Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-02-08

things but n driving mOtiverhad sur
vlved, and II had grown to the stature
Of an obsessiOn the determination TO
wiring victory out Of defeat for Tlman-
yoni High Line; to fall, If he must fail,
fighting to the last gasp and with his
face to the enemy.
II know" he said, replying, after the
reflective pause, to the charge passed
on by Colonel Dexter. '"There Is a
friend Of mine here from the East, and
/ have been obliged TO show her some
attention, so they say l am neglectlng
my job. They are also talking 1t
around that / am your Jonuh, and say
ing that your only hope is to pitch me
overheard"
"That's Dave Kinzie," grOwled the
M%issourian. "IIe seems to have Il in
for you, some way"
Nevertheless, he was right" Smith
returned glOomily. Then: IL am about
at the end of my rope, colonel-the
rope 1 warned you about when you
brought me here and put me into the
saddle; and I'm trying desperately to
hang on until my Jobs done. When 1t
Is done, when Timanyoni High Line
can stand fairly on its own feet and
fight its own battles, I'm gone"
"Oh, no, you're not" denied the
ranchman-president in generous pro-
test. "You come on out home with me
tonight and get away from this muddle
for q few minutes. TIN do you a heap
of good; you know 1t always does"
Smith shook his head reluctantly but
firmly.
"Never agnin, colonel. It can only be
a matter Of a few days now, and I'm
not going to pull you and your wife
and daughter into the limellght If I can
help It,"
Colonel Dexter got out Of his chair
and walked to the office window. When
he came back it was to say: "Are they
~snre-enough chasing you, John7-for
something that you have done? Is that
what you're trying to tell me?"
HThat is it-and they are nearly here.
Now you know at least one of the rea-
son why 1 can't go with you tonight"
'TI be shot If I do !" stormed the
generous one. II promised the missus
I'd bring you"
"YOu must make my excuses to her ;
and to Corona you may say that 1 am
once more carrying a gun. She will I'M
derstand."
(which means, 1 take 1t, that you've
been telling Cory more than you've
told the rest Of us. That brings on
more talk, John. l haven't said a word
before, have II"
mo"
"Well I'm going to say 1t now: I've
got only just one daughter in the wide,
wide world, John"
Smith stood up and put his hands
behind him, facing the older man
squarely.
Colonel, I'd give ten years of my
life, this minute, If 1 might go with you
to Hillcrest this evening and tell Co
roma what l have been wanting to tell
her ever since I have come to know
what her love might make Of me. The
fact that l can't do it is the bitterest
thing l have ever had to face, or can
ever be made to face"
Colonel Baldwin fell back into his
swing-chair and thrust his hands into
his pockets.
1T beats the Dutch how things
tangle themselves up for us poor NOR
tails every little so-while," he COM
mented, after a frowning pause. And
then: "YOu haven't said anything like
that to Cory, have your"
"No."
"That was white, anyway. And now
1 suppose the other woman-this Miss
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS over at the hO-
tel-has come and dug you up and got
you on the end Of her trailing rope.
That's the way 1t goes when a nan
mixes and mingles too much. You
never can tell"
"Hold on" Smith lnterposed. What
ever else l may be, I'm not that kind
Of a scoundrel. I don't owe Miss
HIGHLANDER anything that I can't pay
without doing Injustice to the woman
1 love. But In another way l am a
scOundrel, colonel. For the past two
days 1 have been contemplate enough
TO play upon a woman's vanity merely
for the sake Of keeping her from talk
ing too much"
The grizzled old ranchman shook his
head sOrrOwfully.
81 didn't think that Of you, John; I
sure didn't. Why, that's what you
might call a low-dOwn, tin-horn sort Of
a game"
ut is just that, and I know 1t as
well as you do. But it's the price I
have to pay for my few days of grace.
Miss HIGHLANDER knows the Stantons +;
they've made 1t their business to get
acquainted with her. One word from
her to Crawford Stanton, and a wire
from him to my home town In the mid
die West would settle me-"
The older man Strengthened himself
in his chair, and his steel-gray eyes
blazed suddenly.
"Break away from 'em, john" he
- ~ - - - " "