Show 0 01 JUDI 0 D M hayne 0 a a may ca Q copyright by peter mettr B D zyne 17 N u service 4 4 BEGINNING THE STORY FOR NEW READERS roberta antrim beautiful eastern society girl who lives with her uncle william 13 latham known as C crooked bill because of 0 his amusing slyness receives a telegram from rom jaime julme maguel owner of the hancho vall vail verde to in texas informing her her uncle tom antrim has died a violent death at the a advice of glenn II ackett who Is in in love with iier her roberta plans to go to texas to protect her interests since she Is her uncles sole heir to thousands of sheep which antrim had impudently driven to graze on land controlled by don jaime malroe don jaime unmarried and romantic romanti halt hall spanish and halt half irish la Is attracted to robertas picture in a magazine antrim Is warned to take his sheep oft don jaimes ranch at once antrim ambushes don jaime the young ranch owner Is wounded and tom an antrim t rim k killed I 1 ailed on h his 1 body 0 are found instructions to notify miss bliss roberta antrim in the event of his death another telegram telegram gram sell tells roberta froberta her uncle was killed by jim fliggins don jaimes anglicized name latham Lii tells her life his fortune Is in danger and she decides to tn go to texas to get kantrims An trims estate to save it don jaime invites mrs ganby hla his nurse and her crippled so son robbie to stay at his ranch with the idea of preserving the proprieties it if roberta as he hopes visits t the he ranch crooked bill lets leta his niece believe he has lost his fortune furthering it a scheme he ha hopes will forward courtship II ackett despite misgivings plays up to uncle bills scheme tor for influencing roberto roberta in hla his favor don jaime actuated chiefly by his romantic mantlo ro interest in the pictured roberta allows the antrim shee sheep p 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 just had a long telegram from iny cay lawyer in los algodones Alg texas lie ile informs me that the affairs of uncle toms estate are in excellent eicel lent shape and that lie he died leaving even een more sheep than thannas wag at first suspected there are albut ten thousand lambs that will n soon be ready for market find and which alch should bring ten dollars a head and there are upwards of a hundred thousand pounds of excellent wool worth thirty cents a pound why it would seem that uncle toms estate will run close to halt half a million dollars we should worry and grow grov wrinkles and gray hair darling the butler announced dinner and between the fish and the roast as per agreement glenn II ackett commenced to question crooked bill ad rotely ns as to the exact nature of his operations in the market roberta noted a grim little smile playing placing across becketts Bac Ilac ketts puritanical face from time to time so presently with her customary impulsiveness she asked him to share the file joke with them its on your uncle bill he replied it Is my duty to inform you bobby that your sour uncle bill Is an alan idiot who cant see the woods for the trees if he could hed see a path out of this mess lies hes in a path as wide vide as aa the boardwalk at atlantic city let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow uncle bill will ft no longer be a financial corpse lie ile will have hae commenced his resurrection how are you iou going to save sae uncle cill roberta demanded hackett ackett II proceeded to outline to her patiently and in words of one syllable ills his plan for the salvation of crooked bill 1 I understand perfectly glenn roberta said when at last he finished youre toure a wonderful wonderful friend the alah pla Is s 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 and ills his cold steel gray eyes ees flickered murderous lights at her there will tie be no fuetter dis cassion of tills 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 ace site she begged to be excused and withdrew crooked bills wild eyebrows went tip op as the girl left the room ashes as big a crook as I 1 ant am he declared proudly site she at all distressed sites just pulling the old stuff not on me tills this time but on you mybon ms boy she expects you to follow her out and comfort her do not disappoint her forward ill are you quite certain she prefer to be left alone mr air latham Lat hani ashes fill all upset listen to in nip son I 1 know my onions the girls play acting osell 1 glenn hackett ackett II va mosed within five minutes lie he returned return ci with roberta on oil ills his arm crooked bill reflected and she spent fit at least a minute making up tip her face I 1 four minutes to put over lier her loving plot against me the little crook I 1 1 ile he beamed upon her ber irm im sr ro sorry I 1 spoke crossly to my little girl hs he announced with hypocritical unction bobby kissed him fondly and gave him a little hug crooked bill was not one to gum up hla 