Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-29


generous one. Il promised the missus
I'd bring you"
You must make my excuses to her !;
| and to Corona you may say that | am
once more carrying a gun. She will I'M
derstand."
(which means, take it, that you've
been telling Cory more than you've
told the rest of us. That brings on
more talk, John. haven't said word
before, have I?'
"No."
well, I'm going to say it now: I've
got only just one daughter in the wide,
wide world, John"
Smith stood up and put his hands
behind him, facing the older man
squarely.
Colonel, I'd give ten years of my
life, this minute. if might go with you
to Hillcrest this evening and tell Co
roma what have been wanting to tell
her ever since l have come to know
what her love might make of me. The
fact that 1 can't do 1t is the bitterest
thing l have ever had to face, or can
ever be made to face"
Colonel Baldwin fell back into his
swing chair and thrust his hands into
his pockets.
ut beats the Dutch how things
tangle themselves up for us poor NOR
tails every little so-while," he com
mented, after a frowning pause. And
then: You haven't said anything like
that to Cory, have you?"
"NO."
"That was white, anyway. And now
l suppose the other wOman-thls Miss
h-something-or-other over at the hO-
tel-has come and dug you up and got
That's the way it goes when a man
mixes and mingles too much. You
never can tell"
Hold on" Smith interposed. what
ever else may be, I'm not that kind
of scoundrel. 1 don't owe Miss
HIGHLANDER anything that can't pay
without doing injustice to the woman
love. But in another way l am
scoundrel. colonel For the past two
days / have been contemplate enough
to play upon a woman's vanity merely
for the sake of keeping her from talk
ing too much"
The grIzzled old ranchman shook his
head sorrowfully.
II didn't think that of you, John; /
sure didn't. Why, that's what you
might call q low-down, tin-horn sort of
game"
ut is just that, and know it as
we'll as you do. But it's the price l
have to pay for my few days of grace.
Miss Richlander knows the Stantons
they've made it their business to get
acquainted with her. One word from
her to Crawford Stanton, and a wire
from him TO my home town in the mid
die West would settle me-"
The older man Strengthened himself
in his chair. and his steel-gray eyes
blazed suddenly.
Break away from 'em, Johni' he
urged. Break it off short, and let 'em
all do their worst Away along at the
first, Williams and l both said you
wasn't a crooked crook, and I'm be-
lieving it yet. When it comes to the
showdown, Wen all fight for you, and
they'll have to bring a derrick along
If they want to snatch you out of the
TimanyOni. You go over yonder to the
Hophra House and tell that young wom-
an that the BRIDES off, and she can
talk all she wants to-"
NO." said SrHith shortly. 81 know
what l am doing, and 1 shall go on as
have begun. It's the only way. Mat
tiers are desperate enough with us now,
and if / should drop out"
The telephone bell was ringing. and
Baldwin twisted his chair to bring him
self within reach of the desk set. The
message was brief one, and at its
finish the neutrality-suspicious. was
frowning heavily.
"By Jupiter It does seem as If the
bad luck all comes In a bunch!" he
protested. WILLIAMS was rushing
things just little too fast, and they've
lost a whole section of the dam hy
stripping the forms before the con
crete was set. That puts us back an
other twenty-four hours. at least. Don't
that beat the mischiefT'
Smith reached for his hat. "Tt's six
O'Clock" he said; "and Williams form
shippers have furnished one more rea-
son why / shouldn't keep Miss Rich
lander waiting for her dinner" And
with that he cut the talk short and
went his way.
With a blank evening before her.
Miss Richlander making the tete-a-
tete dinner count for what It would.
frightened her hold upon the one man
available, demanding excitement. Moth
ing else offering. she suggested an eve
ming auto drive, and Smith dutifuI,~
teIephoned Maxwell. the railroad su-
perintendent, and borrowed runabout.
Smith drove the borrowed runabout
in sober silence, and the glorious
beauty IN the seat beside him did not
try TO make him talk. Perhaps she. too,
was busy with thoughts Of her own.
At all events, when Smith had helped
her out Of the c8r at the hotel entrance
and had seen Der as far as the eleva-