Show e N 0 o e e LAWS 01 E EN v A t i div fai JL N assi P PETER E E it be B ILYN E by peter a zyne km tr r y ir ft S N ass C q L It ceford kershaw Ke last lait malo mem her or of the th kershaw clan dle dies suddenly with hip hl daughter lorry r at the th close cloe of the blex mexican ican war waln rod anto nto I 1 northeastern california liars her be h found ian I 1 ain Ideall villey for or to futhey cli it benc camj valley below valley la is abeta 69 valuably abl to tract which ker Ke kershaw shaws wife christins I 1 I 1 J 1 haisler Hi isler ai Tex nj etalea kettil ett lea 9 anth t li lowr 0 tithe valley the there I 1 is bad aioo I 1 ances and an ii water ater for irrigation 3 C rah knis honal hanaley and blood feud 1 li own on by 1917 rance kershaw Ke his hi son on owen and daughter lorry are re til all that remains remal not of one ns siau laiL nale or aih ole survivor on the th hens hentley Is side ila K cots coe mthr cr car and nd finds her father hag aas died of heart dla forlorn valley banker schemes to control the th irrigation and hydroelectric hydro electric possibilities 0 of eden valley he proposes propose to play nt nate against lorry assuming that they th eyare are carrying on the old feud in this way iway retting getting ot of the key blands lands necessary nece to the project nato nate however has no anten intention tion of 0 carrying on an the feud CHAPTER CHAPT ER V continued s the deputy sheriff rolled a comical eye at the editor 1 I seen the boy since he was in high school here but from what little I 1 know 0 his tribe I 1 should say none 0 that breed ever made a threat they made promises an kept em 1 11 I sized him up that way the editor replied after eliciting from brainerd all the news the latter had mr air rooney strolled rolled et away to distribute ills his tidbit of gossip around valley center almost the first place he went was to the bank of valley center henry roo aby in charge during babions Bab sons re received him 1 T I see young nate baite TIch enors back in the country an ranee kershaws Ker shaws kicked the buckets died 0 heart dl disease right smack ain front of the bar U H gate atean ean nate ate tichenor an lorry kershaw I town own together an thic kern thieves when the cats away aminy the mycell play 1 I 1 suppose liah who 0 told you all this I 1 in Q T I 1 it 1 1 R k f f i im i m 11 J b d r 1 was ini 0 1 tin an g va bim the 1 l st 0 rv 1 l 1 ilij ft amr i abat ana nafe e alep is n 0 rp p ali bad lof 1 mr murmurs 1 burkly dur kly 1 I never eibi liked ahlm lilii dye y m m ea ganito 1 ato tell me hes around with lorry kershaw now helping her ber 0 out utan in her trouble sir mr 1 rooney nodded the bap hypocrite ritel I 1 mes hes hack back here to smash the kershaw bershaw outfits not another reason in life bill ranee rance ker shaws estate must owe tichenor moren three hundred thousand dollars an for the past three years old ranee rance has been using clam shells and woodpeckers pec kers heads for money interesting situation very interesting when he turned to wait on a customer sir mr rooney continued on to the valley center gara geto discharge another load of his interesting information arrived back at the circle K headquarters with lorry kershaw and miss alias lizzle lizzie bachman nate tichenor after the fashion of a rural neighbor did the chores ile he realized thru that with the men all away lorry would have had to ta do them ile he ate his dinner in silence for both he and lorry were acutely aware of the presence of miss bliss bachman ISa climan and distrusted her after dinner hr hip kindled a 10 log g fire to in the living room fl fireplace replace ile he was a straight well set up young man not overly thick but muscular he cad bad a little crescent out of his left ear and a taint faint white scar about three inches long iong ran across his bis left temple and disappeared into his hair ills his t teeth were strong een white and well cared for ills his nose thin and high and a fraction too long tended to spoil what would otherwise have been a handsome face but lent to him film tin an air of distinction it was the nose of a thoroughbred a thin thinker her ills his eyebrows heavy and almost black were a bit overhanging thus giving to his glance an expression of alertness and directness particularly when he asked one a question lorry had already observed that he moved with quick motions like one very sure of blin himself self and in the pink of physical condition about eight thirty the nurse retired as her bedroom door closed behind lie her nate tichenor arose shoved an easy chair toward the fire and waved lorry I orry into it he remained standing until she had seated sealed herself too roo bad your father here when 1 I called this morning I 1 might have preserved his life for many years tichenor snapped ills his lingers angers kismet he murmured we thought you were waiting until we got in so deep we swim out then you could smash u us a more easily had I 1 chosen to smash you a long time ago there