Ranching For Sylvia Volume-554 - Harold Bindloss (best black authors TXT) 📗

Come Over To-Night."  His Voice Grew Deeper And Softer

As He Continued.  "I Want To Thank You And Your Father For Your

Surprising Generosity."

 

Volume 554 Chapter 24 (George Feels Grateful) Pg 181

"Surprising?" Responded Flora Lightly, Though She Was Stirred By The

Signs Of Feeling He Displayed.  "Do You Know You're Not Altogether

Complimentary?"

 

He Smiled.

 

"You'll Forgive The Slip; When One Feels Strongly, It's Difficult To

Choose One's Words.  Anyway, To Get That Seed, And So Much Of It, Is An

Immense Relief.  I'm Deeply Grateful; The More So Because Your Action

Was So Spontaneous.  I Haven't A Shadow Of A Claim On You."

 

Flora Put Down Her Sewing And Looked At Him Directly.

 

"I Don't Think You Ought To Say That--Do You Wish To Be Considered A

Stranger?"

 

"No," George Declared Impulsively.  "It's The Last Thing I Want.

Still, You See--"

 

She Was Pleased With His Eagerness, But She Checked Him.

 

"Then, As You Have A Gift Of Making Friends, You Must Take The

Consequences."

 

"I Didn't Know I Had The Gift.  My Real Friends Aren't Plentiful."

 

"If You Begin To Count, You May Find Them More Numerous Than You Think."

 

"Those I Have Made In Canada Head The List."

 

The Girl Felt A Thrill Of Satisfaction.  This Was Not A Compliment; He

Had Spoken From His Heart.

 

"After All, I Don't See Why You Should Insist On Thanking Me As Well As

My Father, Who Really Sent You The Seed."  She Paused.  "You Didn't Do

So On The Last Occasion; I Mean At The Time When It Was Promised To

You."

 

This Was Correct, And George Was Conscious Of Some Embarrassment.

 

"Well," He Said Firmly, "I Think I'm Justified."

 

Flora Could Not Contradict Him, And She Was Glad He Felt As He Did.

She Liked His Way Of Sticking To The Point; Indeed, She Was Sensible Of

A Strong Liking For The Man.

 

During The Next Minute Or Two Her Father Came In.  He Cut Short

George's Thanks, And Then Took Out His Pipe.

 

"I Was In At The Butte Yesterday," He Said.  "The Police Have Got The

Men Who Knocked Farren Out, And Flett Says They Mean To Press For A

Smart Penalty.  It's About Time They Made An Example Of Somebody.  When

I Was In, I Fixed It Up To Turn Langside Off His Holding."

 

Volume 554 Chapter 24 (George Feels Grateful) Pg 182

Flora Looked Up With Interest.

 

"But How Had You The Power?" George Asked.

 

"The Man Owes Me Four Hundred Dollars For A Horse And Some Second-Hand

Implements I Let Him Have Nearly Three Years Ago."

 

"But He Has Broken A Big Strip Of His Land; It's Worth A Good Deal More

Than You Lent Him."

 

"Just So.  He Owes Everybody Money Round The Butte.  I Saw Taunton Of

The Store And The Implement Man And Told Them Langside Had To Quit."

 

"You Seem To Have Found Them Willing To Agree."

 

Grant Broke Into A Grim Smile.

 

"What I Say To Those Men Goes.  Then I've Got Security; They Know I

Could Pull Langside Down."

 

George Looked At Flora And Was Slightly Surprised At Her Acquiescent

Manner.

 

"It Sounds A Little Harsh; A Good Harvest Might Have Set Him Straight,"

He Said.  "However, I Suppose You Have A Reason For What You're Doing."

 

"That's So.  Langside's The Kind Of Man I've No Use For; He Takes No

Interest In His Place.  After He Has Put In Half A Crop, He Goes Off

And Spends His Time Doing A Little Railroad Work And Slouching Round

The Saloons Along The Line."

 

"It Doesn't Seem Sufficient To Justify Your Ruining Him."

 

"I've Got A Little More Against The Man.  Has It Struck You That

Somebody Round Here, Who Knows The Trails And The Farmers' Movements,

Is Standing In With The Liquor Boys."

 

A Light Broke In Upon George.  Now That The Matter Had Been Put Before

Him, He Could Recollect A Number Of Points That Seemed To Prove The

Fanner Right.  When Cattle Had Been Killed, Their Owners Had Been

Absent; Horses Had Disappeared At A Time Which Prevented The Discovery

Of Their Loss From Being Promptly Made.  It Looked As If The Offenses

Could Only Have Been Committed With The Connivance Of Somebody In The

Neighborhood Who Had Supplied Their Perpetrators With Information.

 

"I Believe You've Got At The Truth," He Replied.  "Still, It Must Be

Largely A Matter Of Suspicion."

 

Grant Leaned Forward On The Table And His Face Grew Stern.

 

"You'll Remember What Flett Said About Our System Of Justice Sometimes

Breaking Down.  In This Matter, I'm The Jury, And I've Thought The

Thing Over For The Last Six Months, Weighing Up All That Could Be Said

For Langside, Though It Isn't Much.  What's More, I've Talked To The

Volume 554 Chapter 24 (George Feels Grateful) Pg 183

Man And Watched Him; Giving Him Every Chance.  He Has Had His Trial And

He Has To Go; There's No Appeal."