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 bla room leaving glenn hackett to anke what progress he could with the rebellious roberta but crooked bill did not retire lie ile smoked until ten at which hour he be knew glenn hackett a creature of 0 habit would depart tor for the city so crooked bill went down the back stairs crossed the lawn and waited for hackett at the entrance to hillcrest nill crest did it work lie he demanded overtime II hackett ackett responded was she nice to you after I 1 left IV well ellor ell or er all ah 11 in tonic agga ill crook crooked e d bill growled deep in his throat threat like hn an aged tiger go home you jellyfish you be a bach alvr etor in the south sea islands Island sand ii on an island they practice polyandry dr I 1 F thoroughly disgusted lie returned to the house ile he had a presentiment that pate fate was in a manner of speaking r stach stacking ang the cards against him next nest morning crooked gill bill caught on an early train to the city explaining that the sooner lie swept up the fragments of his scattered fortunes the better for nil all concerned roberta motored in a little later ond and wont went at once to glenn Ilac ketts office where he prepared and she signed a formal assignment of all of her right title and merest in and to her uncle tonis toms estate to hackett hackitt for and in consideration of certain moneys to be advanced to her by hackett ackett ll now then roberta hackett ackett ll said when the document was signed you understand that this la Is a business deal from first to last not kot a speck of sentiment in it so far as I 1 am concerned while you have given nae me security for the funds I 1 am to advance it may be that I 1 will be called lipon to advance it a sum in excess of the total value of your uncle toms estate consequently Gon it Is of tile the utmost importance that the estate should be wisely and conserved I 1 have looked up your lawyer at los algodones Alg don prudencio Pruden clo alviso and he appears to have an excellent record for probity but Is a poor bustness business man it if 1 I ile he assures me don jaime miguel Is most reliable and Is doing all that anybody can do to conserve the estate roberta oberta It hastened to assure hackett ackett ll 1 I 1 know but the thought occurs to me why Is don jaime miguel taking all this trouble what do you mean to him lie ile Is a cattleman so why should he bother with your sheep my dear bobby I 1 am highly suspicious of til fellow bobbys bobbye lip drooped 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 to in Hac hackette hacketts ketts suspicions pic ions lons lie 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 tills this time either ills his creditors might think he was endeavoring to hee flee the country consequently I 1 think it la Is of the utmost importance that you go to los algodones Alg immediately tied investigate everything thoroughly but glenn I 1 dont know a thing a bout about business and im afraid its too big an order 1 I disagree with you you tou have a feminine intuition of the highest degree of development it if you go there get acquainted with your lawyer anil and don jaime and after a few weeks discover that you have absolutely no mental reservations regarding either i or both I 1 shall think it quite safe to leave your affairs in their hands for the present at least this adroit adwolt speech nattered flattered roberta since it was corroborating a belief she had always entertained 1 e ei that she could look through men as if they were glass her respect for Hac hackette hacketts ketts intelligence and ability increased tit at one once ill go to los algodones Alg just as soon as I 1 can get ready she declared e fine roberta lie ile escorted her to the elevator and upon return ing to his office a three times whereupon his secretary ushered in to him from an adjoining room no less a person than crooked bill well have you sold her the idea that she should go to los algodones Alg he demanded odthe lawyer 1 I have she promised me she would go as soon as she could get ready crooked bill rubbed his hands bands pleasurably hackett handed him the assignment sign ment which roberta had lust just given him and crooked bill set fire to it and dropped it into Ilac ketts metal waste basket have you confidence in this jaime mr latham queried how do I 1 know lies iles a perfect stronger to me however his father and grandfather were both muy caballero to the 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 don jaime Is equipped with a complete set of hibernian inner works and I 1 have never known a highly courageous man who was a weak man the crooks of this world are recruited from the weak lings my boy bo 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 ila solely interested in promoting for roberta it journey to los algodones Algo Alg donos in order that site she may see the other side of the picture doti don jaime la Is unmarried