The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-05-08

nights sleep for your own good. Tom.
I'm talktn' plain to you, my boy. be-
cause good deal depends on 1t. The
chances are million to one that there'll
be some shootin' before you'n STAN
Thicker get through with your arg,l.
ment, and cool head and steady
hand are mighty useful things to have
at such time"
"I'm cool enough, SIR" replied Tom
Strickland. ...7.
But the colonel shook his head.
''Tom," he said, ~ want you to prom
Use me to go quietly home right now
and go to bed. After tonight the games
In your own hands, and you can play
1t any way you see at. This is all I'm
goin' to ask of you. Go home and get
good nights rest, Tom" There was
Just the least shake in the speakers
| voice.
Tom Strickland hesitated.
Go home, Tom." said Colonel Tod
hunter. II wouldn't be true friend
Of your father If l let you take any
foolish chances in an affair Of this
kind. And I'm thinkin' Of Mary, too,
when l say this You go home now"
The colonel's grim lips were trembling
little.
Tom Strickland nodded. "All right,
colonel" he spoke finally. "I'll go
home. l won't try to do anything fur
Their until tomorrow, sir"
"Thats all I ask, Tom" replied the
| colonel.
But he saw to it that the younger
man got away from the perilous scene
without being subjected to temptation
that might compel him to break his
word. And then, knowing that Tom
Strickland was safely on the road
home, Colonel Todhunter looked up
Sim Birdsong without losing a mo-
| ment's time.
"Sim," he said. II want you to see
STAN Tucker tonight without fail and
tell him not to come into town to-
morrow. Just say this to him-that
Tom Strickland's lookin' for him on
account o. this here Lottie-May Dog
|
trouble If they meet, and then you
come back here and tell me what he
says. I'm tryin' to prevent shootin'
scrape, Sim, and this is the only way
can see to do it,
"All right. colonel" replied Sim.
''Tll look up STAN Tucker right away
and deliver your message. then III re-
port to you again. subj"
"I'll Just be eternally condemned"
communed Colonel Todhunter to him
| self when Sim had departed on his
| mission, IF any other man meddled in
serious private difficulty Of mine like
| I'm meddlin' in this of Tom Strick-
lands I'd tell him in pretty plain Ian
guage what thought of his interior
ence, even If l was engaged to his
daughter. But amt got no choice In
the matter. l want to save Tom and
keep Mary's heart from bein' broken,
and I want to save old Bill Strick-
land from such a tragedy as this
would be, and I've got to take the
bull by the horns to do it. I'll keep
those two young fools apart If I've got
to break my neck a-doin' tt!''
| Sim Birdsong was not gone long.
"Well, colonel" he said upon return
ing, 1--WE just seen STAN Tucker and
told him what you said. and he told
me to say to you that he wouldn't
come in town at all tomorrow. Says
| he don't want to have any trouble
| with Tom Strickland now If he can
help it, because 1t would be serious
trouble, and he amt in the humor for
1t just at present"
"Sim," asked the colonel. what did
STAN do or say when you told him
that 1t was on account of Lottie-M May
that Tom was lookin' for himT'
Colonel Todhunter," replied Sim.
he got white clean to his lips. never
| saw a mans face go white as quick
as his'n. But he didn't make no CON-
ment on that part of the message. sub.
He just stood still for minute when
got through, and then he told me
what I've just said to you"
| A look of deep relief sprang into
Colonel Todhunter's face. "Tnat's an
right, them" he spoke. "And it tells
me what l wanted to know. Now,
Sim, I'm goin' to ask you if you can't
contrive some plan that'll take STAN
Tucker away from Nineveh and keep
him away for few days at least If
we can do that. Sim, we may be able
to prevent the trouble altogether"
Sim Birdsong looked at the speaker
with something of helpless bewilder'
ment in his honest eyes. Then, sud
( denly. his face frightened.
I-crackey, I've got it, he exclaim.
ed Some of the boys was arrangin'
this very night for a 6shin' frolic down
on Black Bottoms lake, and they plan
ned to start before sunrise day after
tomorrow. I'll make 'em count STAN
Tucker in on the DEAL and Ill go out
to the fuckers and give him their in.
vitation myself tomorrow and see that
he consents to 60. Then. colonel. all
we've got to do is just keep him and
Tom anart for ono dav and night-a nd