Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-14


spelled absence from the woman he
loved. But Miss Massingale was in
charmingly frivolous frame of mind
That is the fourth different excuse
you have invented for cutting me out
of your visiting list. not counting the
repetitions." she gibed, when he had
finally fallen back upon the time de-
late neglect of her. "If / wanted to
he hateful l might insist that you
haven't given the true reason yet"
Perhaps | will give it, before CO."
he parried But just now I'd much
rather talk about something else Tell
me about yourself What have you
been doing all these days when
haven't been able to keep tab on your"
"Flirting-flirting desperately with
Tig, with Mr.. Anson and Mr. GrisloW
and that nice boy of yours, Herbert
Griffith and with-no, not with Mr.
Leshington; he scares me-makes a
face like a wooden image and says:
Little girl, you need a mother-or a
husband; | haven't made up my mind
which When he does make up his
mind I'm going to Shrek and run
away"
"And you f1irt!" he protested re-
proachfully. Now tell me about the
Little Susan;' is the Bluegrass farm
looming up comfortably on the eastern
edge of things?"
In a twinkling her frivolous mood
vanished.
| Oh, we are prosperous, desperately
prosperous. We have all the improve
ments you can see and a lot that you
can't see. And our pay roll-it fairly
| frightens me when make it up on the
Saturdays"
| Il see," he nodded. "All going out
and nothing coming in. But the money
is all here, safely stacked up in the
ore bins. You'll get it all out wher
the railroad comes"
THAT is another thing-a thing
haven't dared tell father and Stevie
When | was in Mirapolis this morn
ing | heard that the railroad wasn'
coming, after all; or, rather, Zig haC
heard it and he told me- We were dig
ging for facts when you met us OF
Chigringo avenue-trying to find out /
the rumor were true"
1t means a great deal to you
doesn't it?" he said evasively.
1T means everything-a thousant
times more now than it did before"
His quick glance up into the sud
| 0F
ing on the step above him was voice
less query and she answered it.
We had no working capital, as
think you must have known. Once
month father or Stevie would make III
a few pack-saddle loads of the rich
est ore and freight them over tn
mountains to Red Butte. That wa
how we got along But when you sep
me word by Tig that the railroad coz
pany had decided to build the exter
sion, there was - there was -
chance.
Yes" he encouraged.
"A chance that the day of littl
things was past and the day of bi
things was come. Mr.. Cartwright an
some of his associates had been tryin
to buy IN interest in the Little Susan
Father let them in on some sort of
stock arrangement that | don't unde
stand and then made himself person
borrowed money"
Borrowed of Mr.. Cortwright? ?
queried Brouillard
No; of the bank. Neither Stew
nor / knew about it until after it wa
done, and even then father wouldn
of his mind since Mr.. Cortwright gC
hold of him-everything is roscoe
ored. But you see how it all depend
upon the railroad"
Not so much upon the railroad no
as upon some other things" sal
Brouillard enigmatically. You sa
your father has borrowed of the ban
is Mr. Cortwright mixed up in tn
t loan in any way?"
! Yes; he arranged it in some wa
] for father don't know just how A
l know is that father is responsible
5 he will lose every thing"
. Brouillard gave a low whistle
t don't wonder that the quitting rumt
e made you nervous. But think | ca
J. lift one of your burdens. What yc
e heard in town this morning is a fac
t the railroad people have stopped wo1
e on the Buckskin extension. Don
s faint-they are going to begin aga
e right away
s "Oh!" she gasped. Are you SURE
b How can you be sure?''
/ I've given the order" he sa
d gravely, an order they can't disr
n gard Let's go back a bit and I'll e
plain. Do you remember my tellir
o you that your brother had tried
n bribe me to use my influence with N
e Ford?"
,. las if should ever be able to fc
e get it," she protested.
a well, that wasn't all that he did
he threatened to turn the valley in
a placer camp, to disorganize o
working force, even stop or definite
postpone the building of the dam"
She was listening eagerly, but the
was a nameless fear in the steadfa
eyes-a shadow which he eth
II missed or disregarded.
is And you-you believed this?" s.
n asked family.
lie Il was compelled to believe it.
er let me pan out the proof for myself
~ 'It is dreadful-dreadful!" she MI
Of INJURED. you believed him, and f
r. that reason you used your infuep
le with Mr.. Ford?"
He got up and took her in his arm
and she suffered him.
"A few days ago, little girl, couldl
a have told you. But now l can. | &
O. a free manor | can be whenever
he choose to say the word. I did it I
ne loves sake"
tn She was pushing him away, and t
as great horror in her eyes was unm
to taxable now.
lis "Oh!" she painted, "is love a thi
We 70 be cheapened like that? And yo
freedom-how have you made a hi
dred thousand dollars in thasa Fl