Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-09-14

II. Instead, he said: "But you don't
really care, Verda; In the way you are
trying to make me believe you do"
POSSIBLY not; possibly am wholly
selfish in the matter and am only look
ing for some lOOphole of escape"
Escape? From whom?"
She looked away and shook her
head. "From Watrous Dunham, let
us say. You didn't suspect that, did
you? 1t is so, nevertheless. My fa-
ther desires it; and suppose Watrous
Dunham would like to have my money
you know / have something in my
own right. Perhaps this may help to
account for some other things-fOr
your trouble, for one. You were in
his way. you see. But never mind
that: there are other matters to be
considered now. Though Mr.. Kinzie
has been put off the track. Mr.. STAN
ton hasn't. / have earned Mr.. STAN
| toms ill-will because l wouldn't tell
him about you. and this evening, at
table, he took 1t out on me-"
'In what way?"
/
plainly, that he had done something;
that there was q sensation in prospect
for all Brewster. He was so exult-
antly triumphant that it fairly fright
ened me. The fact that he wasn't
afraid to show some part of his hand
to me-knowing that I would be sure
to tell you-makes me afraid that the
trap has already been set for you"
'In other words, you think he has
gone over Kinzie's head and has tele-
/ graphed to Lawrenceville?"
Montague, I'm almost certain of
It'll"
Smith stood up and put his hands
behind him.
(which means that have only few
hours at the longest" he said quietly.
And then: "There is good bit to
be done, turning over the business of
the Office. and all that: I've been put
ting it off from day to day, saying that
there would be time enough to set my
house in order after the trap had
been sprung. Now am like the man
who puts off the making of his will
until it is too late. Will you let me
thank you very heartily and vanlsh?"
"What shall you do?" she asked.
"Set my house in order, as 1 say
as well as l can in the time that re-
mains. There are others to be con-
sidered, you know"
"Oh; the plain-faced little ranch
girl among them, supposeT
"No; thank God, she is out Of it
entirely-ln the way you mean," he
broke out fervently.
"You mean that you haven't spoken
to her-yetT'
"Of course l haven't. Do you sup
pose l would ask any woman to marry
me with the shadow of the peniten-
tiary hanging over meT"
"But you are not really guilty"
"That doesn't make any difference
Wntrous Dunham will see to it that
I get what he has planned to give me-"
She was tapping an impatient tat
too on the carpet with one shapely
foot.
"Why don't you turn this new leaf
Of yours back and go home and fight
1t out with Watrous Dunham, once
for allT" she suggested.
IL shall probably go, fast enough
when Macauley or one of his deputies
gets here with the extradition papers,
he returned. "But as to fighting
Durham, without money"
She looked up quickly, and this time
| xx-oS iCto
of the glow in the magnificent brown
eyes.
''Your friends have money, Monta
gue-plenty of it. All you have tc
do is to say that you will defend your
self. l am not sure that Watrou.
Dunham couldn't be made to take you
!. place In the prisoners dock, or tha
you couldn't be put in his place In tn,
Lawrenceville Bank and Trust. Yo,
have captured Tucker Jibbey, and tha
means fuckers father; and my ia
} ther-well, when it comes to tn
! worst, my father always does what
want him to. It's his one weakness.
For one little instant Smith felt tn
[ solid ground slipping from beneath hi
| feet. Here was a way out, and hi
} quick mentality was showing him tina
} 1t was a perfectly feasible way. A
$ Verda Richlander's husband and Jc
l siah Richlander's son-in-law, he coul
d fight Dunham and win. And the re
ward: once more he could take hi
( place in the small Lawrenceyill
e world, and settle down to the life Q
r conventional good report and eas
D which he had once thought the acm
[ of any reasonable mans aspiration
+ But at the half-yielding moment
Il word of Corona Baldwin's flashed int
e his brain and turned the scale: &c
did happen in your case gi'
ing you a chance to grow and expan
l. and to break with all the old trad
n tions and the break left yo
t free to make of yourself what yo
j. should choose" 1t was the reinca
mated Smith who met the look in IL
d beautiful eyes and made answer.
Is "NO," was the sober decision; ar
then he gave his reasons. "If l cou
IS do what you propose, shouldn't |
" worth the powder it would take
8, drive n bullet through me, Verda, f
v, now, you see, know what love mean
ly You say l have changed, and l ha,
a. changed: / can imagine the past-an
ge gone ]. Montague jumping at Il
Is ehouce you are offering. But the m
v will never grind with the water tn
e. is past I'll take what is coming to N
It and try to take II like a man. Goo
y. highland good-by." And he turn
l his back upon the temptation a
a /; went away.
ne Fifteen minutes later he was in l
Office in the Kinzie building. trying
n vain to get Colonel Baldwin on t
to distance wire; trying also-and al
ng In vain-to forget the recent clash a
break with Verda Richlander.
re- was juggling the switch of the de
phone for the twentieth time when
ou nervous step echoed in the corrit
ew and the door opened to admit Willii
do Starbuck. There was red wrath
ty. the mine owners ordinarily cold e!
when he flung himself into a chair q