The Washington times., 1936-02-22

. little prospectin'. That is If I
can get somebody grubStake me.
You've taken big interest III me.
Mebbe you'd like to-"
Certainly! Certainly! Nothing
I'd like better. Well! Now that's
settled. Drop over at the office
next time you're downtown and
we'll draw up the papers. I'd like
to have a little talk with you about
some other things. too. You know
you'll be in a very fine position to
grubstake yourself, and any of
your friends-before the summers
over. You realize that don't you,
Sir?"
"Oh, yes. That was the idea. I
wasn't down here for my health"
Certainly not-certainly NOT!
Well, If that's all settled, I'll be
getting back to the office. And if
you want to take a little run
up to the mountains. Mr.. Cooper.
I'll have young Stanley drive you
up. You know Stanley-fine boy
hell enjoy the trip tool"
'The young feller that found
me up at Angels? Yes, he's all
right. Puts up good argument" ;"
"YeS, indeed. Well, you just
let us know what day you want to
start, and he'll be ready to go
with you."
Uncle Ebert Cooper stood up.
His cigar had gone out, but he
kept it in the corner of his mouth.
"No use beatin' around the
bush, McGlinn," he said. "You
understand me, all right. So does
Nettie there. Your young man
come up to Angels and give me a
cock-an'.bull about all I could do
for Dolph's widow. An all
Dolph's widow could do for me.
well, I don't make no pretence
about Dolph's widow bein' any.
thing to me. and she's just wastin'
her breath when she tries to make
out I'm anything to her. If it
wasn't I was in a position to save
her about a hundred thousand
dollars she'd wish she'd gone on
the -eSt Of her life not KNOWN
Dolph had half BROTHER"
McGlinn looked panied. He held
up a thin, pale hand. Nov, my
dear Mr.. Cooper"
Uncle ELBERT!" Adele cried.
Hold on! I'm talkin' now.
I'm not a man to talk much, but
once 7 get started I'm hard to
stop. I amt been fooled any. I
wasn't KEEP here because I was
wanted round the place. It was
just SOS I'd be handy, and outa
mischief.
"Now, I'm talkin'! Dolph and
I never had much use for each
other-but we never pretended we
did. Mimi liked me, but she liked
everybody. That was her weak
ness, poor girl. The same smile
for me or Mollie the Moose, or the
Queen Of England, if she'd hap
pened to drop in at the Victoria
house. After she passed on I only
see Dolph once.
"I come to borry some money
I said. And he said. I amt givin'
you no more, you pulled my leg
long enough he said. The hell
with you,' said, and the same to
you,' he said. We was always
men Of few words"
II think" Nettie cut in, gently,
"that you're forgetting the girls.
Ebert. Adele, dear"
"Oh. mother-don't be quaint,
dear!"
Don't interrupt him. for heav-
ems sake!" Isabelle said. This is
priceless"
But really think"
eyes," McGlinn came to Net
ties rescue. Were really getting
nowhere. You come on down to
my office, Cooper, and we'll talk
man to man."
Old Ebert Cooper took the
dead cigar out Of his mouth and
threw it into the fireplace.
"Shut up. I'm talkin' to Net
tie," he said. I'm explainin'
Somethin' she's gotta know. I
didn't know about it till it was
over. But I read about his girls
wedding and I come down and
went to it,. I thought I might get
acquainted, but nobody even
spoke to me. Just lot Of society
folks. I thought Christie was the
same"
CHAPTER XXXV
Christie! You've been to her!"
Nettie cried. "Oh, see it all now.
You've been to her, and she's flat
tered you into thinking"
She faltered, held one plump
band against her heaving bosom.
''Now, dear Mrs. Cooper! Con-
troll yourself. Mr.. Cooper wouldn't
do a thing like that! AS a man
Of honor he couldn't do such a
thing. and I know him too well
and have too much confidence in
his integrity to believe for one
minute that he would approach
the other side, or allow them to
approach him. No, dear Mrs.
Cooper, we have staunch ally in
your brother-in-law and I know"
?"You don't know all you'd like
to know" Elbert Cooper guffawed.
His anger seemed to have
passed. He rubbed his red nose
with the back Of his hand, and
snickered again.
"You don't know anything,
about anything. Specially me.
Man Of honor-phooey!"
It was Ebert Cooper's hour, and
he made the most Of it. All his