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Show Page 53 Chapter 9 Mrs. Bernard Like Matt Rash, Ann's former fiance, Hiram (Hi) Bernard was from Texas. A slow-talking, slow-moving, slow-to-anger man, Bernard had been working for the Haley Two Bar since 1894. He was the manager who arranged with Rash in 1898 for the formation of the dividing line on the east side of Brown's Park. Bernard was a wise cattleman and his knowledge of when to buy cattle and when to sell them made him a valuable employee to Ora Haley. Unfortunately for Bernard, his judgement of women was not as sound as his judgement of cattle, at least where Ann Bassett was concerned. This was despite the fact that Bernard's first meeting with Ann, on a remote mesa near Brown's Park, was anything but pleasant. Bernard was touring the range on Douglas Mesa that spring day. A lone rider appeared, a smallish imp of a woman sitting astride a superb horse, looking as though she had grown there. Bernard recognized her immediately- At last he was going to |
