Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-06


"WhatT" said the new secretary,
looking up from his work when Star
bucks wiry figure loomed in the door
way, 81 thought you were once more
q family man, and had cut out the
night prowling"
Starbuck jackknifed himself COM
fOrtably in chair.
Il was. But the little girls run
away again; gone with her sister
Maxwells wife, you know-to Denver
to get her teeth fixed; and I'm foot
loose. Been butting in a little on
your game, this evening, just to be
doing. How's tricks with you, nowT"
"We're 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
1t 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
food rise when 1t comes. The only
thing that worries me now is the time
limit"
"The time limit?" echoed Starbuck.
"What's that?"
"It's the handicap we inherit from
the original company. Certain state
rights to the water were 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
it 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" mused
Starbuck. "Can't get shut of the if
no way nor shape, can we? So that's
why the Stanton people have been
fighting SO wolfishly for delay, is it?
John, this Is wicked, wicked world"
Then he switched abruptly. "Wherc
did you corral all those good looks you
took to the opera house last night,
JOhnT"
Smiths laugh was strictly perfume
tory.
"That was Miss Vera Richlander, an
old friend of mine from back home.
She is out here with her father, and
the father has gone up into the Topaz
country to buy him gold brick"
mot in the Topaz" Starbuck struck
in Loyalty. ave 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. l was just
wondering If this Miss Rich-people, or
whatever her name is, might be the
other one"
Again the new secretary laughed
this time without embarrassment.
you've called the turn, Billy. She is
the other one"
HIN; chasing you up?"
"Oh, no; 1t was just one of the
near-miracles. She didn't know 1
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 1 do get
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 n
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
"She could, Billy--but she won't" he
answered.
"You can dig up your last dollar and
bet on that, can your"
Eyes, think I can"
"H'm. that's just what was most
afraid Of"
"Don't be an ass, Billy"
Tim trying mighty hard not to be,
John, but sometimes the ears will grow
on the best of us-in spite of the devil.
What 1 mean is this: l saw you two
when you came out of the Hophra
dining room together last night, and l
saw the look in that girls eyes. Do
you know what said to myself right
then, John2 said: oh, you little girl
out at the Hillcrest ranch--good-by
Won