Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-11-05

Rodney puffed at his cigarette IN 81.
lence.
'Yet I've grown very fond of the man."
he said presently. Hes brave, and he's
a gentleman"
I'm fond of him. too. wouldn't give
him up now for the world. intend to
stay right here until something happens"
Rodney finished his cigarette and threw
it away. IF you don't mind" he said,
"I'll steal over to your farmers and ride
horse to the club. I've feeling that
something may be doing in the outer
world, and that l ought to get next to a
ticket. I'll not be long, and don't think
they'll come back before afternoon"
Go, by all means. The man will give
you the horse and show you an inland
road, so you'll not fall in with these peo-
pie. We can get on all right until night
fall"
Rodney started to leave, then turned
again.
II was sore" he said, 'that first after
noon when l found you and Barbara hav-
ing tea here. I'll admit that I'd followed
her from New York, expecting to have a
clear field; but-well, one cant always
get what one wants, and there's luck in
this sort of a fight, just as there Is in
the Street. but it is a good fight, and
that's more than l can say for some of
the affairs one sees in town. I'm not
| sore any longer"
He smiled, and somehow his genuine
ness brought me to my feet
ITS a square fight all round" l said.
We went downstairs together, and
pointed out the way to the farmhouse.
Then | returned to my den to finish my
pipe, and to wonder If Rodney was going
to the club for news or only to see Bar
bara. The brief glimpse of her that MORN
ing had certainly set up both athrill
The hours slid past without exertion on
my part. Duponceau and | had lunch a
little after twelve, and then | returned TO
the study and stretched myself on the
leather couch, with book before my eyes.
The summer sun, warm and sensation
dulling, came in through the window, and
the salt breeze was as heavy on the eyes
as poppies. The world drowsed, the
beach and my house were too warm and
still and lethargic for action, and my eye
lids closed despite my best intentions. |
slept long, deep, and like a tired child,
without dreams.
There was a mans step on the stairs.
| sat up and rubbed my eyes; stretched
forth my arms and put my feet to the
floor. Rodney entered and Topped into
the leather armchair, an ironic smile on
his lips, his eyes bright with the news
that he brought.
"Well," he said, II know: Duponceau's
Etiennew
YES Etienne, the French Colossus, the
man who made fortunes in months and
lost them in hours, who planned to make
the poor of France rich and made them
poorer than before, the man who's played
hob with the markets of Europe for the
last six months"
l could say nothing; l was aghast.
THE most precious scoundrel of the
age" said Rodney, 'but aL;o potentially
, the greatest benefactor. 1t was a toss
which way his coin would fall, and it fel
wrong"
Well" said, 81 certainly never SHOULD
have thought it ~
Nor l." assented Islip; never, never
never"
How do you know?" demanded.
Its public property. It's all in thu
papers, he added, pulling newspape,
from his pocket and finging it over t.
me. HE escaped from France on a mer
chant vessel and landed on the New En-
gland coast, carrying with him paper
and securities of the greatest value.
score Of men have been trying to bag hin
and the papers without unnecessar!
noise"
"And we have been harboring him !"
added
1--WE certainly have, and doing our bes
to help him evade his enemies and max
off with the remnant of his spoils.'
Il can't help it," l said; 81 like him
and l don't believe he's as bad as peopl
make out. He's certainly a born leader.
80 was Napoleon answered Rodney
"and it wasn't until he failed that peop
saw the other side Of his genius. l fame,
Duponceau's genius-he might, perhaps
have been an empire-builder-bu his idea
went farther than his means, and so whel
his bubble bursts the world calls him
villain"
"If his intentions were good, where doe
the crime lie?"
Ito be continued.)
l