| Show 0 0 0 copyright by breter B layte BEGINNING THE STORY FOR NEW READERS roberta antrim beautiful eastern society girt girl who lives with her uncle william B latham I 1 known a a crooked bill because of 0 his amusing slyness fly neBs receives it a telegram f ro rom m jaime miguel owner of the stancho valle verde in texas informing her her uncle tom antrim has haa died a violent death at the advice ot of glenn hackett who is in love with her roberta plans to so go to texas to protect her interests since she la Is her uncles sole heir to thousands sands s of sheep which antrim had impudently driven to graze graza on land controlled by don jaime don jaime unmarried and roman romantic t ic half spanish and halt half irish Is attracted to robertas picture in a magazine antrim la Is warned to take his sheep oft off don jaime ranch at once antrim ambushes don jaime the young ranch owner Is wounded and tom antrim killed on his body are ara found instructs instructions 0 ns to notify miss roberta antrim in the event of his death another Higue higueres nes telegram tells roberta her u uncle w was as killed by jim higgins don jaimes anglicized name latham tells her his fortune Is in danger and she decides to go to texas to get kantrims An trims estate to save it don jaime invites mrs 0 canby a aby his nurse and her crippled son robbie to stay at his ranch with the idea of 0 preserving the proprieties it if roberta as he hopes visits the ranch crooked bill lets his niece believe he has lost his fortune furthering a R scheme h he e hop hopes L s will forward Hac hackette hacketts ketts courtship hackett despite misgivings plays up to uncle bills sch scheme eme for or influencing g roberta robert a in his favor don jaime actu actuated abed chiefly by his romantic interest in the pictured roberta allows the antrim abee sheep ato to continue to graze on his ranch CHAPTER V continued 7 1 I know youre not dear uncle bill youre a perfectly good old sport I 1 have bave just had a long telegram from my lawyer in los algodones alo Alg texas lie ile informs me that the affairs of uncle tonis toms estate are in excellent shape and that tant lie died leaving even more sheep than was at first suspected there are about ten thousand lambs that will soon be ready for marlet market and which should bring ten dollars a head and there are upwards of 0 a hundred thousand pounds of excellent wool worth thirty cents a pound wily why it would seem tint that uncle toms estate will run close to hilf half a million dollars we should worry and grow wrinkles and gray hair darling the butler announced dinner and between the fish and the roast as per agreement glenn hackett commenced to question crooked bill adroitly as to the exact nature of his operations in the market roberta rioted noted a grim little smile playing across nac Ilac ketts face from time to time so presently with her customary impulsiveness she glie asked him to share file he joke with them its on your uncle bill he replied it Is my duty to inform you bobby that your uncle bill Is an antediluvian idiot who cant see the woods for the trees if he could hed had see a path out of this mess lies hes ln in a path as wide its as the boardwalk at atlantic city let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow uncle bill will no longer be a financial corpse lie ile will have commenced ills his resurrection how are you iou going to save uncle mil roberta demanded hackett ackett II proceeded to outline to her patiently and in words of one syllable 83 liable ills plan for the salvation of crooked bill 1 I understand perfectly glenn roberta noberta said when 11 at t last he finished youre wonderful wonderful friend the pla Is vetoed crooked bill declared virtuously friendship will bear up under anything except the indorsement endorsement Indor of notes or the swift heavy touch but uncle bill uncle bill raised his leonine head bead and his cold steel gray eyes ees flickered murderous lights at her there will be no fertl burtler or of this unpleasant subject he informed her coldly when crooked bill looked and spoke in that tone of voice roberta knew from experience that obedience was incumbent upon her her eyes filled with tears in a tremulous voice site she begged to be excused and withdrew crooked bills wild eyebrows went up as the girl left the room sties as big a crook as I 1 ant am he be declared proudly she at all distressed ashes just pulling the old stuff not on me this time but on ou my boy site she expects you iou to follow her out and comfort her do not disappoint her forward I 1 are you quite certain she prefer to be left alone sir air latham ashes all upset ILl listen billsten sten to tile me son I 1 know my onions the girls play acting va in I 1 glenn hackett ackett II va mosed within five minutes lie he returned with roberta on oil ills his arm ill hum am ill crooked bill reflected and she spent at least a minute making up tip her face I 1 four minutes to put over her loving plot against me the little crook I 1 I 1 lie ile beamed upon her im so sorry I 1 spoke crossly to my little girl lie he announced with V unction bobby kissed him fondly and gave him a little hug crooked bill was not one to gum up his own finely laid plans and presently with a full realization of the truth of the old adage that three