The Lamar register., 1919-03-12

on the reverse leg of the long down
river detour before Starbuck cut the
speed and turned the wheel over to
his seat-mate.
Take her minute while l get the
maklngs." he said. dry-llpped. feeling
In his pockets for tobacco and the
rice paper. Then he added: Holy
Solomonl / never wanted a smoke
SO bad in all my lifer'
Smiths laugh wns a chuckle.
"Gets next to you-after the fact
doesn't It? That's where we split. 1
had my scare before we hit the bridge.
and it tasted like innurhful of bitter
aloes. Does this road take us back
up the river?"
at takes us twenty miles around
through the Park and comes in at the
head of Little creek. But we have
plenty of time. You told Harding two
hours. didn't you?"
"Yes; but 1 must have few min
utes at Hillcrest before we get action.
Billy"
Starbuck took the wheel again and
said nothing until the roundabout race
had been fully run and he was cas-
ing the car down the last of the hills
into the Little Creek road. There had
been three-quarters Of an hour of skill
full driving over bad road to come
between Smiths remark and its re-
ply, but Starbuck apparently made no
account of the length of the interval.
You're aiming TO go and see Cor
ryT' he asked, while the car was
coasting to the hill bottom.
"Yes."
With a sudden flick of the controls
and a quick jamming of the brakes,
Starbuck brought the car TO n stand
just as 1t came into the level road.
Were man to man here under the
canopy, John; and Cory Baldwin
hasn't got any brother" he offered
grnvely. I'm backing you in this
business fight for all I'm worth-for
Dick Maxwelrs sake and the colonels,
and maybe a little bit for the sake of
my own ante of twenty thousand.
And I'm ready to back you In this old
home scrap with all the money you'll
need to make your fight. But when 1t
comes TO the little girl it's different.
Have you any good and fair right to
hunt up Cory Baldwin while things
are shaping themselves up as they
are?"
Smith met the shrewd inquisition
fairly.
"Give II name" he said shortly
81 Will: I'll give 1t the one you gave
It while back. You said you were
nm outlaw. on two charges: embezzle-
ment and assault. Wen let the as
sault go. But the other thing doesn't
taste good
81 didn't embezzle anything. Billy.
/ thought | made that plain"
$50 you did. But you also made IL
plain that the home court would be
likely TO send you up for II, guilty or
not guilty. And with a thing like that
hanging over you you see. /
know Cory Baldwin. John. II you
put 1t up TO her tonight. and she hap
pens TO fnll In with your side OF it
which is what you're aiming TO make
her do-all hell won't keep her from
going back home with you and seeing
you through. :"
BILLY. l may never see her again.
said | wouldn't tell her-that 1
loved her too well to tell her q.
hut now the final pinch has come. and
L"
"And that isn't ALL" Stnrbuck went
on relentlessly. There's this Miss
Rlch-acres. Your hands Amt clean.
John; not clean enough to let you go
10 Hillcrcst tonight"
Smith groped in his pockets, found
II cigar and lighted IL.
"Pull out 10 the side OF the road and
wen kill what time there is to XIII
right here" he directed soberly. And
then: what you Day is right as right.
Billy. Once more. l guess. I was lo-
coed for the minute. Forget 1t; and
while you're about II. forget Miss
Richlander. too. Luckily for her. she
is out of lt-as far out Of II as l
am"
Continued Next Week.