The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-04-01

CHAPERON FOR KATE
BY ELLIS GRAY.

seems to me it would look quite ali
right for US both to 60, and III be
c%haperon."
What will be?' asked Kate eau
tiously. She sat before the dressing
table. carefully tapping her freckles
with a nice little pad of absorbent cot
ton dipped in witch-hazel and peroxide.
Things were awfully slow at the hotel
One had to find some diversion for idle
moments.
Mrs. Cranston wrote letters. Not at
a desk, but curled up in the wide
winged armchair. wrapped in a gray
kimono lined with pumpkin-colored
silk. Kate, with her smooth, dark hair
combed sleekly back and her large, un-
compromising gray eyes always felt a
thrill of expectancy when her cousin
went forth after adventure. After four
years of wealthy widowhood, she really
seemed almost to listen for fate to call
her to a new romance.
"A good excuse, dear. And sha'n't
tell you even his name, my lonely lord
of the highlands. Isn't that a good
for him? Wen ride up the noun
tain tomorrow and pretend that you
are studying research work or that
we've lost our way"
What's his profession?" Kate never
asked what a man looked like or how
much he was worth. It was what he
aimed at that interested her mostly.
why, I don't know exactly. / know
he's a consulting engineer, don't you
know. They send him out first to
look over a big project and estimate
on it. I heard they were going to bur
row through Bald Eagle knob-the
railroad people. / mean
BALD Eagle. Isn't it the other noun
tain over this way? Colonel Ames says
if the road goes that way it ruins
Amesville. and he's sunk every last
cent into meeting the company's de-
mands. Why, Win, they promised him
it was going this way before he built
that big concrete bridge"
Did they, really? Kate, you don't
know beans about commercial diplo-
macy. The land along the Bald Knob
ridge belongs to Senator Rhoades, and
he's interested in the railroad. It
doesn't matter about your nice colonel
one bit"
But won't it cost a lot more TO
build it that other way? Any real en-
gineer would see that. / don't see how
they would send out anybody twenty
four"
She stopped short, staring in front
of her with sudden understanding.
"I1l bet two cents it's Dandy
Rhoadesi"
do you know him?" Winifred's eye
brows raised in quick surprise. But
Kate was standing up with widespread
arms like a spread eagle.
do / know him? Know blessed old
Dandy? Rather. He's the senator's
nephew, but his nose is straight and
80 are his views on life. III go with
you now, Win"
So it happened that the following
day there rode into the camp up in the
spruce woods two visitors, and Dandy
Rhoades, flushed and a bit self-con,
%scious, welcomed them.
Dandy, | wanted to come to you
direct about this railroad surveying
Kate said. And Win was kind enough
70 act as c%haperon."
Kate seated herself on a big log with
Dandy beside her, deeply interested
one foot resting on the log, and the
chaperon wandered over to the engi
Reer's plank table under the tent fly
And somehow, Kate found out that elo
Guence flowed her way. oh, how she
rleaded the colonel's cause. 1t wal
Che cause Of right and fairness. too
not only to him, but to the railroad.
Cant you see it, Dandy?" shi
finished. And Dandy could and did.
Uncle Curtis hasn't put it to m'
raw like that. It's left for me to hant
IN my report as / think best. He prob
ably thought I'd see what it meant t
him to have it run this route. but IL
move camp tomorrow to Amesville Of
the other mountain. | didn't know
Mrs. Cranston was your cousin. I use,
TO sit and talk to her because she re
minded me of you. And she laugh
like you, too. | suppose she thinks
was a special type of moonsick cali
We ought to explain"
IF we do, .ou'n have to write t
mother, too" Kate looked up at hiI
fhoughtfully. DO you think it's time
Dandy? How are the prospects
Won't your uncle throw you out
you turn down his railroad scheme?
IF he does, I'll go to the railroa
find explain the whole thing and shoV
them how much | saved them on tn
Zeal" Dandy laughed. Didn't 20
wen tell Mrs. Cranston we were 81
Eaged?"
Kate shook her head. who's sh
talking to now over there by th
fable?"
That's tho chief engineer of tn
IT,, b. & o. College mate of min
'ihe doesn't seem to miss US, Kate"
'Chaperons must be adaptable to Ell
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