Out of the Burning

2P - w, HILE Pamela gratified old Granny Turner's last wish, Judge Harrison laid careful plans for enticing this lost daugh- ter to her rightful home. Judging from the standards which Portia had set, money would be the great lure. He consulted the county sur- veyor in order to establish proper boundary lines. He inspected the recorder's files, to |make doubly sure there was no flaw in his title to the Turner farm in Crow's Nest. He wrote to a capitalist who, he knew, was looking around for a good investment. He engaged the services of a geologist who would estimate the extent of the coal field. And lastly, he wrote an eminent mining engineer. He would need to know the char- acter of the coal and the cost of marketing it. Satisfied with his plans, he mailed all the letters himself as he sauntered home. He visioned a quick bonanza, a veri- table El Dorado. Fortunately, the full cars of coal would have a down hill grade; that would be a real factor in cheaper production. He figured he might have to resort to extreme measures of law, if the former owner refused to move Out of the Burning, Chapter SIX peaceably. Those idolent moun- taineers had queer notions about their old homes, anyway. But the time had arrived to assert his own- ership. He had not paid the taxes upon that land for nearly twenty years without a purpose. Pamela would be awed by the 'sudden wealth of her father! He could now offer her all the expensive luxuries which modern youth seemed to demand. He visioned black, lustrous coal changing into autos, beautiful clothes, country clubs, with Pamela and Portia the center, of all attractions. A girl who knew her history and liter- ature like this young lady was worthy of all the consideration he could show. Eunice would have By IVY WILLIAMS STONE to give her up. Echo would be glad to accept her. Portia must recognize her sister. 1 HE lost Pamela was coming into her birthright. How brilliant she was! What a lawyer she would make! Thus, day dreaming, the judge turned into his own walk, up his own steps as one in a trance. He would have walked past the porch swing where Portia and Spike Reeves lounged, had that young man not called familiarly, "How many bootleggers did you send up today, Judge?" "Benjamin," said Judge Harri- son sternly. "Kindly respect my office, if not me. Young man," he continued, "how do you support yourself? Do you perform any gainful labor?" It was bad enough to be called Harold, as his teachers insisted, but Benjamin was too intolerable! Spike Reeves flushed, hitched up his plus-fours and answered flip- pantly, (Continued on page 520)