Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-08-23

I
toe to the flagstones for the swinging
push. From Smiths point of view she
had for a background the gorgeous
sunset, but he could not see the more
distant glOries.
ave owe you much, and we are 60
ing to owe you MORE" she said. "You
mustn't think that we don't appreciate
| you Mt your full value. Colonel-daddy
thinks you are the most wonderful
somebody that ever lived, and, $50 do
| lot of the Others"
"And your" he couldn't resist saying.
"I'm just plain ashamed-for the
way treated you when you were here
before. I've been eating humble-pie
ever since"
Smith breathed freer. Nobody but
most consummate actress could have
simulated her frank sincerity. He had
jumped too quickly to the small sum-
| in-additiOn conclusion. She did not
know the story of the absconding bank
cashier.
81 don't know why you should feel
that way" he said, eager, now, to run
where he had before been afraid to
walk.
81 do. And I believe you wanted to
shame me. believe you gave up your
| place at the dam and took hold with
daddy more to show me what an incon-
scquent little idiot I was than for any
other reason. Didn't you, really2"
He laughed in quiet ecstasy at this
newest and most adorable of the
moods.
Honest confession is good for the
soul: I did" he boosted. "Now beat
that for frankness, if you cam"
81 can't" she admitted laughing
| back at him. But now you've accom-
plished your purpose, hope you are
not going to give up. That would be a
little hard on colonel-daddy."
"Oh, no; I'm not going to give up
until have to-"
Does that mean more than it says?"
Eyes, I'm afraid it does"
She was silent for the length of time
that it took the flaming crimson in the
western sky to fade to salmon. The
colonel had mounted the steps and was
coming toward them. The young wOm-
an slipped from the hammock and
stood up.
"Don't CO." said Smith, feeling as If
he were losing an opportunity and
leaving much unsald that ought to be
said. But the answer was a quiet
good night" and she was gone.
Smith went back to town with the
! hn nh l1Xy
rested, to be sure, but In a frame of
mind bordering again upon the sar-
donic. One thing stood out clearly :
he was most Enthusiastically in love
with Corona Baldwin.
Hence there was another high re-
solve not to so to Hillcrest again until
lie could so as free man; resolve
which, 1t is perhaps needless to say,
was broken thereafter as often as the
colonel asked him to go. Why, in the
last resort, Smith should have finally
chosen a contidant in the person OF
; William Starbuck, the reformed COW.
puncher, he scarcely knew. But 1t was
to Starbuci that he appealed for adj
vice when the sentimental situation
luu grown lHllIy desperate.
1--WE told you enough so that you
can understand the vise-nip of 1t
Dilly," he said to Starbuck one night
when he had dragged the mine owner
up to the bathroom suite in the HophrG
House, and had told him just little
enough TO merely hint at his condition
you see how it stacks up. I'm in &
= fair way to come out of this the big
gest scoundrcl alive-the piker whC
takes advantage of the innocence of 1
good girl. I'm not the man she think:
am. am standing over volcano pi
D every minute of the day. If 1t blow!
up, I'm gone. Obliterated, wiped out"
l as it aiming to blow upT" asker
Starbuck sagely.
!, ~ don't know any more about tina
e than you do. 1t is the kind that usual
ly does blow up sooner or later. w
0 prepared for it as well as can. VIVA
Colonel Baldwin and the rest of 20,
0 Deeded was n financial manager. an
d s,ir4anyoni High Line has its fightln
: chance-which was more than Tlnar
yOni Ditch had when took hold. If
G should drop out now, you and MaxweI
e and the colonel and Klnzle could so o