Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-05-23


iat the coluurI shook his head
''Tom." he said. II want you To prom
i,c NE to 90 quietly home right now
and go 10 bed Aftcrtonight the games
in your own hands and YOU can play
II uhy way yuu SEQ tit This is all I'm
c'iu to ask OF YOU Go home and get
good nights rest Tom" There was
voice.
Tom Strickland hesitated.
"GU home. Tom" said Colonel Tod
hunter. Il wouldn't be Il true friend
of your father if | let you take any
foolish chances In an affair of this
kind And I'm thinkin' of Mary, too,
when | say this You go home now"
The colonel's grim lips We're trembling
little.
Tom Strickland nodded "All right,
colonel" he spoke finally I'm 20
/ home ! won't try TO do anything fur
thcr until tomorrow. SIR
That's all ask. Tom" replied the
colonel
But he saw to 1t 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 TodhHnter looked up
Sim Birdsong without losing mo-
ment's time
"Sim." he said. 81 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 LOttieMay Dog
! gett business and there's a-goin' to be
| trouble If they meet. and then you
come back here and tell me what he
says. I'm tryin' to prevent shootin'
| can see to do it,
'All right. colonel" replied Sim.
"I'll look up STAN Tucker right away
and deliver your message. then III re-
port to you again. suh.'
'Ill just be eterna!ly condemned"
communed Colonel Todhunter to him
self when Sim had departed on his
a serious private difficulty of mine like
I'm mcddlii in this of Tom Strick-
, lands Ia tell him in pretty plain Ian
gua@p what | thought of his interfer
ence. even IL | was engaged to his
| daughter But amt got no choice in
the matter want to save Tom and
keep Mary's heart from helm broken.
and ! want to save old Bill Strick-
land from such tragedy az this
bull by the horns TO do it, IN keep
those two yonng fools apart II I've got
to break my neck a-doin it,"
Sim Birdsong was not gone long
well. colonel" he said upon return
ing. i've 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 II he can
help 1t. because II would he 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-May
that Tom was lOOLin' for himY'
Colonel Todhunter." replied Sim
he got white clean to his lips. never
saw mans face 60 white as quick
as his'n. But he didn't make no COM
ment on that part of the message. sub.
He just stood still for minute when
got through. and then ne told me
what I've just said to you"
A look Of deep relief sprang into
Colonel Todhunter's face. That's all
right, them" he spoke. "And 1t tells
me. what | wanted to know. Now.
Sim. I'm goin' to ask you IL you can't
contrive some plan that'll take STAN
Tucker away from Nineveh and keep
him away for few days ut least II
we can do that. Sim, we may be able
to prevent the trouble altogether"
Sim Birds0ng 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 fishin' 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 go. Then. colonel. all
we've got to do is just keep him and
Tom n pa ri FOR Onn IN ~ unt niuht mud
we've turned the trick!'
Bully for you. Sim!' approved the
colonel. 1T begins to look like we can
see this thing through to a sensible
finish, and that's blamed sight more
than 1t looked like to me few minutes
ago I can tell yOuW