Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-07
CHAPTER vi.
a Notice to Quit.

a Notice to Quit.
Once started and given its push, the
gray roadster drifted backward from
the railroad crossing and kept on until
1t came to rest In the sag at the turn
IN the road. Running to overtake it,
Smith found that the young woman
was still trying Intellectually to free
herself. In releasing the clutch her
dress had been caught, and Smith was
glad enough to let the extricating Of
the caught skirt and the cranking Of
the engine serve for q notwithstanding
| recovery.
When he stepped back to 'tune" the
spark the young woman had subsidized
into the mechanician's seat and was
relying her veil with fingers that were
not any too steady. She was small
but welI-knit; her hair was a golden
/ brown and there was a good deal of
It; her eyes were set well apart, and
in the bright morning sunlight they
were q slaty gray~of the exact shade
! of the motor veil she was reaFrangfng.
Smith had a sudden conviction that he
had seen the wide-set eyes before; also
/ the straight little nose and the half.
boyish mouth and chin, though where
he had seen them the conviction could
/ give no present hint.
81 sup-pup-suppOse I ought to say
something appropriate" she was be-
/ ginning, half breathlessly, while Smith
stood at the fender and grinned.
"YOu don't have to say anything. It's
/ been a long time since I've had a
. chance to make such a bully grand
stand play as this" And then:
you're Colonel Baldwin's daughter,
aren't your"
She nodded, saying:
/ Glow did you know?''
st know the car. And you have your
fathers eyes,
She did not seem to take 1t amiss
that he was making her eyes a basis
/ for comparisons. She was her fathers
only son, as well as his only daughter.
and she divided her time pretty evenly
in trying to live up to both sets Of re-
I Quirements.
'You have introduced me; wo-won't
you introduce yourself?" she said,
when a second crash of the shifting
freight train spent itself and gave her
an opening.
''Tm Smith" he told her; adding:
ITS my real name"
Her laugh was an instant easing
Of tensions.
ooh, yes; you're Mr.. Williams as
sistant. I've heard colonel-da-my
father, speak of you"
''No," ne denied in blunt honesty
I'm not Williams assistant; at least
the pay roll doesn't say so. Up at the
camp they call me the Hobo.'"
The young woman had apparently
regained whatever small fraction OF
self-possessiOn the narrow escape had
shocked aside.
care they never going to take that
miserable train out of the way?" she
exclaimed. 1--WE got to see Mr.. VIII
| Hams, and there isn't a minute to
spare. C0i0nel-da-I mean my father,
has gone up to Red Butte and little
while ago they telephoned over to the
ranch from the Brewster office to say
that there was going to be some more
trouble at the DAM
"Y0u won't find Williams at tbs
| camp. He started out early this morn.
ing beyond Little creek, and said ne
wouldn't be back until some time to-
morrow. VIII you tell me what you're
needing?"
"Oh!' she exclaimed, with a little
gasp Of disappointment, 1--WE simply
got to md FIR. Williamson some.
body Do you happen to know any
thing about the lawsuit troubles?"
Il know all about them; Williams
has told me-"
''Then I'll tell you what Mr.. Martin
teleph0ned. He said that three men
were going to pretend to relocate a
mining claim IN the hills back Of the
dam, somewhere near the upper end
# the reservoir lake-that-is-to-be.
They're doing it so that they can get
out on Injunction, or whatever you
-o2 veil have to buy them
s have been bought
time entirely IA
and pr0fles and
e ditch company's
in the limits Of the
food "a cen bought and paid
f0r-sonIe q It more than once, hasn't
it," he asked.
''Oh, yes; but that doesn't make any
difference. These men will claim that
their location was made long ago, and
that they are-just nov getting ready