Evening star., 1940-04-29
CHAPTER Z.


YOU won't regret this, but If you are
really going to manage the paper
YOU ought to get competent man
to assist you, for a few months at
least. 7 know one at Santa Fe VINO
might be induced to come"
"Mr. Silcott has promised to help
me till I get on my feet" Anne said.
He flushed angrily. The worst
possible man you could get A
fellow opposed to the best interests
of the community"
las my uncle was too, no doubt"
she suggested, her voice gently I'M
placable.
your uncle made mistakes"
do you ever make mistakes, Mr..
Mosely?" ..
He curbed his quick temper. 1t
would be better policy to conciliate
rather than to bully this good-look-
ing girl.
"That scoundrel Silcott has set you
against me-" he charged. II hope
YOU will not take his advice. Frankly,
I very much want to be friends with
YOU. I want you to join me IN my
plans to make this a finer COM
munity. At least be neutral In this
grant fight"
But if I have convictions. You
wouldn't want me"
Attacks Silcott.
He cut her sentence in two. "You
can't have convictions, because you
don't know the facts" he told her,
with the finality of Supreme Court
decision. "All you can have is a
prejudice, instilled in you by young
rufian who Is one of the worst OF
the claim jumpers, man who only
yesterday killed wantonly an un-
offending cowboy"
"You forget I was present when
Mr.. Silcott was attacked and had TO
shoot in self defence, she reminded.
He rode over this roughshed. You
know nothing about it. This tight
was forced by Silcott. He was hang
ing around to kill my foreman. He
is a thoroughly bad man who has
been a menace to the Hat T for
years" 49,.
Are all the settlers under the
Aeuilar grant bad men?" Anne
asked -,
"Of course not. But they are all
In the wrong, in the sense that they
are actually squatters depending on
a title that has no just legal basis" !"
$50 you are going to drive them
from the small ranches they bought
in good faith to add their holdings
to the great tract you already have"
Will Enforce His Rights.
His square jaw set. I'm going to
enforce my rights, Miss Eliot, this
isn't matter of sentiment. But I
intend to be generous-very gener-
ous-with those who have not in
sisted on becoming my enemies.
Have you made up your mind to
oppose me?"
Her lifted eyes met his without
faltering. practically" she said, as
she moved toward the door. But
1 always try to be fair" She said
goodbye and opened the door.
To be dismissed was new expert
ence for Russell Mosely. Wrath
fully ne strode out of the house.
Back of his anger was resolve to
bring this proud girl to her knees.
From the window Anne watched
him go down the street, self -willed
man strong and masterful, good
looking as a Hermes. She wondered
if she had done wrong. After all
she did not know Jim Silcott. He
might be all Mosely said he was.
And it was true her uncle had been
given 10 prejudices and could have
been mistaken.
Phil Lamprey came into the only
room of the little cabin the two
brothers used when they were IN
town. 1t was one Jesse had built
when he first came to Blanco before
he started to run cows.
From the bed where Jesse was
lying came the complaint, You Ger
tainly took your time. Thought
you were never coming back"
The boy did not blame him for
being ill-natured and cross. He was
still suffering both physically and
mentally. All his jaunty conceit had
been flogged out of him, temporary
at least. Had to wait till Piper
came back from dinner and opened