Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-20

in this thing to wini You taKs care
OF those options, Stillings; 'hey're
worth a million dollars to somebody.
Lock 'em up somewhere and then for
get where they are. Now II going
to hunt up Mr.. Crawford Stanp ,n-be-
fore eat or slecp!"
easy, John; hold up minute I" the
colonel broke in soothingly; and Still
lings, more practical, closed the office
door silently and put his back against
1t. "Thls is pretty sudden co, atry.
but there is some sort of q limit. you
know" the big Missourian went on.
whats your idea in going to Stan
ton?"
II mean to give him twelve hours In
which to pack his trunk and get out
Of Brewster and the Timanyoni. II he
hasn't disappeared by tomorrow morn
ing"
Stillings was signaling in dumb
show to Baldwin. He had quietly
opened the door and was crooklng his
finger and making signs over his shoul-
der toward the corridor. Baldwin saw
what was wanted, and Immediately
shot his desk cover open and turned on
the lights.
"That last lot of steel and cement
vouchers was made out yesterday,
John," he said, slipping the rubber
band from file of papers in the desk.
IF you'll take time to sit down here
and run 'em over, and put your name
on 'em, I'll hold Martin long enough to
let him get the checks in tonight's
mail. I'll be back after a little"
Smith dragged up the presidents
big swivel chair and planted himself
in 1t, and an instant later he was lost
to everything save the columns of fig
ures on the vouchers. Stillings had
let himself out, and when the colonel
followed him, the lawyer cautiously
closed the door Of the private office,
and edged Baldwin into the corridor.
We've mighty near got madman
to deal with In there, colonel" he
whispered, when the two were out of
earshot. II was watching his eyes
when he said that about Stanton, and
they fairly blazed. He's going to kill
somebody, If we don't look out"
Baldwin was shaking his head du-
biously.
"He's acting like a locoed thorough
bred that's gone outlaw" he said. "Do
you reckon he's sure-enOugh crazy,
Bob?"
"Only in the murder nerve. This
deal with the options shows that he's
all to the good on the business side.
That was the smoothest trick that's
been turned in any stage of this dodg-
ing fight with the big fellows. 1t sim.
ply knocks Kinzle's rat-gnawing game
dead. If there were only somebody
who could calm Smith down q little
and bring him to reason-somebody
near enough to him to dig down under
his shell and get at the real man that
used to be there when he first took
hold with US"
"a woman?" queried Baldwin, frown-
ing disapproval in anticipation Of what
Stillings might be going to suggest.
"a woman for choice, Of course. I
was thinking of this young woman
over at the Hophra House; anybody
can see with half an eye that she has
pretty good grip on him. Suppose
we go across the street and give her
an invitation to come and do little
missionary work on Smith. She looks
level-headed and sensible enough to
take 1t the way It's meant"
Stllings was lawyer and had no
scruples, but the colonel had them in
just proportion to his Southern birth
and breeding.
II don't like to drag a woman into
it, any way or shape, Bob" he pro-
tested; and he would have gone on to
say that he had good reason to be-
lieve that Miss Richlander's influence
over Smith might not be at all of the
meliorating sort, but Stlllings cut him
short.
'"There need be no dragging The
young woman doubtless knows the
business situation; she evidently
knows Smith whole lot better than
we do. It's q chance, and we'd better
try it. He's good for half an hour or
so with those vouchers"
(TO BE CONTINUED)