Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-28

Returning from the dam site quite
late in the evening, Smith spent a hard
working hour or more at his desk in
the Kinzie building offices; and it was
here that Starbuck found him.
WHAT" said the new secretary.
looking up from his work when Star
bucks wiry figure doomed in the door
way, II thought you We're once more
family man, and had cut out the
night prowling."
Starbuck jackknifed himself COM
fortably in a chair.
Il was. But the little girls run
away again: gone with her sister
MaxwelPs wife, you know-to Denver
to get her teeth fixed; and I'm foot
loose. Been butting in little on
your game, this evening, just to be
doing. How's tricks with you, now?"
Were strictly in the fight" de-
clared Smith enthusiastically. 1--WE
closed the deal today for the last half
mile of the main ditch right of way,
which puts US up on the mesa slope
above the Escalante grant. If they
knock US out now, they'll have to do
it with dynamite"
"Yes,' said the ex-cowman, thought
fully; with dynamite" Then: "How
is Williams getting along?"
Fine! The water is crawling up on
him a little every night, but with no
accidents, he'll be able to hold the
flood rise when it comes. The only
thing that worries me now is the time
limit"
'"The time Iimit?" echoed Starbuck.
whats that?"
tits the handicap we inherit from
the original company. Certain state
rights to the water wee conveyed in
the old charter, on condition that the
project should be completed, or at least
be far enough along to turn water into
the bitches, by given date. This time
limit, which carries over from Timan-
yoni Ditch to Timanyoni High Line,
expires next week. We're petitioning
for an extension, but if we don't get
1t we shall still be able to back the
water up so that it will flow into the
lower level Of bitches by next Thurs
day; that is, barring accidents"
"Yes; with no accidents" unused
Starbuck. Cant get shut Of the if,
no way nor shape, can we? So that's
why the Stanton people have been
fighting so wolfshly for delay, is it?
John, this is a wicked, wicked world" "
Then he switched abruptly. "Where
did you corral all those good looks you
took to the opera house last night,
John?"
Smiths laugh was strictly perfume
tory.
'"That was Miss Vera Richlander, an
old friend of mise from back home.
She is out here with her father, and
the father has gone up into the Topaz
country to buy him a gold brick"
"Not in the Topaz" Starbuck struck
in Loyalty. "We don't make the bricks
up there-not the phony kind. But
let that go and tell me something else.
A while back, when you were giving
me a little song and dance about the
coloners daughter, you mentioned an
other woman-though not by name, if
you happen to recollect. I was just
wondering if this Miss Rich-people, or
whatever her name is, might be the
other one"
Again the new secretary laughed
you've called the turn, Billy. She is
the other one"
. HIN; chasing you up?"
ooh, no; it was just one Of the
near-miracles. She didn't know I
was here, and had no hint that she
was coming"
"All right; it's your roast; not mine.
But I'm going to pull one chestnut out
of the fire for you, even if I do get
my fingers burned. This Miss Rich
folks has had only one day here in
Brewster, but she's used it in getting
mighty chummy with the Stantons.
Does that figure as news to you?"
"It does" said Smith simply; and he
added: 81 don't understand it."
Funny" remarked the ex-cowman.
''It didn't ball me up for more than a
minute or two. Stanton fixed 1t some
way-because he needed to. Tell me
something, John: could this Miss Rich
garden help Stanton out in any Of his
little schemes, if she took a notion?''
Smith turned away and stared at the
blackened square Of outer darkness
lying beyond the office window.
"She could, Billy-but she won't" he
answered.
"You can dig up your last dollar and
bet on that, can you?"
eyes, I think I can"
"H'm; that's just what I was most
afraid Of"
Don't be an ass, Billy"
"Tm trying mighty hard not to be,
John, but sometimes the ears will grow
on the best of us-in spite of the devil.
What I mean is this: I saw you two
when you came out Of the Hophra
dining room together last night, and
saw the look in that girls eyes. Do
you know what I said to myself right
then, John? I said: 'Oh, you little girl
out at the Hillcrest ranch-good-by,
your"
Smiths grin was half antagonistic.
you are an ass, Billy" he asserted.
~ never was in love with Verda Rich
lander, nor she with me-"
Speak for yourself and let 1t hang
there, John. You can't speak for the
"a