was nothing to stop me you were helpless then why you 1 I need the money and I 1 knew I 1 could uld always protect myself I 1 could have gotten the ran chat 25 per cent of its value As a x matter of tact fam I 1 did plan to buy your mortgage surely you do not cot think I 1 am so careless ns as botjo depta clase watch on the kershaws Ker shaws 11 your people fimple always wanted alf all ot cf eden vally valley of 0 course so lod ea ro biby tife ao 60 mortgage rati die and tote cl close ose I 1 I 1 I 1 1 0 eipl o oi pl ild 16 au lynnd old lt it because 0 only 1 in I 1 n thit w by could i t be as ai suad aured the Kershwa Kershaw si be an il planned 1 to 1 l abu yon time to ihrk workout kout out off of the jam eln then theli if you make the grade I 1 planned to buy your outfit lock stock and barrel at a fair price owen was dead bifid your 0 ur father was a cripple and you operate the business of course I 1 could operate it she challenged and I 1 shall the cattle business businesses 19 bound to recover its getting belter bater eiery every day within two ciari years feet b e ct w i selling at ten cents on the ranch 1 I do not doubt that thal who Is your fathers fathera foreman 1 I am since graduating from the university in 1021 1 I have operated this business I 1 do a mans work I 1 know W had I 1 chosen to smash you a r C long time ago there wis was NOW noth ang to stop fi me eartle eaf tle andi acif i know kno amy xiii job J 06 1 I can ride rope and brand aridi busl my own saddle stock I 1 hire and I 1 fire ive had to dolt and you want on doing if the gill I 1 no nodded diled A well carry on 1 I cannot cannot unless you buy the rinh mortgage to protect me and yo your sek otherwise it will be foreclosed in a few days he suggested go to see babson and say that I 1 am inclined to grant you additional time provided he will do the same 1 I cant understand why you are so kind its a fault I 1 inherited from my father A tiny smile flitted flirted around ills his firm mouth your grandfather tried hard to be neighborly to my grandfather but my grandfather was and mean and stupid and play the game as a result he spoiled all subsequent opportunities for his clan its my chance now dow and I 1 have a curious yearning to make good particularly since it will not cost me anything he added bluntly as it if ashamed of his chivalry 1 I thank you more than I 1 can say weve been paying the bank in valley center 12 per cent on our unsecured loans well 12 per cent Is legal in this state miss kershaw Ilo however wever strike babson tor for a reduction to 7 give him an argument you may win bab sons jon probably as hard bard as B a picnic egg but he manhave may hare have an unsuspected idoft oft spot apol d 1 I wish I 1 could agree but li I 1 flita find chii that impossible our ranc ranch h was mott mortgaged to toa a saris san francisco francis col ba nl but recently babson bought it from 1 0 them t 11 he has a hen on said nate alche nor and ill have to find out whether its a bantam or a plymouth rock bock A 9 coward ind and a potential crook money mad A schemer scheme miss aliss lorry he wants the circle k K ranch when he ascertained from i my att attorney ortley that tle the bar H was not for sale he be decided to acquire the circle K so immediately he purchased I 1 your mortgage but why has he developed this sudden Jn interest terest in eden valley 1 1 I do not know but I 1 intend to find out however hell biever never own the circle K whenever you find your yourself unable to hang bang on to it im the rightful heir to it Under understand perfectly youre sure you will not permit him to crowd me sure this a generous impulse because you find roe me in such a sad case today an impulse you may with reason regret next week ile he drew a checkbook from his inner breast pocket went to her desk and signed a check in blank you fill that in tor for what your fathers estate owes babson and his bis bank he be ordered curtly and secure me with your promissory note she tossed the check in the fire your interest in me she demanded 1 I can understand sympathy and gentlemanly kindness but not a blank check that could be filled in for nearly two hundred and ninety thousand dollars 1 I met your brother owen in france it was before Cant cantieny cantigny igny I 1 was the chief of na N 4 section of my battery and my gun got bogged in a small shell hole in the road the teams were new half trained and uh unused to draft and the dreyers drayers were boise worse so I 1 had a lot of plunging and tugging no coordinated co effort t and ill there ere we stuck there was an lafan itri try resting s i bythe ald e of the 3 road arid pretty acion soon si a private alia ite came up and told the green lead driver to dismount and let him try I 1 saw by the way tills this doughboy soothed the ex excited horses that he knew horses so I 1 took the place of the driver on the swing team fortunately I 1 had a good driver pa fin the wheel team so presently with the canno and spare drivers at the wheels