Is a crowd he withdrew to his big room leaving glenn hackett ackett II to make what progress he could with the rebellious roberta but crooked bill did not retire lie ile smoked until ten at which hour he knew glenn hackett ackett II a creature of habit would depart for the city so crooked bill went down the back stairs crossed the lawn and waited halted for hackett at the entrance to crest did it work he demanded overtime hackett ackett II responded was waa she nice to you after I 1 left well er ah Il platonic agali I 1 crooked bill growled deep in his throat like hn an aged tiger go home you jellyfish youl be a bach elor dor in the south soul I 1 soa sea islands and on an island chirs whirs alv M they practice darr thoroughly disgusted lie returned to the house ile he had a presentiment that pate fate was in a manner of 0 speaking stacking the cards against him next nest morning crooked bill caught tin an early arly train to the city explaining that the sooner lie swept up the frag flag ments menta of ills his scattered fortunes the hotter better for all concerned roberta motored in a little later and went at once to glenn hacketts hackette Hac ketts ollice where s here he prepared and she signed a formal assignment of all of her right title and interest nt crest in and to her ter uncle tonis loins ermate to hackett for and in consideration of certain moneys to be advanced to her by hackett ILic LetL now then roberta hackett said when v hen the document was signed you understand that this Is a business deal front from first to last not a speck of sentiment in it so far as I 1 am concerned while you have given me security for the funds I 1 am to advance it may be that I 1 will be called apon upon to advance a sum in excess of the total value of your uncle toms estate consequently it Is of the utmost importance that the estate should be administered wisely and conserved I 1 have looked up your lawyer at los algodones Alg don Pruden prudencio clo alviso and he be appears to have an excellent record for probity but Is a poor business man it if I 1 lie ile assures me don jaime miguel Is most reliable and Is doing all that anybody can do to conserve the estate roberta hastened to assure hack hackett ett 1 I know but the thought occurs to me why Is don jaime miguel taking till all this trouble what do you mean to him ue ile la is a cattleman so why should he bother with your sheep my lly dear bobby I 1 am highly suspicious of that fellow bobbys bobbye lip drooped site she had not thought of don jaime in that light before and her common sense warned her that there might be more than a modicum of truth in hackette hacketts Hac ketts suspicions ile he saw the doubt he had planted burgeoning and hastened to aid its growth As I 1 told you before it Is impossible for me to go to texas to look after your affairs bobby your unfortunate uncle dare not leave new york at this time either ills his creditors creditor s m might ight think he was endeavoring to flee the country consequently I 1 think it Is of the utmost importance that you go to los algodones Alg immediately and investigate everything thoroughly but glenn I 1 dont know a thing about business and im afraid its too big an order 1 I disagree with you you tou have a feminine antul intuition of the highest degree of development it if you go there get acquainted with your lawyer and don jaime and after a few weeks discover that you have absolutely no mental reservations regarding either or both I 1 shall think it quite safe to leave your affairs in their hands for tile the present at least this adroit speech flattered roberta 5 since ince it was corroborating a belief she had bad a 1 ways entertained 1 e that she could look through men as it if they were glass her respect for iacketta nac ketta ketts intelligence and ability increased at once ill go to los algodones Alg just ns as soon as I 1 can get ready she declared fine roberta ne he escorted her to the elevator and upon returning to his office pressed a buzzer three times whereupon his secretary ushered in to him from an all adjoining room no less a person than crooked bill well have you sold her the idia ida that she should go to los algodones Alg he be demanded of the lawyer 1 I have she promised me she would go as soon as she could get ready crooked bill rubbed his hands pleasurably hackett ackett II handed him the assignment sign ment which roberta had just given him and crooked bill set fire to it and dropped it into hacketts hackette Hac ketts metal waste basket have you confidence in this jaime mr latham Hac klitt queried how do I 1 know hes a perfect stranger to me however his tattle fathe and grandfather were both muy caballero to tile the rith nth degree and never cared enough about money to get it by crooked or unfair means and im a great believer in heredity I 1 have a strong suspicion that dou don jaime balme Is equipped with a complete set ct of hibernian inner works and I 1 have never known a highly courageous roan man who was a weak man the crooks of this world axe are recruited from the week lings my boy however why should I 1 worry about a smear of sheep I 1 dont care two hoots in a hollow if they all starve to death im solely interested in promoting for roberta u journey to los algodones Algo Alg donos lit in order that she may