Page:Jackson Gregory--joyous trouble maker.djvu/100

84 against him. He is the cause of my being about so early this morning. He has camped upon the south-west corner of my land and, though told to move on, has so far refused to do so."

The keen probe of Joe Embry's eyes from between slightly narrowed lids merely indicated that he waited for her to continue, reserving his judgment.

"He offered yesterday," Beatrice amplified succinctly, "to buy a section in there from me at a figure too high for grazing land of that type or inaccessible timber lands, too low for mineral lands. I refused to discuss the matter with him. His answer to me now is that already he owns eighty acres of my land. That if he doesn't obey orders to move on now it is because he is camped upon his own property."

Even now that she had summed up the essentials of the case Joe Embry held his thoughtful silence. A glance at him showed her that his eyes were hard and expressionless, that the muscles of his face were set in rigid inscrutability. Before he spoke he transferred his gaze from her to his hand which he raised slowly and held in front of him, studying it quite as though it and not William Steele were the matter under discussion. It was a large hand, even for a man, and altogether beautiful, as well groomed as Joe Embry himself, as eloquent of quiet strength, the fingers long, slightly tapering, firm, looking to be rarely sensitive.

Suddenly he lifted his head, looking straight and deep into her eyes, his expression altered, his lips relaxed into a smile.

"Dear lady," he said lightly, "I should hold myself