The Son of his Father

is head, and its fingers passed through his ruffled hair. It smoothed its w

e wa

k. Far in the distance he could see the speeding train. Then his eyes came back to his immediate surr

ere? How on earth

at his grip and overcoat were beside him, also his hat. And some distance away a numbe

and, grabbing his hat and thrusting it on his head, he leaped to h

good time," said a deep,

t in mind to make some furiously resentful retort. But the man's appearance held his curiosity and diverted his

him. "That 'sharp' dropped his wad during the scrap. I hated to think a grafting

don was not quite su

stl

s full of dry humor. Su

'sharp'? I have

pointed aft

eed to hu

s and he began to laugh. With some

ried cordially. Then, for want of bett

d broad as Gordon was, the stranger was no less. But he

their native humor. He was longing to solve the mystery of that eye-shade which ha

d end?" he said. "There's a sort of blan

his throat. To Gordon the sound was

f hoped you'd 'out' him before the crew come along. Guess you'd have done it if there'd been more room. That's the worst of scrappin' in a railroad car," he added regretfully. "That train boss got along

down at the g

stranger took it. "It's decent-mighty decent of you." Again his buoya

he stranger nearly clos

't any sort of train west till then. You best come along over to

up his property, and fel

e side by a fringe of wooden houses of every size and condition, with gaps here and there for roads, yet to be made, turning out of it. These houses were mostly of a commercial nature. Back of this he vaguely understood there to be a sparse dotting of other houses, but their purpose and arra

on discovered painted in indifferent characters upon a disreputable signboard. Then they turned w

effort at conversation, Gordon's interest and c

are we in?"

nta

d quickly at

lace is

e's F

ment set Gor

nake's Fall?" inquir

ctor told me 'most everybody was making for Snake's Fa

ha

laughed

r, only-you seemed to have a

ur

haven't

N

curious

r's eyes li

ain's. He's the boss. He's a friend of mine,

contained no suggestion of displeasure. However, he had made

t stood out in his mind was that he had gained another day on the wrong side of his ledger, and, however wrong he had been in his first attempt at fortune, his course had been hop

It was two-storied, with windows, five in all, and a center doorway. These were dotted on the face of it like raisins in a pudding. Its original paint was undo

istcoat was almost as cheerful as his face, and, judging by the sound of his voice as he talked to a numb

a better, Gordon still thought of his companion by

the-hotel?" said

ur

ached them fro

cried the loud-vo

ms to me I bought a ticket and just got off the train. Sti

her' ain't much of a shadow 'bout you, so

a view to trade. The man called

Mallinsbee-Silas Mallinsbee. I'm a ran

e decided to use two of his given n

Van Henslaer. G

w-do?" Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned to McSwain and the men on the veranda who were interestedly surveying Gordon.

n lau

ast minute," he added. "C

became

Ther's a room they calculated makin' into a bathroom back of the house, but some slick Alec figured the boys of Snake's Fall were preju

to protest, but Mallinsbe

m myself, and you'll find it elegant sleepin', if you don't

y about him that was quite irresistible to the younger man, nor could he forget the manner in which he had he

Windsor chairs, a table, an empty stove, a few nigger pictures on the w

ung down

n here, eh?" as Peter threw the book towards him. "Say," he adde

lacently, while Ma

are just going to start right into full growth with all the impetus of virgin soil. Snake's Fall, sir, is about to become the greatest proposition in the Western States, as a sure thing for soaking dollars into it. And here, sir, standing right at your elbow, is th

it cheerfully over Gordon's name in the book, while t

-" he began. But Mall

, and he's been talking ever since. Ther's jest one thing 'll stop Peter talking, and that's orderin' a drink. Whi

ee could not be doubted for a moment. And somehow Gordon felt it was a good sign. He

wink distorting most of his ginger-hued features. "They're all r

said Mallinsbee in his deep, rolling voice, a

on n

e confusion of gr

k and set thei

o think graft a specialty of this country, but guess I was wrong. I'd localized. It don't belong to any one country more than another. It belongs to life; to our human civilization. It's the time limit of life causes the trouble. Nature makes it a cinch we've all got to be rounded up in the get-rich-quick corral. We start life foolish. Then for a while we get a sight more foolish. T

Did you ever know a kid take his physic without the promise of candy, or the certainty it would come his way? That's graft. Say, ain't the gal you fancy the biggest graft of all? You don't get nowhere with her without graft. She'll eat up everything you can hand her, from automobiles and jewels down to five-cent candy. Then when you'

's. The tongue in the cheek of this native of Snake's Fall pleased him mightily. But the

rodigious appreciation.