Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-10
CHAPTER XVI.
At AnX Cost.

At Any Cost.
With all things moving favOrably for
Timanyoni High Line up to the night
of fiHscOs, the battle for the great
water-right seemed to take sudden
slant against the local promoters, after
the failure to cripple Stanton by the
attempt to suppress two of his subordi-
mates. Early the next day there were
paniclly rumors in the air, none of them
traceable to any definite starting point.
One of the stories was to the effect
that the Timanyoni dam had faulty
foundations and that the haste in
building had added to it's insecurity.
On the heels of this came clamorOus
court petitions from ranch owners be-
low the dam site, setting forth the
flood dangers to which they were ex-
posed and praying for an injunction to
stop the work.
That this was new move on STAN
toms part neither Smith nor Stillings
questioned for n moment; but they no
sooner got the nervous ranchmen paci-
fed by giving an indemnity bond for
any damage that might be done, than
other rumors sprang up. For one day
and yet another Smith fought mechnn-
| ically, developing the machinelike dog
gedness of the soldier who sees the
battle going irresistibly against him
and still snites on in sheer despera-
ton. He saw the carefully built or
ganlzation structure, reared by his own
efforts upon the foundation laid by
Colonel Baldwin and his ranchman as
| sociates, falling to pieces. In spite of
all he could do, there was q panic of
stock-selllng; the city council, alarmed
by the persistent story Of the unsafety
of the dam, was threatening to cancel
the lighting contract with Timanyoni
High Line; and Kinzie, though he was
doing nothing openly, had caused the
word to be passed far and wide among
the Timanyoni stockholders, disaster
could be averted now only by prompt
notion and the swift effacement of their
rule-Or-ruin secretary and treasurer.
"They're after you, john" was the
way the colonel put it ut the close of
the second day of back-slippings. "They
say you're flddlin' while Rome's a.
burnin'. Maybe you know what they
mean By that; don't"
Smith did know. During the two
days of stress Miss Verda had been
very exacting. There had been another
night at the theater and much time
killing after meals in the parlors of the
Hophra house. Worse still. there had
been a daylight auto trip about town
and up TO the dam. The victim was
writhing miserably under the price
paying, but there seemed to be no help
for it. Since the night of Verda Rich.
lander's arrival in Brewster, he had not
seen Corona; he was telling himself
that he had forfeited the right to see
her. Out of the chaotic wreck OF
things but one driving motive had sur
vived, and 1t had grown to the stature
of an obsession: the determination tC
wiring victory out of defeat for Timan
yoni High Line; to fall, If he must fall
fighting to the last gasp and with hi:
face to the enemy.
81 know" he said, replying, after the
reflective pause, to the charge passed
on by Colonel Dexter. "There is {
friend of mine here from the East, anC
have been obliged to show her somt
attention, so they say / am neglectin;
my job. They are also talking /
around that am your Jonah, and say
ing that your only hope is to pitch m,
overheard"
That's Dave Kinzie," growled tn
NIissourian. "He seems to have it ii
for you, some way"
Nevertheless, he was right" Smitl
returned gloomily. Then: 81 am abou
at the end of my rope, colOnel-th
4, rope l warned you about when yo1
brought me here and put me into tn
saddle; and I'm trying desperately t
: hang on until my jobs done. When /
r Is done, when TimanyOni High Lin
v can stand fairly on it's own feet an
Y fight its own battles, I'm gone"
"Oh, no, you're not" denied tn
n ranchman-president In generous prC
/ test. "YOu come on out home with m
h tonight and get away from this muddl
j for few minutes. It'll do you a hea
n OF good; you know it always does"
$ Smith shook his head reluctantly bu
I, firmly.
II Never again, colonel. 1t can only b
matter of a few days now, and II
l. not going to pull you and your wit
# and daughter into the limelight if 1 ca
h help it."
k Colonel Dexter got out of his chaj
e and walked TO the office window. Whe
y he came back 1t was to say "Are the
q sure-enough chasing you, John?-f(
y something that you have done? Is thu
q what you're trying to tell meY'
"That is it-and they are nearly her
n Now you know at least one of the re-
" sons why l can't go with you tonight
Is "Fll be shot If 1 dol" stormed Il
H. generous one. Il promised the missl
'e I'd bring you"
You must make my excuses to heI
n and to Corona you may say that l a
Is once more carrying a gun. She will u
he derstand."
ie which means, take It, that YOU,
been telling Cory more than you',
Q. told the rest of us. That brings
nt more talk, John. haSen't said woj
IS before, have II"