Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-01-27

could moment ago, because the tirne
for which l have been waiting has
come. You remarked that you thought
the Farleys were at the end Of their
rope. They were not until to- day, but
to-day they are. Every piece of prop
erty they have. including Warwick
Lodge, is mortgaged to the hilt and
this afternoon Colonel Duxbury put
his Chiawassee stock into Hennlker's
hands as security for final loan-so
Norman tells me. Perhaps 1t would in
terest you trihe to know something
about the figure at which Henniker
accepted it."
1t would, for fact Buddy"
We'll, he took 1t for less than the
annual dividend that 1t earned the year
we ran the plant; and between us two,
he's scared to DEATH at that"
why, Buddy, son! we're plum ruin
ed-and SOS old Major Dabneyl"
Don't you worry, pappy. Our part,
since Colonel DuXbury saw fit to freeze
us out, Is to say nothing and saw wood
If the Major comes to you, you can tell
him that my word to him holds good:
he can have par for Ardea's stock any
time he wants 1t, and he could have it
just the same II Chiawassee" were
wiped off the map-as it's going to
be-"
But Tom; tell me"
Not yet, pappy; be patient Just
little while longer and you shall know
all there is to tell. I'm leaving you
with clean conscience to say to any
w "A al lxd no
Caleb had struggled up out Of his
chair, and now he laid hand on his
sons shoulder.
Il amt askin', Buddy" he said, with
tremulous quaver in his voice; II
amt askin' livin' thing. I'm just a.
hopin'-hoptn' III wake up birne-by
and find it's on'y bad dream" Then,
with sudden and agonizing emphasis:
They been butcherin' one mother down
yonder for four long weeks!"
Il can't help that!" was the savage
response. TITS battle to the death,
and the smoke of 1t has got into my
blood. If believed in God. as l used
to once, I'd be down on my knees to
Him this minute, asking Him to let me
live long enough to see these two hypo-
critical thieves-thugs-san
hit the bottom!"
He turned away, walked to the north
end of the veranda, where the flare OF
the rekindled furnace was redly Visible
over the knobs, and presently came
back.
Il said you should know after lit
tie: you may as well know not. plan
ned this thing; 1 set out to break
ia 7
moment too soon. In another week you
and Major Dabney would have had
chance to sell out for little or nothing.
or lose it all. Farley had it fixed to be
swallowed by the trust, and this Is how
1t was to be done. Farley stipulated
that the stock transaction should figure
as forced sale at next to nothing, In
which all the stockholders should par
| ticipate, and that the remainder OF the
| purchase price, which would have beon
fair figure for all the stock, should
be paid to him and his son individually
as a bonus!"
The old iron master groaned. In
spite of the hard teaching of all the
years, he would have chung to soma
poor shadow of belief In DuXbury Far
ley II he could have done so.
That's ALL" Tom went on, strident-
ly; 'all but the turning of the trick
that put them in the hole they were
digging for you and the Major. Vint
Farley had no notion OF letting Ardea
bring her money into the family Of her
own free will: he planned to rob her
first and marry her afterward. Now
I'm going down to tell them both what
they're up againstl Don't sit up for
me-"
He had taken a dozen strides down
the graveled path when he saw some
one coming hurriedly across the lawns
from Deer Trace, and heard a voice
the voice of the woman he loved-cau-
ing to him softly In the stiffness:
Toni o Toni" is said, please wait
Just one minute!"
But there are emotions mightier, mo-
mentarily, than love. and vengeance is
one. He mad@as IL he did not see or
hear; and lest she should overtake him,
left the path to lose himself among
the trees and to vault the low boun-
Diary wall into the pike at a point safs-
ly out of sight from the gate.
(To be continued)