his way to get that {
ook at them.
He knew he could. A direct and 5
Ditiless handling, such as he knew ]
how 20 manage, would force an easy
going man like Rule 70 show his :
deeds and he wasn't Simon Hard !
ron II he could not spot 1t once the
means Of turning the fellow out.
The big car was climbing the first :
ill now, lurching and going slow, for :
sdNAOAs JAAE LAAAtAAGQAf was AAdfAAE
Iculties with the deepening snow. The !,
ind blow was thick on the windows !
nd Hardron could make little Of the =
ountry, but he thought they should
e half way to Several village by now.
He took a map from the pocket Of a
be door
They ought to be up to the Spenny y
rock soon, a mere water splash the !,
Jap made it, In spite Of the porter'sl :
rophecies.
The car lurched and stopped =
through the arc made by the laboring
ectric screen wiper, Hardron saw
rown, widespread water moving with
secret sickness across their path.
he Spenny Brook, not quite the mere
1iasn ne had expected. Naylor. IN
ct, opened the window between them
nd said neryously.
'Tt's running pretty deep from the
olts of it, sir"
Simon Hardron was not one to be
= arratee