ive ie discovered that and if he falls to fall in love with roberta lies fit for treason stratagems and spoils it if she t quarrel with him about that bound to fall out avei over business because no man ever managed a wom ans business affairs without discover ing in the long run that he ind had performed a thoroughly thankless task 1 I wish I 1 dlan t have to mix in her affairs I 1 dislike deception even innocent deception mr latham you lou ungrateful cupl why ive placed nobby bobby under a tremendous ob gatlon ll to you ou and made it possible for you two to share a delightful secret seera t in common all of 0 f which Is equivalent to scattering six inches of tanbark on the hard macadamized road of true love dy by pretending 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 might find other competitors for you As a promoter I 1 think im just about the bees knees myself gut but youre giving don jaime balme a free field 1111 and why not lies iles short and fat weighing ing about t two 0 hundred pounds if he isn t tile the scientists are all wrong about heredity 1 I have known tall graceful and extremely charming irishmen mr latham I 1 but the spanish blood injates 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 but to return to don jaime in all probability he be takes a bath after the fall round roundup up and ilas has never seen a bathtub except in a hotel ue ile will have a luxuriant niagara falls type of black mustache and use perfume Us he will talk with a strong spanish accent and four fifths of his life Is undoubtedly spent in his shirt sleeves hes just it 11 husky border cowman I 1 tell you do you see cobby bobby falling for a man like that to no 0 o ol 01 I 1 youre a suspicious yankee glenn your motto Is trust everybody but cu cut t the cards well I 1 must be toddling along I 1 think ill take on a line of united drugs ive had a tip that been quietly absorb ing about twenty five hundred chain drug diug stores meanwhile you keep picking on roberta to get her out 0 of town and an in order to soothe your new england conscience I 1 im m 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 tt if it shows a loss send me ale a reasonable bill for professional processional services As a pinch hitter tor for cupid I 1 think youre a total ruin glenn hackett declared how come im satisfied that roberta in love loie with me so am 1 I but im also satisfied that she thinks a thousand per cent more of you than of any man living and if 11 you remain indifferent to her even let her see you out with another girl 0 occasionally acas iona ily have to marry her la in self defense ile he shook his stick slick at ll ackett Keme Rem niber elliber your bittle L cry Is on to Tex texas astI 1 CHAPTER VI roberta shopped for two we weeks eks spent another two weeks on a houseboat party among the thousand islands blinds anil and departed for los algo dones dines where diore shall I 1 address you nobby bobby crooked cru 1 od bill I 1 queried at the man slon house ho csc in los I 1 os AlgO Algodon dOlles Ls 0 N o dear clear address me in care of don miguel what iau crooked bill started as it ile stung slung boll ou going to put up at tile the ha clenda why why hy tile hie finans in ins it a bachelor bich elor 11 if how w 1 do I you know ae ie been malting making inquiries about him well c ills housekeeper a mrs birs canby 1 lia liis written mitten uie tile rne me to be ills guist guest don jaime was ft as III nt at the alie time and write me personally kit lie he did write at the bottom ot of mrs airs Gati bys letter J al II 11 mrs irs gariby says they hue have a lovely place 1 anc and thit that ill be much more corn com table nt at the rancho valle alle verde erde than ali lit at any hotel in thit that country crooked lill bill was assailed by the reeling tint that in some inexplicable way a ills well MH bild lild plans were doomed to go aft agley 1 on 11 write me frequent ij 17 and tell me all about it wont you ou lionell lio neyl roberta promised promise and kissed him goodby good by bi the five dis days later inter slie she and mignon her maid with knitli three huge trunks and five pieces of hand baggage were depos tied on a lonely sun warped platform nt at the little flag dig station of valle verde so tills this salt salil roberta looking around her after the train had re sinned its journey Is texas good gracious mignon what nhit Is that noise it sounds like a zoo at feeding time said mignon apprehensively and looked behind her oil oh its eattie she added relieved A quarter of a mile out on the plain in a compact mass a huge herd of white faced cattle were milling slowly and bellowing continuously 1 why liy there must be thousand thou of I 1 alieni ill roberta gasped and was grate rul ful that the station platform plat firm which was ft as tit at least live five feet feel off the ground appeared to offer reasonable sanctuary from attack from around the corner of the sta tion a man |