The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-12-07
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

CONTINUED FROM LAST w EEh)
oh. you can sit there ana smile
your cold blooded smile. And If you
think I'm experiencing pangs of con
science you're mistaken. All ! have
get from ether men who-who weren't
strong enough to hang on to it. There
isn't any friendship In business, or II
there is | never played it that way
I'm just telling you that now Is our
one opportunity if we want to join
hands and hurrah with the rest of
them for the completion of this job by
next May We lose railroad at
bargain. perhaps. but we've still got a
mighty good right of way to the Dor
der that will insure our welcome III
the ranks Maybe we lose and-and
maybe-well. never did like to be
beaten. Nor do | say that such an ar
gument will have any weight With
you. but it's chance to be on the
dead level for once. What do you say?
Do we switeh!
switch" WickerSham sIarled. And
he leaned forward. face bloodless, and
beat upon II chair arm. "Switch now"
He laughed shrilly. why. I'm going
to beat that banked woods rat In his
matinee Idol costume SO bad between
now and next May that he'll be walk
Ing the roads for his next job. Switch?
Pm going TO brand him as the worst
nco, lpetent that ever dragged two
poor foGls down into pauperism. Ill
zee him broke. I'll wipe that Internal
smooth smile from his lips II ! have
to-
Wickersham gasped He came to his
feet painting all in an Instant with the
rage that set his dry lips writhing
Bet at that point he, too. remembered
himself He swallowed and faced AL
lison, and the latter. sitting pop eyed
before his outbreak. gaped now at tue
change that came back over that twist
ed face. Wickersham smiled. Once
more his hearing was the very essence
Of perfect poisa and self control.
"lf you-if you are afraid"- lie In
ferred. IF you
Alison's laugh was big and booming
for all that the establishment had not
yet left his eyes
Gold feet" he rumbled. cold
feet! Me- And suddenly his gust
of mirthless laughter made petty the
others insolence. "Wickersham, I've
broken better crooks than You'll eve!
,e. A man has to have big heart to
be o big crook. and you-and you-well
sometimes ! wonder whether there
wasn't some sort of an oversight IN
that line when they put you together.
He couldn't have explained why the
thought came to him at that moment
any more than he understood his swift
~ malicious impulse to use 1t. but all
in flash there came back to him n
recollection of that day when he and
Caleb had burst through the hedge to
find the boy Stephen O'Mara pummel
ing bigger PROSTATE boy who shrek,
ed under the earnest thoroughness Of
that pummeling. Allison. too rose to
his feet.
II only wanted to give you chance"
Allison continued. II reckon l can
take care of myself. l always could.
And you--well. you know as well as |
do what sort of scrap that-that woods
rat can put up. or you ought to. He
gave you a sort of demonstration
once, il remember correctly. ] stick!
never was overly squeamish. But
don't fool yourself. Archie; don't fool
Yourself If we fight we're fighting
with a regular guy. your insinuation
to the contrary. I merely wanted you
to realize what / know now. Well
think we've been In battle before We
come to finish!'
His hand was on the door knob when
the door itself flashed open. Dexter
Allison's daughter hesitated, surprised.
on the threshold. Her eyes. brilliantly
alight. leaped from her fathers face to
that of the man half toward her and
back again.
"Oh," she exclaimed uncertainty, II
didn't know you were busy. l saw the
light Id bean over tn Uncle Calls just
for minute. want to tell you. Good
uight!'