Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-29
CHAPTER XVI.
At Any Cost.

With all things moving favOrably for
TimanyOni High Line up to the night
of fiascos. the battle for the great
water-right seemed to take a 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
panicky 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 its 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
tons part, neither Smith nor Stillings
questioned for a 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 mechaa-
ically, developing the machinelike dog
gedness of the soldier who sees the
battle going irresistibly against him
and still smites on in sheer despera-
ton. He saw the carefully built or
ganizatiOn structure, reared by his own
efforts upon the foundation laid by
Do Ixrfr nd q c.
sociates, falling to pieces. In spite OF
all he could do, there was a panic of
stock-selling; 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 Kinzle. 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
action and the swift effacement of their
rule-or-ruin secretary and treasurer.
They're after you, John" was the
way the colonel put 1t at the close of
the second day of back-slippings. "They
say you're fiddlin' while Rome's a.
mean by that; l 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 it had grown to the stature
of an obsession: the determination to
wiring victory out of defeat for .Timan-
yoni High Line; TO fall, if he must fall.
fighting to the last gasp and with his
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 and
/ have been Obliged to show her some
attention. so they say I am neglecting
my job They are also talking it
around that l am your Jonah, and say
ing that your only hope is to pitch me
overheard"
"That's Dave Kinzie," growled the
Missourian. "He seems to have 1t in
So --a,, uo,ra xAovB
Nevertheless, he was right" Smith
returned gloomily. Then: Il am about
ut the end OF my rope, colonel-the
rope 1 warned you about when you
brought me here and put me into the
saddle; and I'm trying desperately to
hang on until my JOBS done. When It
is done. when TimanyOni High Line
can stand fairly on its own feet and
fight its own battles. I'm gone"
"Oh, no. you're not" denied the