The Trail of Conflict

boy for your girl or you scoop up my po

nd fine linen. He was spare and tall. His features might have served as the model for the portrait of Nelson in the Metropolitan Museum. His eyes were darkly luminous, the eyes of a dreamer; his white hair curled in soft rings over his head; his hands were long and patrician. Glamorgan was built on the Colossus plan, large head, heavy features into which the elements had ground a dull color, a huge b

dt. With the cushion-tipped fingers of his large hands spread upon his

the mines. One day your father brought you. You passed me as though I were a post, but right then and there I learned the difference between mere money and money with family behind it. That day I laid my plans for life. I'd make money, Lord, how I'd pile it up; I'd cut out the dissipations of my kind, I'd marry the most refined girl who'd have me, and I'd have one of my chil

red voice interrupted. There was

ht develop plans of their own? That they mig

rry that she never once flinched from owning up to me as hers. I've seen the color steal to her eyes when I appeared in my rough clothes, but she'd slip her hand into mine, for all the world as though she were protecting me, cling tight to it, and introduce me to her friends. The girls and teachers loved her, or she couldn't have got away with it. Her friends were among the best at college. Oh, she'll marry to please me. Even if she didn'

pulled a vicious-looking specimen of the weed from his

you. I wasn't throwing Jerry away on a regular guy even if I was stuck on your family. I found also that your money was getting scarcer than hen's teeth. I took the mortgage on this house, on every piece of property in your estate. I knew when the boy chucked his law course and went into the army. I had him watched while he was overseas and I know that he came through that seething furnace of temptation straigh

ood with his back to the fire, one

d for a moment at the portrait of a seventeenth century Courtlandt which hung opposite, then up at the beautiful face of the woman in the painting set like a jewel in t

nodded a

know your family history backward. I never buy a pig in a poke," with rough frankness. He rose and stretched to his great height. The man watching him thought of the Rus

teve has no enga

ep into his pockets and glowe

t mention to Steve the fact that if he refuses

burst through the thin, ivory skin. He touched a bell, hi

Glamorgan's coat," to the smooth-haired, smooth-

ment, his little green

-morrow? No shilly-shallying, m

Glamorgan. Good-night! Judson, when Mr. S

years of swiftly shifting values. To have the Courtlandt property swept away! It was impossible. He didn't care for himself but for Steve and Steve's children. He was a liar! He did care for himself. It would break his heart to have this old home, which had been the manor, fall into the hands of an erstwhile coal-picker. The town house was different. The location of that had followed the trail of fashion, it had no tra

ou expected an air-raid. Let's light up and be cheerio, what say?" The speaker pressed a button and flood

l and lean and lithe, not an ounce of superfluous flesh on him. He stood with his feet slightly apart, a golf-bag dragging from one arm, his other hand in his coat pocket. His black hair had a

e me this evening, Steve. I-I-well,

wrinkled his broad forehead. He started to speak,

g is yours,

ilence in the upper regions. His dark eyes clouded with

approach the distasteful subject. He talked nervously of politics, labor conditions and the latest play. His son watched him keenly through

k with me about, Sir Peter? Fire away

name his wife had called him, which the boy had adopted when he was too grown-up to say "Daddy." Silent seconds lengthened into minut

Everything we have is mo

of the sentence was subm

e. We lose everything we have to-morrow

at?" promp

ack of his chair and looked at his son with ha

you marry Glamo

ha

is feet. The color surged to his dark hair th

ntury. Marry Glamorgan's daughter! I've never seen her. I didn't know the old piker had a daughter. What does he

g up and down the room. I wa

hair. He kept his eyes on the fading, flaring lights of the fire as his father told of his inte

erself be traded like that?" he

ition, to tell him to go to the devil-then I thought of you. That I had no right to fling away your inheritance without giving you a

s what their descendant is up against that

tinged Peter Co

for not letting him have you six months out of every year. He contended that as you, the only son of his sister, were

ow as Ranlett is. Lord, the nights I've come in so stiff that I'd fall on the bed with my boots on. I'd got to shoot and rope, ride and round-up, drive a tractor, know the difference in the quality of the wheat-s

m once more,

Isn't there some other way

your law course after you came out of the army, but it will be severa

ied the daughter, do you?" interrupted Steve furiously. "I'd break stones in the

t of his words. "No, no, Steve, of course I didn't mean that. The Courtlandts have never been quitters. I swear I wouldn't break

" Steve seemed the elder of the two now, se

morr

a chance to decide whether the encumbrance which goes with the

n in for supper with them to-night after the theatre. I have a feeling that the daughter is willing to sacrifice herself to make the great dream of her father's life come true, just as you are willing to sacrifice yourself for me-no, don't deny it,"-as his s

upted with a

ife for prospective children. Take it from me, they'

r life. Is-is there any other

ds hard into the pocke

girl's face, if you mean that according-to-fiction

e you were away and now--" He stopped in p

t, her ideas, her ideals-oh well, she hasn't any; she wouldn't recognize an ideal if it tapped her on the shoulde

for a moment before he raised

ng too many chances. I'll tell Glamorgan in

iety-look at the size of Glamorgan-little eyes, prominent teeth, a laugh that would raise the dead and, oh boy,-I'll bet she's kittenish." He glanced at the tall clock i

affection and anxiety met his, he excl

g the Mrs. Courtlandt will satisfy her soaring ambition. She won't stan

ring myself. Perhaps as she only wants the name and position she'd take me and let you off. Your mother would understand," with a tender smile at the woman over t

y stipulated that he'd have

Courtlandt's face as he mutter

gan be