The Son of his Father

he least necessity for his being there at all. Truth to tell, the matter appeared to him to be a perfect nuisance. He had rather liked Silas Mallinsbee when he had met him un

in a pair of old trousers tucked into top-boots and secured about his waist by a narrow strap. And it seemed positively indecent that he s

ad exercised such control, for their arrival at the house was the immediate precursor of an invitation to share their midday meal, which

use, and a committee of three had sat upon Sunset's injury and prescribed for an

cross the veranda. Hazel was superintending Hip-Lee's efforts. Gordon was endeavoring to solve the problem of the rapid and unexpected happening

d dumps me right down in the heart of the Promised Land, which just now seems to be flowing with milk and honey. I set out to view the dull black mountains of

girl's graceful figure about the plain but neat parlor. "I

umbled a ple

's got around with a heap of 'em, includin' that suit she's wearin'. Y'see, she's my foreman hoss-breaker, and reckons skirts and things are-pla

ther and pretended to t

y"-she turned her back to Gordon-"I appeal to you, Mr. Van Henslaer, is

folks to sleep in 'em. Others use 'em as a sort of club smoking lounge. Then they

lation of the horizon. He was interested

apped he

use it for?" she d

ich to have word sent to folks I didn't want to see

Gordon, but Hazel assumed

ere in the distance on the horizon, or walking about a room that isn't bigger than the bare size to sit in. Anyway, Mr. Van Henslaer, this office is for business. I won't have it disparaged by my daddy, or-or anyone

he was eating with the air of a man who

find almost anywheres on my land, and the other was the fates just handed me the picture of a daughter who caught the dangerous disease of 'notions' way down east at school in Boston. Since she's come along back to us I've had coal, coal, coal all chasin' through my head, an' playing baseball with every blamed common-sense idea that ever was there before. Wal, to tell things quick, I made a mighty big pile out of that coal just to please her. We didn't need it, but she guessed it was up to me to

ishing finger at the smiling face

his life, and prosperity's never turned him down. Then one day he found coal, and did nothing. We just used to talk of it, that was all. Then another day along comes a friend, a very, very old friend and neighbor, whom he's often helped. He came along and got my daddy to sell him a certain patch of grazing-just to help him out, he said. He was a poor man, and my big-hearted daddy sold it him at a rock-bottom price to make it easy for him. Three months later they were mining coal on it-anthracite coal. That fellow made a nice pile out of it. He'd bluffed my daddy, and my

daughter's charge, and Gordon,

ing there's just two of you, it's up to me to give the verdict Guilty!" he declared. "Have you any reason to show why sentence should not be passed upon you? No? Very well, then. I sen

in his mind as to any reason in his decision. He was caught in the enthusiasm of his admiration of the fair oval face of his hostess, whose unconventional camaraderie so appealed to his wholesome na

caught and held both father's and daughte

onths?" sm

ome time limit,"

an air of jud

ts powers?" he demanded. "There is a

ning was wi

ent's ruin?" d

without a mome

audience, now with serious

d his eyes from his plate and glanced at his host. They wandered across to and lingered for a

d custard and fruit he was devouring. "Just now I'm not hurt a thing, however, so that remark don't apply. You see, my yarn's just as simple and easy as both of

ious and frankly without disguise. But her father's was less marked by outward expression. It was

med. She had narrowly escaped scalding herself with the co

in' a big chance," said

nt was too great a strain fo

big talk, like fellows of my age and experience are liable to make to a fellow of my father's age and experience. Then I sort of got a shock, as sometimes fellows of my age making a big talk do. In about half a minute I found a new meaning for the word 'bluff.' I thought I'd got its meaning right before that. I thought I could teach my father all there was to know about bluff. You

o Mallinsbee's eyes, and Hazel f

Snake's Fall to-to

say that," r

ed meaning glances. Then the old man went on with his fo

I was my fathe

allinsbee look

on n

alary-and my allowance. It was an elega

ard was very near

out an 'innocent's' life

with profoun

bee shook his head. "Good," Gordon went on; "that makes it easy. If you don

d him steadily for

ur stake?" he i

these people. The girl's eyes were upon him, full of amused delight at the stor

ad to my credit at the bank. It don't sound much," he adde

ed a feller who can swear and scrap if need be, and one who can scratch around with a pen in odd moments. This thing is a big fight, and the man who's got the biggest heart and best wind's going to win through. My wind's sound, and I ain't heard of any heart trouble in my family. Now you ken come in in town plots so that when the boom comes they'll net you that one hundred thousand dollars. You don't need to part with that stake-yet. The deal shall be on paper, and the cash settlement shall come at the finish. Meanwhile, if need be, for six months you'll put in every moment you've got on the work of organizing this boom. Maybe we'll need to scrap plenty. But I don't guess that'll come amiss your way. We'll hand this shanty over for quarters for you, and we'll share it as an off

ed in their domestic life. Anyway, James Carbhoy's presence in the great bedstead beside her was made obvious by the heavy breathing w

lling upon. A panic followed. He had made a terrible discovery. It was his wife, and not the president of a

track. His wife had vanished. He rubbed his eyes. No, she hadn't. There she

etrated to his wak

snoring and wake up. I wish you'd pay attentio

ionaire yawned

ing. I'm worried, too. Go to sleep.

hrough you being so hard on him. You never did have any feeling for-for anybody. I'm sure he's suffering. He never talked this way before. Mayb

rowled the drowsy man. "You're making a

e had her way. She meant him to share in her anxiety through the text of the, to her, incomprehensible

REST

y. For instance, if any fool man came along and married our Gracie he'd be taking quite a chance. Her native indolence and peevishness suggest possibilities. Her tongue is vitriolic in one so young, as I have frequent

is by

or a jar. Personally I'm betting on the 'bump' play. A bump of that nature got busy my way when I arrived here. I now have a full appreciation of luck. Quite as full an appreciation as the man would who married our Gracie. But in my case I guess it's good

licate digestion, baked custard and fruit have advanta

a deal in it. Think it out. Another thought is that learning's quite a sound proposition. For instance, a superficial knowledge of geology may come mighty handy at unexpected moments. A knowledge of this served me at a critical moment only to-day. So you see an intimate acquaintance with sharp flints, collected-the acquaintance, not the flints-during my time as the possessor of an automobile, which the Dad provided me with and for the upkeep of which he so kindly paid, has likely had more influence upon my future life than the best talk ever handed out by a Fifth Avenue preacher ever would have done. I have no thought of being irreverent. I am merely handing you a fact. People say that missed opportunities always make you hate to think of them in after life. For my part, I've generally figured this to be the philosophic hot air of a man who's getting old and hates to see youth around him, or else the chin mush of some fool man who's never had any opportunities, talking through the roof of his head. I kind of see it different now. You g

Guess some folks might figure it to be a disease. Maybe

s regarded drawing such things by hand as positively ridiculous. I don't think that way now. If I could only draw the wonderful curves I have i

knowledge is so

lame chestnut horse can be a most friendly creature. I've discovered that one man of purpose isn't more than fifty per cent. of two, when both are yearning one way. I'm learning that life's a mighty pleasant journey if you let it alone and don't worry thi

the news I can think

ffectio

OR

reflections of a brother. When she grows up I dare say s

G

s she laid the letter aside. "You'll have to get him back

r a brief angry moment, resigned herself to the reflection that men, even millionaires, were perfectly ridiculous