see the other side of the picture don jaime la Is unmarried ive discovered that ant and if he falls to fall lit in love with roberta lies lit fit for treason stratagems and spoils it if slie she quarrel with him about that bound to full fall out avei over business because no man mail ever managed a wom ans business affairs without discovering in the long run that lie he had performed a thoroughly thankless task 1 I wish I 1 have to mix mis in her affairs I 1 dislike deception even innocent deception mr latham 11 you ungrateful pup bupt I 1 wily why ive placed bobby under a tremendous obligation to you and made it possible for you two to share a delightful secret in common all of which Is equivalent to scattering six inches of tanbark on the hard macadamized road of true love by pretend pretending im to lose my fortune I 1 drive off about 80 per cent of your competitors and shoo bobby out of her set in which she in might ight find other competitors for you As a promoter I 1 think im just about the bees knees myself but youre giving don jaime a free field and why not lies iles short and fat weighing about two hundred pounds if he the scientists are all wrong about heredity 1 I have known tall graceful and extremely charming irishmen sir mr latham I 1 but the spanish blood predominates in at least it did in his father they were originally As tur lanos and asturianos Astur lanos ianos are all me adlum sized and stocky cut but to return to don jaime in all probability he takes a bath after the fall roundup round up and has never seen a bathtub except in a hotel lie ile will have it a luxuriant niagara falls type of black mustache and use perfume lie ile will talk with a strong spanish accent and four fifths ot of his life Is undoubtedly spent in his shirt sleeves lies iles just it a husky border cowman I 1 tell you do you see bobby falling for a man like that no 0 0 I 1 youre a suspicious yankee glenn your motto Is trust everybody but cut the cards well I 1 must be toddling along I 1 think ill take on oil a line of united drugs ive had a tip that been quietly absorbing about twenty five hundred chain drug stores meanwhile you keep picking on roberta to get her out ot of town and in order to soothe your new england conscience im flat going to spread about a hundred thousand margining a line of united drugs for you it if the deal shows a profit by the time you marry roberta it will be yours if tt it shows a loss send me a reasonable bill for professional services As a panch hitter for cupid I 1 think youre it a total ruin glenn hackett ackett II declared how come im satisfied that roberta in love with me so am I 1 L cut but im also satisfied that she thinks a thousand per cent more of you than of any man living and if you remain indifferent to her even let her see you out with another girl occasionally have to marry her in self defense ile he shook his stick at hackett remember your battle cry Is on to Tex texas astI 1 CHAPTER VI roberta shopped e d for two weeks spent another two weeks on a houseboat bo it party among the thousand islands and departed for los algo dones where diore shall I 1 address you bobby crool ed hill bill queried at the man alan slot slon house in los ioa Algo dories 0 N o dear address me ine in care of doti don jalina miguel Higue higueres nes vant T Vl hat nt crooked bill started as it if bee stuns stung you ou going to put lit up at the alie hacienda ha clendi clenda why why the mans m in s it a bachelor ilow how do you sou know tie ive been making inquiries about him hi in well oll hn his housekeeper a mrs gin can by ins has iN ritten nio me inviting me to be ills his guest don jaline jaime was ill at the time and write me personally lut but lie lid did write ft rite at the bottom of urs mis gibbis letter J al IL II mrs ganby says sas they hue have a lovely place line and tint that ill be much more comfortable corn for table at the rancho valle alle verde erde linn ilian at any hotel in tint that country crooked dill bill was assailed by the feeling that in some inexplicable way wai ills well bald lild plans were ft ere doomed to go aft agley on 11 write me frequently fre and tell me all about it wont you hunn huney roberta promised and kissed him goodby good by bi five dis days later she and mignon her mald maid with three huge trunks and five pieces of liand hand baggage were depos cited on a lonely sun warped platform at tile the little flag station of valle verde so this said roberta looking around her after the train had re its journey Is texas teas good gracious trac lons mignon whit what Is that noise it sounds like a zoo at feeding time said s ild mignon apprehensively apprehensive and looked behind her oil oh its eattle eattie she elie added relieved A quarter of a mile out on the plain in a compact mass a huge herd of white faced cattle wire were milling slowly and bellowing continuously owhy mii there knust be thousands thon sinda of phenil roberta gasped and was vas grate fill thit that the station platform which was fit at least live feet feel 0 off if the ground appeared to offer reasonable sanctuary from attack from I 1 rom around the corner of the sta tion a min man appeared hat in lia hand nd aless antrim he queried yes indeed said roberta grate grat e fully full and waited for him to name himself im |
