The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-09-07
CHAPTER xxxiv.

i AAhAt sA6sNANs
Three days later. IN Squire
Benson's office. the deed for the
land. title proved and clear. was
placed ia Pcsgy'B hands, and the
remaining seycnty.fiye dollars in
Dan Crowder's The day alter that
Dan. from his show window. saw
two men turning over the ground
| for Mrs. TrowbridEes flower-bed
A grin overspread his loyial face
What could DO better than n bed OF
posies at his door, And Il would
be a oroditablo posy.bsd. for what.
ever Mrs I'd did was done right
Dan had always admitted this. even
n grudgingly. But. as he watched
hts smile grew less. II was a rather
unusual preparation for a posy.bed I.
II began 10 look like an excavation
for a cellar.
A ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS two.
story. two.room building--less than
five hundred feet os floor space. I,
couldn't be for n store-he had over
two thousand square feet on his two
floors. and light cellar and an out.
house for supplies. Mrs. Trow.
bridge was too clever to start a
rival store that didn't meet his
stock fully and little more.
How much y askin' for flower.
beds this mornin', DAM" was a
greeting that never failed TO come
from some one
Dan laughed-outwardly. But, as
Redyille knew full well. Dan Crow.
der wasn't the man TO stand being
made the butt OF by any one. Mrs.
Trowbridge had put one over on
Dan-but Dan had ye; TO come
back. And Il was this indeter.
inmate blow OF Dams this master
stroke that might fall a; any mo.
meni on Mrs Ed. that kept Redville
excitement nj fever pitch.
Besides occupying the strategic
position OF store keeper. Crowder
was the political boss of the county
He had his seryile henchmen. and
their mission now was TO find out
10 what purpose Mrs. Trowbridge
intended TO put her new building.
Tho rivalry between Redville and
Greencastle. separated by eight
miles. was as that between ancient
Athens and Sparta. Peggy had
come from the township OF Green
castle. and. despite her popularity
in Redyille was viewed as an alien.
And Dan Crowdcr knew this atti.
tude OF Redville's.
Peggy laughed elfishiy NJ her ke..
bands fears OF Dan. and perked her
head saucily-the busy little head
too full OF its beautiful "visioe" to
see the gathering clouds. Her first
presago OF defeat came at church.
II was the third Sunday after her
house was begun. On the two
previous Sundays she had been
greeted with pleases ordinations
But on the third Sunday there
were no adMiring glances. no warm.
~ ELUSIVE greetings. Mrs. Trow.
bridge was TO be treated with the
deferesce that her husbands acres
and bank account demanded.
Peggy was openly bewilderes
Her eyes turned from one to an.
other in childish questioning. She
did not h@ar the sermon.
But the next day Joe Downs. who
came ostensibly 10 Sk isstructha =
about the builtiag. explained the
mystery. Pluckpg at his whiskGas.
sad looking at Peggy With fatherly
compassiog. he blurted out:
Dan Crowder's got pull here In
Gedvlllc that no caae on en1th kin
shake. sGs't kpow what yer build.
ing fer. But thar's n pretty general
feelin' that It's planned Q sarcum.
vent Dan Cpowder-that ydni Cont
think Redville folks know cpough {
look out for their own c1terest an
are settin' yerself up s a guardeen
T. look out for 'em tn way they
do fer epileptics an ijitsO That is."
he added dryly. Dams guve Gam
that idee."
Il thought they liked me-" said
Peggy. in low. strained voice.
"They-seemed to-"
AN they do" said Downs. "They
do, Mrs. Trowbridge. Thar amt
any one In tn place that Dan
couldn't egg EN- on T. thinkin' they
dlsliked-'ceptin Sam lchy, o.
course"
That evening. after watching
Peggy's stricken face for while.
her husband gathered her In his
arms.
I'm not going to let you worry