Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-27
Copyright by Chas. scrlbner's Sons
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Arrow to the Mark.


when the Office door was opened and
a small shocked voice said: "Oh,
woohl how you startled me! / saw
the light, and 1 supposed, Of course, 1t
was colonel-daddy. Where is heT
Smith pushed the papers aside and
looked up scowllng.
"He was here minute ago, with
Stillings. Said he'd be back. You've
come to take him homer
She nodded and came to sit in
chair at the desk-end, saying:
Don't let me interrupt you, please.
I'll be quiet"
81 don't mean to let anything inter-
rupt me until l have finished what 1
have undertaken to do; I'm past all
that, now"
81 have heard about what you did
last night
about the newspaper fracas? You
don't approve OF anything like that, of
course. Neither did I, once. But
there is no middle way. You know
what the animal tanners tell us about
the beasts. I've had my taste of blood.
There are q good many men In this
world who need killing. Crawford
Stanton is one of them, and I'm not
sure that Mr.. David KLnzie isn't an
other"
II can't hear what you say when
you talk like that" she objected, look
Ing past him with the gray eyes
yelled.
do you want me to lie down and let
them put the steam roller over me?" he
demanded irritably. as that your
ideal of the perfect MANI"
"What 1 said, and what I meant,
had nothing at all to do with Timan-
yoni High Line and its fight for life"
she said calmly, recalling the wander
ing gaze and letting him see her eyes.
IT was thinking altogether of one
mans attitude toward his world"
"That was some time age" he put
in soberly. 'Ive gone q long way
since then, Corona"
II know you have. Why doesn't
daddy come back2"
He'll come soon enough. You're
not afraid to be here alone with me,
are your"
mo; but anybody might be afraid
Of the man you are going to be-"
His laugh was as mirthless as the
creaking Of a rusty hinge.
"You needn't put 1t in the future
tense. I have already broken with
whatever traditions there were left to
break with. Last night 1 threatened
to kin Allen, and, perhaps, should
have done 1t If he hadn't begged like
a dog and dragged his wife and chill
dren into It."
II know" she acqulesced, and again
she was looking past him.
"And that isn't all. Yesterday Kin
zie set a trap for me and bated 1t
with one of his clerks. For a little
while 1t seemed as if the only way to
@pring the trap was for me to go
fter the clerk and put a bullet
hrough him. 1t wasn't necessary, as
turned out, but If it had BEEN"
"Oh, you couldn't" she broke in
quickly. II can't believe that of you ~
"You think couldn't2 Let me tell
you of thing that have done.
Night before last Verda Richlander
had wire from young fellow who
wants to marry her. He had found
out that she was here in Brewster
and the wire was to tell her that he
was coming in that night on the de-
layed Flyer She asked me to meet
him and tell him she had gone to bed
He Is a miserable little wretch; q sort
of sham reprobate; and she has never
cared for him, except. to keep him dan
Cling around with lot of others.
told her 1 wouldn't meet him, and she
knew very we'll that I couldn't NEE
him-and stay out Of Jail. Gre yor
listenlngH
I'm trying to-"
ut was the pinch, and I wasn't bis
enough-in your sense of the word-tC
meet It. I saw what would. happen
II Tucker Jibbey came here, StantoI
would pounce upon him at once; ant
JiDbey. with drink or two under hi
belt, would tell all he knew. tough
# all out while l was waiting for tn,
train. 1t was Jibbey's efracement, o
the end of the world for me, and TO
TImanyoni High Line"
Dexter Baldwin's daughter was no
OF those who shrek and faint at tn,
apparition of horror. But the gra,
eyes were dilating and her breath wa
coming in little gasps when she said
'T can't believe it! You are not go
ing to tell me that you met this mai
as friend, and then"
NO; 1t didn't quite come to a mur
der In cold. blood. though thought 1
might. I had MaxwelPs runabout, an
sot Jlbbey into;it. He thought wa
gp,ng TO DIVE him TO the hotel. Afte
,He GO; ont 4 town he grew suspicious