The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-10-26
CHAPTER XIX

4yI1
"You expect them to promote
your business for your"
"Not that wayl Oh, Rob! You're
being simply horrible!" Nell sprang
to her feet and stood by the mantel.
81 simply want to get the idea,"
said Rob icily. "You wanted to tell
it to me, didn't you? Go on-tell the
rest. I'm particularly anxious to
know, now that realize you have
passed on the fact of my failure to
your relatives and friends In the
east"
Nell was silent for while, then
drew long breath and said, "They
won't have to promote my busi-
ness. They'll be glad to give me
lists of the right people to write to.
And they'll let me use their names
as reference. And I've made out a
letter, setting out the plan, descrip-
1ons of this place and everything,
and we'd have to have pictures, and
all that can be mimeographed and
sent to these lists of people. And
we have the complete set-up. Prac-
tically no investment needed. Some
guest cabins, yes-Gus and Tim and
you could build them yourselves.
And this is a lovely place, and
there's beautiful country to ride in
and plenty Of horses! And I'm an
awfully good cook!"
Nell said nothing more. In mo-
ment Rob asked, "You say you've
made out the letter."
eyes" Nell picked it up from the
table and handed it to him. But
Rob put out protesting hand. mo.
don't want to. see it, thank you.
And hope you haven't set your
heart on this. Have your"
"Set my heart on it," said Nell.
because I don't like to deny you
any of your wishes"
II know" said Nell hesitatingly.
"You're awfully nice about that. I
wanted to thank you for-for the
sleigh Gus is making-and the mon
key tree. I do thank you ever so
much"
Rob brushed this aside. cts moth
ing at ALL" he said indifferently.
"No reason you should not have
what you want"
Nell was silent. After while she
said, "Rob, you know this isn't just
something want-for the fun Of
it"
''Isn't it? I thought maybe you
were lonesome here with me alone"
"You know it isn't that at all.
Rob, you aren't even pretending to
tell the truth about anything"
"Just a damned liar, am II"
That struck Nell as funny and
helped her recover her poise. tits
because told you that thing last
summer-that the horses would new
er succeed and it made you mad at
me. And you've never got over be-
ing mad. And was thinking after
ward that it was awful of me, to
have knocked everything so--the
horses and your work-without hav-
ing something else to suggest. So
/ tried to find another plan. That's
ALL"
Rob began to knock the ashes out
of his pipe. II hadn't meant to
tell you this, Nell, but I'll have to
now. Otherwise you won't be able
to understand why say no to your
proposition. / am not going to con-
tinue to raise horses as the main
production line of the ranch. They
can be a side line. I'm going to
raise sheep"
"Sheep!" exclaimed Nell. "But
that requires an enormous invest
ment! How could we possibly raise
the money for that?"
"It's already raised. To begin
with, although ] did not make the
twenty thousand dollars. from my
polo ponies which might have
made with good luck, / did make
nearly ten. That cleans me out of
horses. With the. exception of the
young stuff coming up I'll have moth
ing more to sell. But, have put
every dollar of that, and more too
all I could borrow-into band of
ewes. investigated the sheep mar
ket thoroughly when was in Lara
ME. / was lucky in my buy I
think. / found these up at the
Doughty ranch, near the Red Des-
ert. Fifteen hundred Corriedale
ewes"
s.When are they coming on the
ranch?" asked Nell.
sThey're already on" said Rob.
"I've got a Mexican as a herder,
and we drove them up from Lara
ME two days ago. We came in the
back way"
s.But what about Bellamy's sheep?
They're out on the. back range
there. saw them yesterday"
IF you saw sheep on this ranch
yesterday, you saw our own sheep.
Bellamy left with his she Up weeks
ago."