Nogales international., 1936-03-14
Third Instalment

DlQ you UIOp tuAt DOlt tH TIC
Well?" Mrs. Durham bleated, in dis
may.
remember, if this we'll amt producer,
you're blowed up, and it amt a-goin'
to produce till there's Mrs. Tiller
Maddox to see it and to get her share
We bargained that out, long ago. Yes,
an I amt afraid of you going back on
our deal either You don't dast."
It'll try again"
''You better do more'n try I'll give
you just one more chance. If she don't
come across, l want you to go visit
your folks Saturday evenin', an leave
her here Understand" ?"
For a moment Mrs. Durham stared
at the speaker, then, she said:
"Tiller Maddox, you're dirty dog !"
"Say I've took all the back talk
can stand for one day. You heard me-
You do like l tell you, an you needn't
TO get back from your visit till Mon
day
Not until Ben and Betty had fn-
ished their shopping and were on their
way 'one did he tell her about the
troalble he had had with Maddox that
Saoruinp
al lei on he was fooling, but of
.eours> he'll fire me the first chance he
GETS" Furiong predicted
"Oh, Benl Why did you do Il ="
'We were bound to tie into each
other sooner or later. You can't choose
. time to get fighting mad it's as much
- you can do to pick good footing"
"Aunt Mary won't let him FIRE you.
She doesn't trust him any more than
do"
"Say! What has he got on her2"
The girl did not look up from her
driving. She fetched a deep breath as
she said: I'D dearly love to know
There's something queer about it. =.
Uncle Joe was a sweet, easy-goin9
man and she rode him with a Spanish
bit. She never would have let him take
me in, when my folks died, only l die
all the work. But he sure loved me
When the oil excitement came they
rowed and fought for months. When
ever he got an offer she claimed he was
trying to give the farm away and
threatened to go to law. | told yor
about that. He stood it as long as he
could; then he up aud announced that
I'd been more of I daughter to him
than she'd been wife and he aimed
to give most of his money to me any
how, and then he made that lease with
the Planet people. That's how Maddox
came. | think she'd have poisoned me
if she dared, after what uncle said
When he was killed supposed, oi
course, she'd throw me out, but she
didn't. No use to do it, suppose, mas
much as he hadn't left any writing. A:
a matter of fact she was better to me
than she'd ever been. That's what makes
me wonder sometimes"
Wonder what" ?"
eff he didn't tell Tii1er something
Something that makes her scared OF
him. Sometimes she acts like it's only
because Of him that she's nice to me-
=. 4 don't know what I'd do if she
sent NE away | haven't got red cent
There isn't living soul | could"
Ben passed his arm around the slim
girlish figure and drew it to him
''That'll be about all for youP He
kissed the cheek next to his and Betty
hungrily pressed her face closer.
"Good thing you aren't an heiress-and
Hae with less than a hundred dollars !"
"You behave yourself, or you'll
wreck this car" the giri warned him.
Maddox carried out his intention.
He discharged Furiong on Friday
night. explaining that the we'll was
down, and the next morning Ben broke
the news to his sweetheart Betty was
indignant. She was for appealing to
her aunt, but he refused to permit her.
He promised to let her hear from
him in a day or SO.
Betty's face was flushed. her c.fc"
were shining, when she entered the
house after he was gone. She was sur
rriscd to find her aunt awaiting her
"Tiiler came over the other night
when you was in town." Mrs. Durham
began
"Did he?"
EHe talked lot about you. Tiller's