Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-07-04
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Fmf CTS Lynn
copy light. fsc4. by The Bobbs-MerriI Co.,

CHAESESR XXIV.-CoNr1NUED.
The editor wagged his head in SYM
pathy.
Il wish l could help you, David.
You've done a big thing for me-for
in return is death sentence. Mac
Farlane is back"
Here? In town."
Eyes. And that isn't the worst Of
1t. The governor sent for him"
Have you any idea what is in the
wind?" asked Kent, dry-lipped.-
I'm afraid have. My young men
have been nosing around in the Trans
Western affair, and several things
have developed. Matters are approach
ing crisis. The cut-rate boom is
about to collapse, and there is trouble
brewing in the labor organizations.
If Bucks doesn't get his bench
men out of it pretty soon, they
will be involved in the smash-which
will be bad for them and for him,
politically"
81 developed most of that a good
while ago." Kent cut in.
Yes; know. But there is more
to follow. The stock-smashing plan
was all right, but it is proving too
slow. Now they are going to do some
thing else"
Can you give it a name?", asked
Kent, nerving himself.
81 can. But first tell me one thing:
as matters stand, could Guilford dis
pose of the road-sell it or lease it?"
NO; he would first have to be made
permanent receiver and be given
authority by the court"
"Ah! that explains Judge MacFar-
lanes return. Now what l am going
to tell you is the deadest of secrets.
1t came to me from one of the Over
land officials, and I'm not supposed
to gossip. Did you know the Overland
Short Line had passed under Planta-
gould Nomination."
Il know they elected Plantagould
directory at the annual meeting"
Exactly. Well, Guilford is going
to lease the Trans Western to its COM
petitor for term of SO years. That's
your death sentence"
Kent sprang to his feet, and what
he said is unrecordable He was not
n profane man, but the sanguine
temperament would assert itself ex-
plosively in moments of sudden stress.
When is this thing to be done?"
he demanded, when the temperamental
gods were appeased a little.
HAdreth shrugged.
Il have told you all l could, and
rather more than 1 had any right to.
Open the door behind you, won't you?
The air is positively sulphurous''
Kent opened the door, entirely miss
ing the point of sarcasm in his heat.
But you must have some idea," he
insisted.
II haven't; any more than the gen.
eral one that they won't let grass
grow under their feet"
mo. God blast the whole wish
/ could swear in Sanscrit. The mother
tongue doesn't begin to do Justice to
1t. Now l know what Bucks meant
when he told me to take my railroad,
II l could get it. He had the who
thing coopered up in a barrel at that
minute"
Il take it you have no alternative
to this" said the editor, tapping the
pile of affidavits.
mot a cursed shred of an idea!
And, Hildreth-" he broke off short
because once again the subject sud-
denly grew too large for coherent
speech.
Hildreth disentangled himself from
the legs of his chair and stood up to
put his hands on Kent's shoulders.
you are up against it hard, Da-
vid." he said, and he repeated: I'D
give all my old shoes to be able to
help you out"
81 know it," said Kent; and then he
turned abruptly and went away.
Between nine and ten o'clock the
same evening Kent was walking the
floor of his room, trying vainly to
persuade himself that virtue was its
own reward, and wondering if a small
dose of choral hydrate would be de-
fensible under the cruel necessity for
sleep. He had about decided in favor
Of the drug when tap at the door
announced the coming of a bell-boy
with a note. 1t was a message from
Portia.
''If you have thrown away your
chance definitely. and are willing TO