The Argosy, November 1908 — page 64: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

630 let us know when to expect them. We object, though, to a lot of tenderfoots prowling around and drawing their own conclusions. ‘““ And what’s more,” he added, with a vicious snap of his teeth, “ we won’t have it!” CHAPTER VIII. A COMMITTEE ON ENTERTAINMENT. REALIZING from Daffodil’s face that he was perhaps speaking with more vehe- mence than discretion, Jones broke off rather shortly. “Oh, well,” he said with an attempt at a laugh, ‘‘ what’s the use of getting one’s self stirred up over nothing? Be- have, whatever his mission may have been, has gone back home, and there’s an end to the matter.” And with that, he began pointing out to his companion the objects of interest in the surrounding landscape, and so con- tinued until they had reached her own gate, where, after he had assisted her to dismount, he excused himself on the score of business, and rode smartly away. Miss Prentice did not immediately go into the house, but stood gazing after his retreating figure, a light as of rebellion in her eyes. A girl is not without some comprehen- sion of what is in the wind, when, after receiving numerous letters extolling the merits of a certain young man, she is in- vited by her father to come half-way across the continent to a lonely mining- camp where the young man aforesaid is the only marriageable male in the place. Nor were there any doubts in her mind since her arrival as to the readiness of Mr. Ralph Jones to fall in with the pro- gram arranged. He had been at the train with her father to meet ‘her the night before, and this morning he had appeared, bright and early, to act as her escort, showing, by every word and action, that he already considered himself her natural protector and associate. No, Daffodil could not well cherish any illusions as to what was expected of her; and, if her expression could be ta- ken as any guide, she was already in re- volt against the plan. THE ARGOSY. It was not that she had taken particu- - lar exception to anything the fellow had said or done. His quizzing manner to- ward her, as of a lawyer with a refractory witness, she could pardon, remembering that he was used to dealing only with men. It was rather that her feminine sixth sense, upon which women chiefly rely, warned her to distrust this man, just as the same intuitive guide had told her that she might freely trust and confide in Dick | Behan. Yet, the one was vouched for by her father, and was open and aboveboard in all his relations with her; while she could not blind her eyes to the fact that the other had enveloped himself in mys- tery and that, as Jones had intimated, his mission might well be hostile to the pres- ent management of the Verdee mines. Indeed, she could hardly doubt that such was the case, remembering that she had first seen her late traveling com- panion upon the Ravenswood platform in close conference with her father’s in- veterate enemy, G. Weatherby. “Yes,” she told herself, “I suppose there can be no question but that his purpose was to play the spy, and do us harm.” Then, as the recollection came to her of Ralph Jones’s face when, in discuss- ing the possibility of any one’s attempt- ing to investigate the mine, he had pas- sionately declared, ‘‘ We won't have it,” a little, fluttering sigh of relief escaped her lips. ‘“Oh, I am glad, glad,” she breathed, “that, whatever his reason may have been, he decided to turn back.” She might, however, have felt less cause for thanksgiving, had she known of the conversation which was at that moment taking place between the mining superintendent and the man who had exchanged the mysterious signals with him near the Palace Hotel. Riding away from her, Jones had pro- ceeded to a secluded spot a little way off the trail leading from the village to the mines, and there waited impatiently until the mountaineer hove into view. “Well,” hetdemanded sharply, “ what’s, up now, that you're off post, and so crazy to see me? Some boys been snooping around over by the ravine again, eh?” comicloooks.cormn