and pushing behind we gathered our teams and made one steady concentrated pull and the tha gun came out and when the ln infantryman dismounted from the lead team owen kershaw and I 1 recognized each other I 1 said thanks kershaw kersha w im obliged to you good luck to you 11 what did owen say the girl asked softly nothing miss lorry ills his face sort of twisted you see we were all exhausted and hungry and thirsty and wed been through a lot of mud and blood and I 1 suppose we each had the same thought that the hensley kershaw feud was a pitiful thing I 1 know I 1 had a vision of eden valley lust just then perhaps owen did too because he commenced to cry silently and then he came toward me and I 1 commenced to cry too we dian didn t say anything because there was noth ing to say just leaned against each other and thumped each others backs and were quiet about it owen walked beside me up the road a little his arm through mine and finally he said nate maybe my dog tag will beat mp me back to eden valley but if you take care ot of yourself lowre gar back with both your dog tags and when ion yon do call all on on the old man and andLor lorry and tell them its an order froni from me that youre t to 0 stay tor for dinner der 4 i L dia be e say my anything about I 1 the water ys te he besard besa said Td I 1 gewere we 11 idere were 4 to 1 5 rb nave veit it and a nd that llorea bout it as ai soon as 8 li agot got the ne opportunity so 80 1 I told h hani in already promised to let leamy iny people ae 0 hive have it and that pleased him and I 1 promised him id be a rood good neighbor and fight as hard for the kershaws Ker shaws hereafter as our clan had had ever fought against then them T that hat affected him very very deeply and he dragged me oft off the road and we swore blood broth brotherhood brotherto erho od each to the other and then we embraced like two sentimental frenchmen and wire were ashamed of it because we were both hillbillies hill billies and I 1 went on with my section and he went back and flopped with his weary squad and here I 1 am and ive been a long time getting here why did you delay nate 1 I kept remembering him bilm he pointed painted to the bedroom door and how he spoke to me that morning I 1 came to ask tor for the water I 1 was afraid hed never understand so I 1 thought id wait and not bother him and gradually inculcate in him the belief that I 1 a bad sort of citizen I 1 see now that was poor strategy life the girl said drearily Is a game that Is played to be lost ills hand strayed over and imprisoned hers poor little sister sla terl 1 be murmured so hopeless and bitter and the sun just rising over eden after a long eclipse lite life may be a game that Is played to be lost but well play it like sportsmen and go smiling to bur defeat CHAPTER VI nate tichenor Tic slept at the bar H that night but returned to the circle K kearly early next mo morning coining ining with two men he had i picked up in valley center lie ile set them at once to the ta task ot digging ranee rance kershaws Ker shaws grave in the family cemetery lorry kershaw ing out to them the desired deidre d spot about noon the coffin arrived from valley Cent erand he helped the man who ho delivered it place kershaw in it IL then he lunched with lorry and all miss as bachman at one thirty he and lorry hitched ili attean te a m to a fagoni and bw he drove it grouhal around and andal I 1 de ed d the team in I 1 tronton of tai theoule sho hise at attao two the girl met his inquiring glance bravely and andraid and said sald we lve as well vel i proceed nate nat e Nob odys coming io to my fathers funeral with the aid of two of the hired men he carried ranee rance kershaw out to the wagon and mounting the seat drove his late enemy on the latter lattee last pilgrimage while lorry mis hiss bachman Ca climan and the two laborers followed in the kershaw car at the grave Tic read the funeral service the men covered the grave tichenor gave them each a ten dollar bill and with lorry and miss bachman returned to the house he was rather proud of the manner in which lorry had carried on even eve though he had expected her to exhibit the traditional courage of her clan that affected him irn very deeply a and nd he dragged me off the th road and we swore blood brotherhood throughout the remainder of the afternoon he sat with the two women in the file ranch house bouse veranda and was talkative to a degree only excusable in ill hi 0 0 own w 13 mind because he bo had the cus cul tomary masculine belief that it was his duty to keep dorrys mind off her troubles evidently miss bliss Lizz lizzie lili bach nian inan was similarly inspired ile he enjoyed and was certain lorry did also the efforts of miss bachman to elicit from bilm him information as to his comings and go ln s biece iiii lie eden valley for three hours he be withstood her assaults then weary and discouraged excused himself and motored buck back home to the comforting presence of his silent valet TO DB BE CONTIN UlBiA |