Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-12-30
CHAPTER Xxx.

When Tom, seated on Saladin, over
took Ardea on the morning after the
night Of offenses, she greeted him quite
as II nothing had happened, challeng-
Ing him gaily to gallop with the val
ley head for its goal, and refusing to be
drawn into anything more serious than
joyous persifage until they were re-
turning at walk down a boulder
strewn wood road at the back of the
Dabney horse pasture. Then, and not
till then, was the question of Nancy
Bryerson's future suffered to present
itself.
Il thought of It last night" said Ar
dea, nodding toward a cabin near the
Majors kennels. TT Is Just the place
for Nancy, II she can not, or will not.
60 back to her father. After break
last, / shall send Dinah and a man up
70 set things in order. and she can come
as soon as she likes. She won't mind
the loneliness. Japheth will go after
her when we are ready; and II you ars
prudently wise you viii havebus,nes-
in South Tredegar for the next few
days"
That looks like lodging; and don't
like to dodge"
You will have to do many things
you don't like" she remarked. But
you shall be permitted to carry your
full share Of the burden. mean to let
you give me some money, II you can
afford 1t, and I'll spend It for you"
Charity Itself couldn't be kinder"
he asseverated. And, luckily, I can
afford 1t. But"
He was looking at her wistfully, and
the old longing for sympathy, for the
sympathy which has been quite to
the bottom of the we'll where truth lies,
was about to cry out against this rix-
citing Of the fetters of misunderstand-
ing and false accusation
But you would rather spend 1t your
self?" she broke in,. fancying she had
OWNED his thought That can not be.
The one condition on which shall con-
sent to help Is the completest isolation
for Nan. You must promise me you
will not try to see her. I am hoping
against hope that none OF the Mountain
View avenue people will find out what
you did last night"
I'll keep out Of her way, II you can
keep her out of mine. All care Is to
know that she is comfortably provid-
ed for"
In the comment of the simpler mind
ed Gordonia folk, the iron masters son
had finally made it up with Nancy,
and here the note Of approval was lot
wholly lacking. There were good
hearted souls to say that boys will ,.
boys, and to express the hope that Tom
would go on from this beginning and
make an honest woman of Nancy by
marrying her
But Tom did not know Of II. He
was in the crucial month of the panic
year, striving desperately to maintain
the foothold given to him by the Pipe
casting invention, and he had littl.
time for the amenities. So II came
about that he escaped for the moment;
or, which was quite the same, he did
not know he was pursued. Another
Northern city, with Its full complement
of grating officials, was in the mar
ket for some train-loads Of water
mains, and again Thomas Jefferson
was fighting the old battle of con-
science against expediency this time III
the evil-smelling bitches where the
dead and wounded lie.
You are sure you went into It tho.-
oughly, Norman7~ he demanded of his
lieutenant, when the latter return ID
from a personal reconnaissance Of the
field. THE break they are making a,
US seems almost too rank to be taken
at its face value"
"Oh, yes; dug 1t up from the bot
tom," said the henchman. It's rotten
and riotous. The political machine
runs the town, and the bosses own tht
machine. So much to this one, &c
much to that, so much to half a dozen
others, and we get the contract"
THAT comes straight, does it?"
'As straight as a shot out of d gun
They got together on it, eight of the
big bosses, called me in and told me
flat footed what we had to do" said
the salesman. "Oh, tell you, those
fellows are on to their job"
mo chance to go behind the returns
and stir up popular Indignation, as we
did in Indiana?" suggested Tom.
mo show on top Of earth. The rims
owns or controls two Of the dailies, anG
has the other two scared. Besides
they've Just had their municipal cleo.
ton"
Tom took the afternoon local for Soutt
Tredegar. The lump sum required fol
the bribery was considerably In excess
of his balance in bank. Notwithstand.
ing the strtngency Of the times. hi
made sure he could borrow; but 1t wa,
in some vague hope that the mora
chasm might be widened to impassi
bility, or decently bridged for him. tha
he was moved to state the case in ie.
tail to President Henniker Of the Iror
City National Mr.. vancourt Hennike
could dig ditches, on occasion, making
them too vast for the boldsst borrowe
to cross, but TOMS credit was gilt
edged, and In the present instance tn,
president chose rather to build bridges
I'VE have to shut our eyes TO goot
many disagrssable things In businssa
ss-