 

George Could Imagine The Thoroughness With Which His Host Had

Undertaken His Task.  Grant Would Be Just, Deciding Nothing Without The

Closest Test.  George Felt That The Man He Meant To Punish Must Be

Guilty.  For All That, He Looked At Flora.

 

"Have You Been Consulted?" He Asked.

 

"I Understood," Said Flora.  "And I Agreed."

 

Her Face Was As Hard As Her Father's And George Was Puzzled.

 

"I Should Have Thought You Would Have Been Inclined To Mercy."

 

Flora Colored A Little, But She Looked At Him Steadily.

 

"Langside Deserves The Punishment He Has So Far Escaped.  He's Guilty

Of What My Father Thinks, But There's Another Offense That I'm Afraid

Will Never Be Brought Home To Him."

 

George Admired Her Courage As He Remembered A Very Unpleasant Story He

Had Heard About A Pretty Waitress At The Settlement.  As A Matter Of

Fact, He Had Doubted It.

 

"Flora Went To See The Girl At Regina.  They Found Her There Pretty

Near Dying," Grant Explained Quietly.

 

Recollecting A Scene Outside The Sachem, When Flora Had Accompanied

Mrs. Nelson, George Realized That He Had Rather Overlooked One Side Of

Her Character.  She Could Face Unpleasant Things And Strive To Put Them

Right, And She Could Be Sternly Just Without Shrinking When Occasion

Demanded It.  This, However, Was Not An Aspect Of Hers That Struck One

Forcibly; He Had Generally Seen Her Compassionate, Cheerful, And

Considerate.  Then He Told Himself That There Was No Reason Why He

Should Take Any Interest In Flora Grant's Qualities.

 

"I Suppose Langside Will Be Sold Up," He Said.

 

"Open Auction, Though I Guess There Won't Be Much Bidding.  Folks Round

Here Don't Know The Man As I Do, But They've Good Reason To Believe The

Money Will Go To His Creditors, And There'll Be Nothing Left For Him."

 

"The Foreclosure Won't Meet With General Favor," George Said Pointedly.

 

"That Doesn't Count.  It Strikes One As Curious That People Should Be

Ready To Sympathize With The Slouch Who Lets His Place Go To Ruin Out

Of Laziness, And Never Think Of The Storekeepers' Just Claim On The

Money He's Wasted.  Anyway, There's Nothing To Stop People From

Bidding; But, In Case They Hold Off, We Have Fixed Up How We'll Divide

The Property."

 

It Was Obvious To George That The Position Of Grant's Associates Was

Volume 554 Chapter 24 (George Feels Grateful) Pg 184

Unassailable.  If Any Friends Of Langside's Attempted To Run Prices Up,

They Would Only Put The Money Into His Creditor's Pockets; If, As

Seemed More Probable, They Discouraged The Bidding, The Creditors Would

Secure His Possessions At A Low Figure And Recoup Themselves By Selling

Later At The Proper Value.  George Realized That Grant Had Carefully

Thought Out His Plans.

 

"I Don't Think You Have Left Him Any Way Of Escape," He Said.

 

"No," Replied Grant; "We Have Got Him Tight.  You Had Better Come Along

To The Auction--You'll Get Notice Of It--And See How The Thing Goes."

 

George Said That He Would Do So, And Shortly Afterward Drove Away.  On

Reaching Home He Told Edgar What He Had Heard, And The Lad Listened

With A Thoughtful Expression.

 

"One Can't Doubt That Grant Knows What He's Doing, But I'm Not Sure

He's Wise," He Said.  "Though Langside's A Regular Slacker, He Has A

Good Many Friends, And As A Rule Nobody Has Much Sympathy With Exacting

Creditors.  Then It's Bound To Come Out That It Was Grant Who Set The

Other Fellows After Langside; And If He Buys Up Much Of The Property At

A Low Figure, The Thing Will Look Suspicious."

 

"I Tried To Point That Out."

 

"And Found You Had Wasted Words?  Grant Would See It Before You Did,

And It Wouldn't Have The Least Effect On Him.  You Wouldn't Expect That

Man To Yield To Popular Opinion.  Still, The Thing Will Make Trouble,

Though I Shall Not Be Sorry If It Forces On A Crisis."

 

George Nodded.

 

"I'm Getting Tired Of These Continual Petty Worries, And Keeping A

Ceaseless Lookout.  I Want To Hit Back."

 

"You'll No Doubt Get Your Chance.  What About Miss Grant's Attitude?"

 

"She Agreed With Her Father Completely; I Was A Little Surprised."

 

"That Was Quite Uncalled For," Said Edgar With A Smile.  "It Looks As

If You Didn't Know The Girl Yet.  These Westerners Are A Pretty Grim

People."

 

George Frowned At This, Though He Felt That There Was Some Truth In

What His Companion Said.  On The Whole, He Was Of The Same Mind As

Grant; There Were Situations In Which One Must Fearlessly Take A

Drastic Course.

 

"The Sooner The Trouble Begins, The Sooner It Will Be Over," He Said.

"One Has Now And Then To Run The Risk Of Getting Hurt."