Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-05
CHAPTER xvI-(con.inued.)

rehnancing of the irrigation project.
We've got our young Napoleon Of
finance on the toboggan slide, at last"
was the way In which Mr.. Crawford
Stanton phrased it for the bejeweled
lady at their luncheon in the Hophra
cafe. 'Kinzie is about to throw him
over, and o.. this talk about botch-
work on me de:cl is getting his goat.
They're telling Ii around town this
morning that you can't get near him
without risking fight. Old Man Back
US went up to his Office in behalf Of
a bunch of the scared stockholders,
and Smith abused him first and then
threw him out bodily-hurt him pretty
savagely. they say"
The large lady's accurately penciled
eyebrows went up In mild surprise.
"Bad temper?" she queried.
'Bad temper, or an acute attack of
'rattleitis;' you can take your choice.
i suppose he hasn't, by any chance,
quarreled with Miss HIGHLANDER over
night?-or has he?"
The fat lady shook her diamonds.
II should say not. They were at lunch
con together in the ladies' ordinary as
came down a few minutes ago"
Thus the partner of Crawford Stan
toms joys and sorrows. But an invis-
ible onloOker in the small dining room
above-stairs might have drawn other
conclusions. Smith and the daughter
of the Lawrenceville magnate had a
small table to themselves, and if the
talk were not precisely quarrelsome,
1t leaned that way at times.
81 have never seen you quite so bru-
tai and impossible as you are today,
Montague. You don't seem like the
same man. Are you going to reconsider
and take me out to the Baldwin ranch
this afternoon?"
"And let you parade me there as
your latest acquisition ?-never in this
world -
More brutality. Positively you are
getting me into frame of mind in
which Tucker Jibbey will seem like a
blessed relief. Whatever do you sup
pose has become of Tucker?"
How should / known
'If he had come in last night, and
you had met him-as l asked you to
in any such heavenly temper as you
are indulging now, l might think you
had murdered him.
1t was doubtless by sheer accident
that Smith, reaching at the moment
for the salad OIL overturned his water
glass. But the small accident by no
means accounted for the sudden gray
ing of his face under the Timanyoni
wind tan-for that or for the shaking
hands with which he seconded the wait
er's anxious efforts to repair the dam
age. When they were alone again. the
momentary trepidation had given race
to renewed hardness that lent a
biting rasp to his voice.
"Kinzie, the suspicious old banker
that I've been telling you about, is de-
termined to run me down." he said,
changing the subject abruptly. I've
got 1t pretty straight that he is plan
ming to send one of his clerks to the
Topaz district to try and find your ia
Their, in the hope that he will tell what
he knows about me-"
Does this Mr.. Kinzie know where
father is to be found"
"He doesn't; that's the orly hitch"
Miss Verda's smile across the little
table was level-eyed.
II could be lots of help to you, Mon
tague, in this fight you are making, If
you'd only let me-" she suggested.
"I'lI fight for my own hand" was the
right now, that Kinzies messenger will
never reach your father-alive."
'Ooh !" shuddered the beauty. with
little lift of the rounded shoulders.
"How utterly and hopelessly primitive!
Let me show you much simpler alrer-
native. / have map of the mining
district, you know. Father left it With
me-in case should want to ccm:nu-
nicate with him"
Smith looked up with smile which
was a mere barring of the teeth.
"You wouldn't get in a mans way
with any fine-spun theories of the uld-
mate right and wrong, would you? You
wouldn't say that the only great man
is the man who loves his fellow men,
and all that?"
Again the handsome shoulders were
lifted, this time in cool scorn.
"Are you quoting the little ranch per-
SOM" she inquired. Then she answered
his query 1.-The only great men worth
speaking of are the men who win. For
the lack of something better to do, I'm
willing to help you win, Montague.
Most naturally, / am the one who
would know where my father is TO be
found. And l have changed my mind
about wanting TO drive to the Bald
wins. Wen compromise on the play
If there is play"
There is play, and I have the
seats" he announced briefly.
"Merci :" she flung back. Small
favors thankfully received, and large
ones in proportion; though its hardly
a favor, this time, because have paid
for 1t in advance. Mr.. Kinzie's young
man came to see me this morning"
what did you doT'
81 gave him a tracing of my map.
and he was so gratef-! It made me
want to tell hipl that ii was all
wrong; that ne wouldn't find father
in a month If he followed the direc-
lions"
But you didn't"