Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-02

THAT was nonsense" he comment.
ed; their going after you as II were
maniac or q drunken man, mean.'
This time Miss Richlander's smile
was distinctly resentful. II suppose
the colonel's daughter answered the
purpose better" she said. "There was
an awkward little c0ntretemps, and
Miss Baldwin refused, rather rudely, ]
thought, to tell her father where you
had gone"
Smith broke away from the unwel.
come subject abruptly, saying: "There
Is something else you ought to know.
Jibbey ID here, at last"
Does he know you are here?"
''He does"
"Why didn't you tell me beforei
That will complicate things dreadfully.
Tucker will talk and tell all he knows;
he can't help It,"
"This is one time when he will not
talk. Perhaps he will tell you why
when you see him."
Miss Richlander glanced at the face
OF the small watch pinned on her
shoulder.
"You must not stay here any longer"
she protested. '"The StantQns may come
down any minute, now, and they
mustn't find us together. l am still
forgiving enough to want to help you.
but you must do your part and let me
know what is going on"
William Starbuck's new car was
standing in front Of Judge Warmers
house In the southern suburb when
Smith descended from the closed cab
which he had taken at the Hophra
House side entrance. The clock in
the courthouse tower was striking the
quarter Of nine. The elevated mesa
upon which the suburb was built com.
manded broad view of the town and
the outlying ranch lands, and in the
distance beyond the river the Hillcrest
cottonwoods outlined themselves
against a background Of miniature
buttes.
Smiths gaze took in the wide, sunlit
prospect. He had paid and dismissed
his cabman, and the thought came to
him that In a few hours the wooded
buttes the bare plains, the mighty
mountains, and the pictured city
spreading maplike at his feet would
probably exist for him only as men,
DRY. While he halted on the terrace,
Starbuck came out Of the house.
1.-THE Judge is at breakfast" the
owner announced. you're to go In
and wait. What do you want me to
do next?"
when get through with the Judge,
I shall want to 80 out to the dam.
Will you wait and take me?'
"Surest thing on earth"-with
prompt acquiescence. And then: SIS
it as bad as you thought it was going
to be, John?'
"It's about as bad as it can be-" was
the sober reply, and with that Smith
went in to wait for his interview with
the rmanyoni's best-beloved jurist.
At nine o'clock, or few minutes
before the hour, David Kinzie, 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 ]
look at my mail"
It was one Of David Klnzie's small
subtleties to make man sit idly thus,
on one pretext or another; It rarely
failed to put the incomer at disad-
vantage. and on the present occasion
It worked like q charm. Baldwin had
let his cigar 80 out and had chewed
the end Of 1t into pulp before Kinzle
swung around In his chair and
launched out abruptly.
"You and / have always been pretty
good friends, Dexter" he began. land
I have called you down here this
morning to prove to you that am
still your friend. Where is your man
Smith 7"
Baldwin shook his head. II don't
know" he answered. II haven't seen
him since last evening"
HAS he run away, then7"
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, Daver' 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
propositionr"
mo, I don't"
aWell, 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 stcntly. But
go on. You've got your gun loaded:
what are you aiming It att"
"Just this: I told you weeks ago
that the other people were carrying
too many big guns for you. don't
want to see you killed OF, Dexter"
'Tm no gutter; You ought to know
that, Dave" was the blunt rejoinder.
II know; but there are times when
1t is simply foolhardy to hold on. The
compromise proposition that ! put up
to you people while back still holds
good. But today is the last day. Dex-
ter. You must accept 1t now, If you
are going to accept 1t at all"
"And If we refuse1"
you'll 20 to smash. the whole kit
- {o thu Loot