The Winning of Barbara Worth

and his associates would finance an expedition to make the preliminary surveys in The Ki

well-bred and well-kept. Indeed the most casual of observers would not have hesitated to pro

him good-by and to look at the Indians, who with their wealth of curios spread before them, squa

ed squaw in the party of natives, "I suppose if we ever see you again you'll be the color of that thing there." She pointed to a s

athletic arm with little shivers of delight. "To think of you in this great, savag

g, don't you know!" exclaimed one of the men, while the chorus joined in: "You'll d

for the car. The colored porters tossed their steps aboard and followed. Smoothly the long, dust-covered coaches slid past. The

ot

without replying stepped into the questionable looking hack standing nearby. The driver threw

ers in their shirt sleeves sat smoking with companions in blue overalls; two or three wore guns loosely belted at their hips. Here and there was the pale-faced, white-collared, tied and tailored tourist. In the corner near the big window a group of women, some in white duck, some in khaki or corduroy, sat ch

a room w

w talking over the cigar counter to a man in high-heeled

rench windows and pointed to a cot on the screened-por

on the

the answer as the inde

the house paused. "I want my

's have your ch

breezy young man, as he disappeared with a cheery

general good-fellowship; yet he could not say that there was any lack of real courtesy and certainly there was no rude and boisterous talk. It was, to sa

f silk-was Norfolk; the trousers were riding trousers and above the tan shoes were pig-skin puttees. All this, with the light, soft hat, neat tie and the undeniably fine figure and handsome face, would have made him attractive on any stage. The tour

the main street to the end of the business section, then back on the other. Twice he made the round, then, seeking scene

ckled about his slim waist; the other thick-set, heavy, red-faced-were holding animated conversation over their glasses. That is to sa

s av ut wouldn't feed a jack-rabbit. 'Tis a blistherin', sizzlin', roastin', wilderness av sand an' cactus, fit fo

by Barbara's "uncles," who had just arrived from the Gold Center mines, he

ndisguised admiration for his belligerent partner, waite

an wid brains an' education like him is wort' more to this counthry than all the hell-roarin' savages like yersilf between the Coast an' Oklahoma, which is not so much better than it was.

turned to follow the gaze of his companion just as the plainsman drawled softly: "And you've brought us that." Th

ace flushed but

tify that the real cause an' reason for the declinin' glory of this yere great western country is poor shootin'. That

to his middle. 'Tis the mark av a child. Look at ye, now, wid all yer artillery an' me wid fingers that niver pushed a thrigger." He

reet and, springing toward them, burst forth with: "Give me your gun, Texas, quic

eaned easily back in his chair and eyed the excited citizen in a manner calmly j

x. Jes' loan her to me!

e was jest resolvin' that there's too much bad shootin' bein' done in this here Rubio town. It's a spoilin' the fair name an' a ruinin' the reputation of this co

le and his eyes flashed. "To the t

oyt person what's been annoyin' you. We'll stand you up at fifteen steps, with nothing between to obstruct ceremonies, an' drop the hat

t attending to his own funeral and finding a g

the trouble-hunting citizen, a low, contemptuous laugh from the well-built stranger at the ba

rd," said Tex in a low, earnest tone, "do you reckon that there

he battle-scarred features of the Irish gladiator. Eyeing the athletic Easterner fiercely, he growled with deliberate meaning: "Ye same to be findin' plenty av amusement in the private affair

h well-bred surprise. "Sta

conduc' will ye? 'Tis an ambulance that ye'll nade to take ye home

xhibiting the slightest suggestion of fear, but rather with the calm s

ect of what promised to be no tame exhibition. Already several bets had been placed and critical estimates and comments on the comparative merits of

To the angry protests from the crowd the

k form of the Seer's assistant in a bear-like hug. "For the love av Gawd is ut ye, ye owld sand-rat? Where the hell did ye drop from, an? fwhat are ye doin' in this di

lled with loud talk and laughter. Glancing around, Pat's eye met the still defiant look of the stranger who had not moved

e yer pardon, Sorr, for goin' off me head that way. 'Tis a habit I have, worse luck to me-bein' sensitive, do ye see, about me personal appearance an' some wi

"The fact is I was not laughing at you at all but at the way you two men called the bluff of that fellow who

utchman." He eyed the athletic limbs, deep chest, broad shoulders and well-set head, with eyes

st unexpected worrld. Av 'twas the owld divil himsilf that clapped his hand on me arm I'd be no m

et?" the surveyor demanded as though c

this town less than an hour by Tex's watch that Barbara

explained his presence

oin the King's Basin pa

me now that I introduce

eli

his two companions reg

the young man continued: "I am a civil engineer. I have instruct

Worth. The man who received the correctly engraved bit of pasteboard merely nodded toward the other end of

rovincialism but sought the ba

n Worth with the other indicated the ch

m Mr. Greenfield relat

rd Ho

from his desk, glanced at it and turne

sensation was as though from behind that gray mask something reached out to grasp his innermost thoughts and emotions. He felt strangely transparent and exposed as one, alone in his lig

altogether in New York an

struction Company?" said Jefferson Worth exactly,

arge of their more important operations."

chair to intimate that he was impressed. The visitor might as well have spoken to the steel door

the engineer explained. "Since the death of my father when I was a little

dvancement in his profession was due largely to the powerful influence of the capitalist and those closely associated with him, together with the strength of the proud social position to which he was born, rather than to hard work and experience. Probably Willard

King's Basin propositio

ut because he and his associates felt"-he paused; perhaps it would be just as well not to say what Mr. Greenfield and his associates felt-"that with my experience in connection with large corporations I could be of value to them in certain

ey realize that a man of your recognized ability and standing in the financial world, particularly in the West, in close touch as you are with Capital and conditions in this part of the country and no doubt familiar with the Reclamation work, would be a valuable addition to their strength. In fact I may say they would depend largely upon your judgment as to whether the scheme was practicable from a bu

e of inflection. "I have written Mr. Greenfield that I would look into the

a little talk over things. I co

hy

ever; that, in fact, he is nothing but a kind of a self-educated surveyor. I have no doubt that he is a

than the Seer's lieutenant. Perhaps that, also, was not necessary to e

d t

ame the words as if