Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-12-13
watss 70 uss wn,1e the dam-putld,ng

whole settlement is likely to go dry
through the summer while Wykamp
10 tearing out and putting in. That
stirred up horaet's nest, right, and
when the buzzing began in good earn
| est he came to me and wanted advice
and help"
"And you gave both, presume?"
~ gave him Scotch blessing, and
sent him of with a bee in his bon.
net to keep the hornets company. &
was still pretty warm under the col.
lar. But about that time you were
trying your best to drop out, and
when he tackled me again
weakened. told him there wasn't
anything to do but to grin and bear
tt-since he'd thrown up his chance
but he'd got wind of the placer
claim alternative and he has been
crazy to have mo jump on. I haven't
made move. I'm holding off-jib
sheet free and head to the wind,
ready to come about at the critical
moment. There's no hurry. It's
working beautifully without me just
now; settlers holding Indignation
meetings in the schoolhouse, where
asing and resolving, and everybody
mad enough to fight at the drop Of
the hat. My part has been to pour
oil on the troubled waters; not too
much oil, you know, but just enough
to keep somebody from killing some
body else; and promise you I've had
my hands full. One pot-shot from be-
hind bowlder just now would spoil
the whole conspiracy"
rs anyone likely to fire it?" I
asked.
Macpherson wagged his head dubi-
ously.
There are plenty of itching trig-
ger-fngers hereabouts just now, and
one of them is going to crook itself
some dark night if Wykamp doesn't
have a spasm of common sense. What
do you suppose he's up to now?"
made the sign Of acknowledge;
and Macpherson drew his chair
nearer and lowered his voice in def
erence to the Dionysian-ear quail
ties Of the loosely built house.
you know his attitude toward
toward Winnie-Miss Sanborn? Well,
he changed it in day; came here
two or three times and tried to see
her, and when she wouldn't he be-
gan on the girl-Selter's daughter.
I don't know how far it has gone, but
far enough to make family row,
with the father and mother on one
side and the girl on the other. OF
course, Nan believes in him and
stands up for him; but Jake knows,
and loads his rife accordingly"
"There'll be MURDER" 1 ventured.
"I'm afraid of it. And at this time
it would be most confoundedly in
opportune. The news of the fight
with the land company has gone
abroad in the county and the state,
and public sentiment is with the set
tiers. But if one of them should for
get himself and happen to kill the
land company's chief engineer-well
you see what would happen; public
sentiment would take the other side
in the turning of leaf"
"Assuredly. Can't you bring the
girl to her senses?"
| Macpherson grinned. "I've already
burned my fingers in that fire
burned them rather badly. You
haven't forgotten about the pony and
the riding-lessons, have your"
"No."
"And, besides, I have funeral Of
my own and can't furnish mourn
ers for Wykamps. I'd much rather
furnish the corpse"
Silence, for the space of full min
ute, and then I say: "You haven't
found out anything more?"
"Not syllable. I've been respect
ing her prohibition as much as I
could, feeling as I do, and coming
here every night We meet and
speak and pass, and that's all there
is to it. But I've seen and heard
enough to make me feel murderous;
she fairly shudders at the mere men
ton Of his name"
II wonder what he did to her?"
II don't know; but I'm beginning
to suspect that Nan does. Tiff it's
anything-anything bad"-the words
came hard-"it would be like the
fend to boast of it to another
woman"
"You mustn't jump at conclusions,
else it will be your itching trigger
finger instead of Settlers. Why do
you think Nan knows?"
II can't tell; it's in the air. I've
caught her looking at Winifred in
q way-but don't make me talk about
it-don't make me talk about any.
thing. Turn over and go to sleep, OF
shall go away"
/ was too weak to withstand him
and, truly, sleep was again knock.
ing at the door. But when the door
was opened and closed again, q
dream came between and I saw wy.
kamp directing the work on dam
in precipitous canyon-saw hin
and wondered that had not before
remarked that his ears were pointed
and that pair Of satyr-horns curle6
gracefully over the visor of his out
ing-cap.