Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/337

Rh on it as idealistic talk of a boy who doesn't understand the situation. Those fellows have a huge conceit for their point of view."

"Then your opinion is that Ken won't be able to do anything?" asked Corbell.

"Not because of any reasons he may give. I don't know whether, if he presses it strongly enough, Boyd will give way to him on grounds of affection or not. I believe he is very fond of Kenneth. Personally I think he will not. What do you think, Bert?"

"I agree with you," said Corbell.

"Gosh! It's kind of tough on Ken!" cried Bill Hunter. "Tough on Ken!" repeated Frank Moore, disgustedly. "You fellows make me sick! I'm not worried about Ken; I'm thinking about the old Colonel. Ken's young. He's got a tough time coming out of this—sure! But he'll get over it. That's his business. Got to take that sort of thing as it comes. But the Colonel won't get over it. You take Corona del Monte away from him now, and he's going to die, that's all! Quit your thinking about this kid and his poor feelings and get down to brass tacks."

"You're right, Frank," agreed Corbell to this outburst. "I think we ought to give Ken a chance to see what he can do, but 1 think we ought t6 assume for purposes of discussion that he will fail."

"You bet your life he'll fail," growled Moore.

Then ensued a short silence. Nobody, apparently, could think of anything.

"The Colonel," said Corbell hesitatingly, after a moment, "probably did more kind things to me personally when I first came out here to go into the ranching business than any of you know. I'd do anything I could for him, and I'd take up his notes myself like a shot if I could afford it."

"The Colonel's done a lot for every man jack of us," struck in Carlson, "but if he hadn't done one damn thing for me I'd be there with the bells on to my limit. Fellows, it's a bad thing for the human race to see a man live his life as kindly, as affectionately, as nobly, as broadly and unselfishly as Colonel Peyton has in this community, and then at the last seem to fail.