Evening star., 1940-05-05
'1RAIl,S E.ND
" WILLIAM MesLEoDRANE
CHAPTER XIII

N1SXKzzG1MN
CHAPTER XIII
Miss Eliot nodded, smiling at him
"1'm so glad you feel that way.
don't want to be among your ene-
mics. In fact, I wish you didn't have
any"
"That can't be helped" he told
her. 1T is only weaklings without
any backbone who have no enemies
Take this land-grant feud. If ]
enforce my rights-as I mean to
do make foes of the squatters
who are sitting on the land without
valid titles"
II suppose so." After q moment
Of hesitation Anne said what was
in her mind. do you have to take
their land from them? I've Just
been told the old Hat T ranch is
. big one, not counting the acreage
In dispute"
"I'm not taking their land but
my land from them," he said curtly
"Why shouldn't I. If the courts
decide in my favor? I need a big
range to carry out my plans. 1t is
not my fault that they bought from
those who did not own what they
sold"
"Are you going to wait until the
court decision is given?" she asked
He looked at her, sharply. What
d'you mean? OF course, am"
I'm glad of that" She hurried
on, before her courage cooled. 81
came to see you because heard a
story I don't want to believe"
"Yes?" he said warily, and waited
II heard you intend to blow up
Jim Silcott's DAM"
Anne Fails in Mission.
Astonished, he stared at her.
"Were did you hear that?"
1T doesn't matter where. Word
came to me that you had bought
dynamite and that you had sent
men up there to see how it could be
done"
She faced him, slenderly erect,
her eyes demanding of him the
truth.
did Silcott send you here?"
mo. He doesn't know am here"
He laughed, harshly. "Just came
on your own, out of the goodness
Of your heart, to save me from
doing wrong"
"You once came to me to ask
me not to do something" she re-
minded him.
"And you told me, politely, to
mind my own business" he coun-
tered.
''Now you can get even." Her
smile was shy and placatory. But
I hope you won't. I'm interfering
in what isn't my business, but It's
because want to try to bring
peace"
"All right. I'll give you an answer.
You haven't the least idea as to
the right and wrong of this fight.
Your misinformation comes from
men of no standing-lawless trouble
makers. This man Silcott's dam,
to take a specific point, has no
business to be there. He has i'm
pounded water that ought to run
freely down the creek. If I want
to abate nuisance have perfect
right to do so. Mind you, I'm not
admitting for a moment that I
mean to do so. I'm merely showing
you how absurd your position is"
Anne knew she had failed.
Russell Mosely spoke with the
confident arrogance Of one whose
decision Is not to be questioned.
But Anne would not give up yet.
IT have tried to be fair In the
paper" she said. did you object
to the way Sentinel covered the
Sneve klling?"
mo. You might have handled
the story worse. But you are against
me editorially."
Not against you personally" she
corrected. Against your policy"
"It comes to the same thing.
He brushed the whole thing aside
impatiently. "Well, let's go in and
have some dinner"
The man interested her. Listen
ing to him as he talked at dinner,
she was convinced that he would go
far. No fastidious scruples would
restrain him. She guessed that he
had political ambitions, national
rather than local. Though he
seemed to be frank, he was impervi-
Gus, she felt, to recognition Of
rights Of others which ran contrary
to his own. His talk ranged over
many subjects. That he was we'll
informed was plain, but out Of his
rounded phrase dropped queer little
hints of moral callousness Of which
he was unaware.
Standing on the porch with him
while the horses were being brought
up, Anne made q last attempt to
reach the man.
'Tt's been nice meeting you agar" +"
she said. Even though I don't un-
derstand you."
Anne Warns Mosely.
Time enough for that" he told
her blandly, with confident smile.
'We're going to know each other
well. BY the way, just what is it
yOu uOll ulOCA0Cd1lNS CAAAokAo L
ca nexplain myself"
''You have large ideas-great am
bitions. You are going to travel q
long way-if you don't trip your
self"
what do you mean-trip MYSELF"
She tilted an impudent grin at
him. "You won't like it, If I go on. ."
Lets have it."
you're big man, strong, force
full, dominant. You could do so
much for yourself and for this west
ern country. But I'm not sure you
will. You have let yourself get
twisted"
'How?"
"By not considering the rights Of
others. I daresay it's cheeky of me
to say so. But it's true. You're
going to hamper yourself terribly.