Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-21
John snileafH
"Why should you doubt it7''


rona's many moods-or tenses-and it
was a new one to him. She was visibly
| embarrassed.
ST I don't want to tell you" she
stammered.
"All right; you needn't"
IF you're going to take it that easy,
Will tell yOu," she retorted "Mr
Williams thought your name was an
alias; and I'm not sure that he doesn't
still think So"
The Smiths never have to have
aliases. It's ike John Doe or Richard
Roe, you know"
Haven't you any middle name?"
Il have middle initial. 1t is M -
He was looking her fairly in the eyes
| as he said 1t, and the light In the new
offices was excellent. Thanks to her
horseback riding, Miss Corona's small
oval face had a touch of healthy out
door tan; but under the tan there
came, for just fitting instant, a flush
of deep color, and at the back Of the
gray eyes there was something that
"It's-it's just an initial?" she
queried
YES; it's just an initial, and don't
use it ordinarily. I'm not ashamed Of
the plain john"
IT don't know why you should be-"
she commented, half absently. he
thought. And then: How many John
M. Smiths do you suppose there are
in the United StatesY"
"Oh, don't know; a million or so,
guess"
II should think you would be rather
glad Of that" she told him. But when
he tried to make her say why he should
be glad, she talked pointedly Of other
things and presently went back to her
fathers office.
There were fine little headings Of
perspiration standing on the fugitive's
forehead when she left him.
After the other members of the Of
fee force had taken tt cir departure,
he still sat at his desk striving to bring
himself back with some degree Of clear
headedness to the pressing demands Of
his Job. Just as he was about to give
it up and go across to the Hophra
House for his dinner, William Starbuck
drifted In to open the railing gate and
to come and plant himself in the chair
Of privilege at Smiths desk end.
"Well, son; you've got the animals
stirred up good and plenty, at last"
he said, when he had found the "I1ak-
ings" and was deftly rolling a cigar
ette-hts one overlapping habit reach
ing back to his range-riding youth.
"Dick Maxwell got a wire today from
his kiddie's grandpaw-and my own
respected daddy-in-law-Mr. Hiram
Fatrbairn; you know him-the lumber
king"
"Tm listening" said Smith.
Dicks wire was an order; instruc-
lions from headquarters to keep hands
off Of your new company and to work
strictly In cahoots-'harmony' was the
word he used-with Crawford Stanton.
How does that fit your"
The financial secretary's smile was
the self-congratulatory face-wrinkling
Of the quarry foreman who has seen
his tackle hitch hold to land the big
stone safely at the top Of the pit.
"What is Maxwell going to do about
tt?" he asked.
"Dick is all wool and yard wide;
and what he signs his name to is what
he is going to stand by. You won't lose
him, but the wire shows us just about
where we're aiming to put our leg into
the gopher hole and break it, doesn't
it?"
"1'm not borrowing any trouble. Mr..
Fa1rbairn and his colleagues are just
a few minutes too late, Starbuck.
We've got our footing-inside Of the
corral"
The ex-cowpuncher, who was now
well up on the middle rounds of for
tunes ladder, shook his head doubt
fully.
Don't you make any brash breaks,
John. Mr.. Hiram Fairbairn and his
crowd can swing twenty millions to
your one little old dollar and q half,
and they're not going to leave any of
the pebbles unturned when 1t comes to
saving their investment in the Esca-
lante. That's all; I just thought I'd
drop in and tell you"
Smith went to his rooms In the hotel
a few minutes later to change for din
ner. He found the linen drawer In his
dressing-case overlooking. Opening
another, he began to arrange the over
flow methodically. The empty drawer
was lined with newspaper, and a sin
gle headline on the upturned page
sprang at him like q thing living and
venomous. He bent lower and read
the undermining paragraph with a
dull rage mounting to his eyes and
serving for the moment to make the
gray Of the printed lines turn red.
Lawrenceville, May 19-The grand Jury
has found a true bill against Montague
Smith, the absconding cashier Of the
Lawrenceville Bank and Trust, charged
with embezzling the banks funds The
crime would have been merely breach
of trust and not actionable but for the
fact that Smith, by owning stock in the
bankrupt Westfau industries lately taken
over by the HIGHLANDER company, had so
made himself amenable to the law. Smith |
disappeared on the night of the 14th and
Is still at large. He is also wanted on |
another criminal count. It will be remem- |
bered that he brutally assaulted President !
Durham on the night of his disappear
ance. The reward of s., 900 for his appre-
hension and arrest has been increased to |
A-r+ - 49,