Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-01-13
CHAPTER XII.
efImmerlnes of the Great Game.

OI I10 STCdI SdInCs
The work went forward swiftly
along the new line. BY the end of the
week the new cutting was in full
swing, the long saws singing, the
buckers' broadaXes flashing among the
everlasting green, the whole inlaced
mass of detail working together.
What do you think of our chances
now, John?" asked the owner.
AL. Haint no reason why we
won't win. TIL Dillingworth," said
John Daily whimsically. she's ben
furnishin tn goods ever sense | can
remember"
True. But she was in pretty close
straits for cash. You know she's
worth, standing timber, land, options
and equipment, something like a mil
lion hundred and fifty-nine thousand
dollars, at the pinch price | paid Of
fifty cents thousand feet ON the
stump. At anything like her face
value she'd easily double It, And Of
course you know she's mortgaged to
~ her neck-the East Belt and all the
Fl northeast stumpage-"
Daily shook his head. I'm gettin'
completely mussed up" he said.
We'll, she was. Her mortgages az
gregated a half million-in three diff
ferent places. About half of them |
paid The rest is hanging fire. Frazer,
who should have been a mighty rich
man, got out with quarter of a mil
lion fiat | don't understand him"
Neither do |, but I'd stake my head
on old man Frazer. Why I've worked
for him ten years! He bought in in
eighty-nine."
We'll, there's lot of mystery some.
where about, and as soon as I'm at
liberty | intend unearthing things"
Miss Ordway was working fever
ishly these days. Her rose.leaf cheeks
were flushed each noon when she
came from the little south room, and
her sea-blue eyes were full of an in.
ner excitement.
She'll make good" Sandry told him
self, She's got the dreamer's look, the
pride, the joy, the mighty, arrogant
egotism. And she's drunk on the at.
mosphere Of the wilderness. the lone
Illness, the sense Of world send"
Young and of abundant health, abun
dant vitality, filled with the urge OF
ambition, abetted by an unusual clev
erness, Miss Ordway was indeed in the
way of great things and she knew it
Also with her clear vision she was be-
ginning to see something else that
added to the flush in her cheeks, some
thing as great as her goal of fame, and
she faced it with her high courage and
confidence.
This was the meaning to her of Wal
ter Sandry.
About this time she began to widen
her range Of vision, to see all over the
wild green country. it seemed to her
and o catch glimmerings of things
that sent her to Sandry, so full of vita
prescience that she was as q charged
wire in her eagerness and her delight
mr. Sandry," she said one evening
IS they stood together on the foot-lot
and watched the brown tidewater go
ing down toward the distant sea. I'm
going to tell you something. | be
lieve Hampden is crooked as hades
and I'm going after him"
That's funny. said Sandry. dc
you know. I've had the same notion p
She stretched out her hand.
Lets go after him together. What
do you say?"
We'll. "-Sandry took the hand, ar
exquisite thing. and held it in his owl
moment. warmly. CLOSELY an
pleased and hattered by your offer
but | don't Just fancy your knowing
this Hampden man. He's-hes coarse
and bad. Miss Ordway."
But isn't 1t worth a little risk
What big thing is ever accomplished
without some risk? And think. Mr.
Sandry-isn't Hampden trying to ruiz
the Dillingworth company? In othel
words. to ruin your"
There was tingllng, suggestive tim
ore in her low voice, a subtle, fatter
ing zone that thrilled the young owner
strangely.
Miss Ordway." he said admiringly
!-as q mans friend you're simpl,
EreatI"