Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-04-21
CHAPTER I'LL

n,
We are going to do in the way of digging
up your park, before we go too far with
1t. Prof. Huntley mentioned the matter
twice last week. And after considering
it, we concluded that you ought to see
for yourself. and fully understand the
situation. We have concluded that our
researches must be much more extensive
than we at first contemplated. And per-
haps Prof. Huntley thought that an addi-
tional compensation ought to be given
you under the circumstances; and has
made such statement to the-to the
Board" said Mr. Mason, on a Saturday
afternoon some two weeks after the oc-
currences detailed in the first chapter.
Il wish you would take her away.
somewhere, Mason" exclaimed John
Wlckly in mock despair. shes in one
OF her teasing moods, and has been tor
menting the life out of me for the last
hour. Don't take her, though, unless
you are fully satisfied that you can en-
dure unutterable things For | think
she takes about as much delight in teas
ing you as me-"
Teasing! Now, Mr.. Mason, you shall
Judge between us. Here are the Chicago
papers with accounts of the meeting of
the Wicklif heirs, illustrated with life
ike portraits OF great many OF them
pa included. Now don't you think that
family ought to get an estate of fifty
milllons-simply upon their personal good
looksT
lhere was very merry twinkle in the
mischievous brown eyes of Lizzy Wickly,
a q 81 hn Oh f,,nx Al 4
grasp with which her father attempted
to get possession of the papers.
Now, remember, Mr.. Mason, that this
Is the way the Wicklif, or Wickly, heirs
appeared, to fair and impartial artists
who delineated them to the life. Aren't
they ugly? There ought to be some pen
atty attached to such unmitigated ugli-
ness as these pages display"
oh, bless you; there is. A very harsh
penalty, too; since the victims never live
long enough to serve out the sentence"
retorted Mr.. Wickly, with a laugh that
had something artificial in it to Mr..
Mason's ear. Therefore he hastened to
say:
IF you are ready, Miss Lizzy, and
don't mind the walk"
you" said Lizzy, putting on her hat be-
fore the little mirror over the dressing
case.
They went along the sandy street
hedged with an enormous growth of wild
hemp and jimson weeds, wherever the
absence of a dwelling made it unneces-
sary to clear away the rapid growth of
the hot June days. People stared at
them out of windows, and came to the
doors to prolong the view after they had
passed.
Little squads of men ceased talking as
they came up, and preserved a critical
and vigilant silence until they were well
past these spots on their way to the
woods. Everywhere Sandtown had its
three hundred pairs of eyes upon the pc
destrians, and did not attempt to conceal
that fact. Lizzy blushed little indig
nantly.
81 haven't got accustomed to the vii
lage Argus yet" she said with light
laugh, as they turned out of the road
leading eastward and took their way up
little straight lane crowded with the
staple jimson and wild hemp, the dead
white stalks of both plants glistening like
bleached skeletons with knotted joints
among the dark lustrous green OF the lux
uriantly growing young plants.
Nor has the village Argus come to
know you thoroughly" answered Ir
Mason, smiling. when it does come to
make your acquaintance thoroughly, you
will find it the most docile of animals
even winking at the largest of your pee
misunderstanding that these are of
any magnitude at all"
(Which is an unwarranted assumption,
sir. Haven't been perfect, even in the
critical eyes of the village Argus?"
There was the light and bantering air
of the merry young woman out to be
entertained, and entertaining, certainly
But there was also quick and search
ing after-glance that might mean some
thing more, something deeper.
"Do you mean to ask me a conven-
tional question which should have con-
ventional answer, Miss Lizzy? You know
| am so used to the bare and abstract So
luton of plain arithmetical and alge-
braic propositions and problems that"
He hesitated and glanced at her doubt
fully.
"Let me be solved by the very sternest
rules of your science, Mr.. Mason" she
said, with her brows drawn just trife,
and the short upper lip now so COM
pressed as to hide the CLEAN of her very
pretty white teeth. ~ suppose that in
very truth young woman is seldom fav-
ored with calm and impartial judg-
ment upon herself from competent
source. And really, l think that all of
us have a secret craving to measure our
selves with those who have already at
tanned eminence in some laudable di-
rection."
"And have you, too, that distrust of
the hasty and formal conventional YER
dict, that leads us to desi-o to have the
verdict reviewed againT he laughed
"Come this way. Miss Wickly. You will
be Houndering between a Scylla of wal
nut stump and Charybdis of jimson
weeds in a moment And that calls me
back to what had intended to say of
the village Argus. became acquainted
with 1t late enough in life to hate and