The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-10-27
CHAPTER xxI.-contInued.

VIM you wait and take met"
"Surest thing on earth"-with
prompt acQuiescence. And then: els
1t as bad as you thought 1t was going
to be. Johnr
ITS about ms bad as II can be-" was
the sober reply. and with that Smith
went In to wait for his interview with
the Timanyoni's best-beloved jurist.
At nine o'clock, or few minutes
before the hour, David Klnzie, at his
desk In the Brewster City National,
telephoned a message that presently
brought Colonel Dexter Baldwin to the
private room In the bank known to
nervous debtors as "the sweatbox."
"Sit down, Dexter" said the banker
shortly; "sit down minute while l
look at my mail"
It was one of David Kinzie's small
subtleties to make man sit idly thus,
on one pretext or another; 1t rarely
failed to put the incomer at a disad-
vantage, and on the present occasion
1t worked like charm. Baldwin had
let his cigar go out and had chewed
the end Of 1t into pulp before Knzie
swung around In his chair and
launched out abruptly.
you and have always been pretty
good friends. Dexter" he began, "and
have called you down here this
morning to prove to you that l am
still your friend. Where is your man
SMITH"
Baldwin shook his head. II don't
know" he answered. 81 haven't seen
him since last evening"
HAS he run away, then2"
The Missouri colonel squared him.
self doggedly in the suppliant debtors
chair, which was the one Kinzie had
placed for him. "what are you driv-
ing at, Dave?" he demanded.
"Well tackle your end Of 1t first"
said the banker CURLY. do you know
that you and your crowd have come to
the bottom OF the bag on that dam
proposition
"No, don't"
"well, you have. You've got Just
one more day to live"
The Missourian fell back upon his
native phrase.
IT reckon you'll have to show me,
Dave" asserted Baldwin stoutly. "Rut
70 on. You've got your gun loaded: :
what are you aiming 1t at?'
"Just this: told you weeks ago
that the other people were carrying
TOO many big guns for you. l don't
want to see you killed of, Dexter"
"Tm no gutter; you ought to know
that. Dave" was the blunt rejoinder.
IL know; but there are times when
It Is simply foolhardy to hold on. The
compromise proposition that 1 put up
70 you people while back still holds
good. But today Is the last day, Dex-
ter. You must accept 1t now, II you
are going to accept It at ALL"
"And II we refuse?"
You'll go to smash, the whole kit
Of you. AS I've said, this is the last
call"
BY this time Baldwin's cigar was"a
hopeless wreck.
you've got something up your
sleeve. Dave: what is it," he inquired.
The banker pursed his lips and the
brirtling mustache assumed Its most
aggressive angle.
"r1iere are a number Of things. but
the one which concerns you most. just
now. is this: we've got Smiths record.
at last. He is an outlaw, with price
on his head. We've dug out the whole
stary. He Is a defaulting bank cash
Ter, and before he ran away, he tried
to kill his president"
Baldwin was frowning heavily.
who told you all this? Was 1t this
Miss HIGHLANDER over at the Hophra
House. -
.No; It was her father. I sent one
Of my young men out to the Topaz
to look him up"
"And you have telegraphed to the
chief of police. or the sheriff. or who
ever 1t is that wants Smith,"
mot yet. I wanted to give you one
more chance, Dexter. Business comes
first. The Brewster City National is
a. bank, not a detective agency. You
20 and find Smith and fire him; tell
him he is down and out; get rid Of
him, once for all. Then come back
here and wen OK up that compromise
with Stanton"
Baldwin found match and tried to
yelight the dead cigar. But It was
ehewed past redemption.
Lets get It plumb straight, Dave"
he pleaded, In the quiet tone Of one
who will leave no peace-keeping stone
unturned. "You say you've got John
dead to rights. Smith Is q mighty COM
mon name. I shouldn't wonder II
there were half q million r so John
Smiths taking the country over. How
do you know you've got the right
oner
Ills middle name IL Montague"
snapped the banker, "and the man
who IL wanted called himself j. Mon
tague Smith But we can identity
him positively. Mr.. Richlander's
daughter can tell us II he is tho right
Smith, and she probably will II the 20
lice ask her to-"
Baldwin may have had his own
opinion about that, but II so, he kept
e to himself and spoke feelingly Of