Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-01-18

hammock and touching n slippered
toe to the fiagstones 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 g%lOrles.
"We 1--WE you much, and we are go
ing to owe you more" she said. "You
mustn't think that we don't appreciate
you at your full value. COlonel-daddy
thinks you are the most wonderful
somebody that ever lived, and so do a
lot of the Others"
"And your" he couldn't resist saying.
I'm just plain ashamed-fOr the
way 1 treated you when you were here
before. I've been eating humble-pie
ever since"
Smith breathed freer. Nobody but a
most cOnsummate actress could have
simulated her frank sincerity. He had
jumped too quickly to the small sum
in-addltlon 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 1 believe you wanted to
shame me. 1 believe you gave up your
place at the dam and took hold with
daddy more to show me what ar incon-
seQuent little idiot 1 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, II you can"
IL can't" she admitted, laughing
back at him. 'But now you've accom-
pllshed your purpose, I hope you are
not going to give up. That would be a
little hard on colOnel-daddy."
ooh, no; I'm not going to give up
until 1 have to-"
Does that mean more than 1t saysT'
ayes, I'm afraid 1t does"
She was silent for the length Of time
that 1t 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 WON
an slipped from the hammock and
stood up.
Don't 60" said Smith, feeling as II
he we're losing an opportunity aud
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
colonel the next morning physically
rested, to be sure, but in a frame Of
mind bordering again upon the sar
donlc. One thing stood out clearly
he was most Enthusiastically in low
with Corona Baldwin.
Hence there was another high re
solve not to go to Hillcrest again unit
he could go as a free man; a resOlv,
which, II is perhaps needless to say
was broken thereafter as often as tn,
colonel asked him to 60. Why, in tn,
last resort, Smith should have hnall.
chosen a conhdant In the person o
William Starbuck, the reformed COW
} puncher, he scarcely knew. But 1t wa
to Starbuck that he appealed for ad
WIG hhNM AhG eNAAAAANhNaA oANNtNN
had grown fairly desperate.
"Tve told you enough 80 that yol
can understand the vlse-nip Of II
Billy" he said to Starbuek one nigh
when he had dragged the mine owne
up 20 the bathroom suite In the Hophri
House, and had told him just a little
enough to merely hint at his condition
"You see how II stacks up. I'm In
fair way to come out of this the big
gest scoundrel allve-the plker VIII
takes advantage Of the innocence of
5 good girl. TN not the man she think
am. 1 am standing over a volcano pi
every minute OF the day. II It blow
: up, I'm gone, o~bliterated, wiped out"
els 1t aiming 10 blow upT" aske
Starbuck sagely.
II don't know any more about tha
than you do. II IL the kind that usual
ly does blow up SoOner or later. Fv
prepared for II as well as / an. Wha
Colonel Baldwin and the rest Of 20
D needed was a financial manager, an
! Timanyoni High Line has It's nghhO
= chance-which wan more than TimaI
yoni Ditch had when l took hold. II
9 should drop out now. you and Maxwe
Q and the colonel and KinEie could 60 o