Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-06


and he's in for twenty thousand" said
Shaw. "And, by the way, Bill is
man who will bear watching. He's
hand-in-glove with Smith, and he's onto
all of orr little crooks and turns. /
heard him telling Smith today that he
owed it to the company to carry
gum"
Stanton's smile showed his teeth.
81 wish he would carry one and kill
somebody with it. Then we'd know
what to do with him."
The spy was rolling n cigarette and
his half-closed eyes had a murderous
CLINT in them.
"I1e, for instance?" he inquired Gym
ically.
anybody" said Stanton absently.
He was going over the list of stock
holders again and had scarcely heard
what Shaw had said.
"That brings US down to business,
Mr.. Stanton" said the ex-rallroad clerk
slowly. "I'm not getting money enough
out of this to cover the risk-my risk"
The man at the desk looked up
quickly.
whats that you say? BY heavens,
| Shaw, I've spoken once, and I'll do
it just this one time more: you sing
small IL you want to keep out of Jail I"
Shaw had lighted his cigarette and
was cdging toward the door.
"Not this trip, Mr.. Stanton" he said
tNn
you. can find two men who will go
into court and swear that you paid
Pete Simms money to have Smith sand
bagged, that day out at Simms' place
Mt the dam! may have to go to Jail,
as you say; but I'll bet you five TO one
that you'll beat me to itp And with
that he snapped the catch on the locked
door and went away.
Some three hours after this rather
hostile clash with the least trustwOr-
thy but by far the most able of his
henChmen, Crawford Stanton left his
wife chatting comfortably with Miss
HIGHLANDER in the hotel parlOrs and
went reluctantly to keep an appoint
ment which he had been dreading ever
since the early afternoon hour when
wire had come from COpah directing
him to meet the Nevada Flyer" upon
its arrival at Brewster. The public
knew the name signed to the telegram
as that of a millionaire statesman; but
Stanton knew 1t best as the name of
n hard and not overscrupulous master.
The train was whistling for the sta
ton when Stanton descended from his
cab and hurried down the long plat
form. A white-jacketcd porter was
waiting to admit him to the presence
when the train came to stand, and as
he climbed into the yestibule of the
luxurious private car, Stanton got what
comfort he could out of the thought
that the interview would necessarily be
limited by the ten minutes engine
changing stop of the fast train.
Stanton, ten minutes later, made a
flying leap from the moving train. At
the cab rank he found the motor cab
which he had hired for the drive down
from the hotel. Climbing in, he gave q
brittle order TO the chauffeur. Stimuli
taneOusly man wearing the SofteSt
of hats lounged away from his post of
observation under n nearby electric
pole and ran across the railroad plaza
to unhitch nnd mount wiry little COW
pony. once in the saddle, however,
the mounted man did not hurry his
horse. Having overheard Stanton's
order giving, there was no need to keep
the motor cab in sight as it sputtsred
through the streets and out upon the
backgrounding mesa, its ill-smelling
course ending at lonely roadhOuse In
the mesa hills on the Topaz trail.
When the hired vehicle came to a
stand in front of the lighted barroom
of the roadhOuse, Stanton gave wait
ing order to the driver and went in.
OF the dog-faced barlleeper he asked
an abrupt question, and at the mans
jerk Of a thumb toward the rear, the
promoter passed on and entered the
private room at the back.
The private room had but one occu-
pant-the man Lanterby, who was sit
ting behind a round card table and
vainly endeavoring to make one of the
pair OF empty whisky iIasses spin in
complete circuit about a black bottle
standing on the table.
The hired car was stlll waiting when
/ Stanton went out through the barroom
and gave the driver his return orders.
And, because the night was dark, nei-
ther OF the two at the car saw the man
in the soft hat straighten himself up
from his crouching place under the
baekroom window and vanish silently
in the gloom.
CHAPTER XIV.