The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-09-02
Copyright By Pster ,. Kyns
CHAPTER XIV.

10
The dlctograph which Shirley had
asked Bryce to obtain for her in San
Francisco arrived on the regular pas
senger steamer on Thursday morning
and Bryce called her up to ask when
she desired II sent over.
Good morning. Mr.. Cardigan" she
greeted him cheerily. How do you
feel this morning? Any the worse for
having permitted yourself to be hu-
man being last night?"
why, ! feel pretty fine, Shirley. l
think It did me lot of good to crawl
iout OF my shell last night"
"You feel encouraged to go on lIv.
ling. eh?"
"Yes"
"And fightingT"
by all MEANS"
"Then something hns occurred of
late to give you new courageT
"Oh, many things. BY the way. Shlr-
ley, you may inform your uncle at
obreakfast Friday morning about my
connection with the n. c. O. In fact.
] think II would be far better for you
II you made It point to do So"
"Why?"
Because both Ogilvy and myself
have very strong suspicion that your
uncle has detective or two on our
trails. l Judge your uncle will learn
today that you dined with Ogilvy,
Moira and me last night"
''Oh. dear! That's terrible" He
could sense her distress.
Ashamed Of having been seen in my
company. eh?"
''Please don't. Are you quite serious
in this matterr
-Quite."
~Uncle Seth will think II $3.50
strange"
He'll probably tell you about II.
Better beat him to the issue by Tossing
up, Shirley. Doubtless his suspicious
nre already aroused. and II you inform
him that you know am the real build
er of the N. c. o., he'll think you're n
smart woman and that you've been
doing a little private gum-shoe work
of your own on behalf of the Laguna
Grande Lumber company"
(which is exactly what have been
doing" she reminded him.
81 know. But then, I'm not afraid
of you. Shirley-thnt Is. any more
And after Friday morning I'll not he
afraid of your uncle"
81 feel as If were consplrator."
81 believe you are one. Your dIcto-
graph has arrived. Shall send George
Sea Otter over with It? And have you
somebody to install it?"
"Gfi, bother! Does II have TO be in.
stalled?"
at does. You place the contraptIon
hide It, rather--in the room where
the conspirators conspire: then you
run wires from II into another room
where the detectives listen in on the
Aeceivers."
"Could George Sea otter install it?"
81 think he could. There Is n print
ed card Of Instructions. and dare say
, George would find the Job no more
battling than the ignition system on
the Napier"
"Will he tell anybody?"
"Not If you ask him not to-"
"Very well. then. Please send him
NoNtT. Hulh Nou so HlNcn, bryce
Cardigan. You're an awful good old
sort. after all. Really, II hurts me TO
have to oppose you. 1t would be so
much nicer II we didn't have all those
redwood trees to protect. wouldn't III"
"Let us not argue the question. Shlr-
ley I think ! have my redwood trees
protected. Good-by"
He had scarcely finished teiephon-
Ing his home TO instruct George Sea
otter to report with the express pack,
lage to Shirley when Buck Og.lyy
strolled into the office md tossed a
document on his desk. There's your
little old temporary franchise. old
thing" he announced; and with many
n hearty laugh he related to Bryce the
Ingenious means by which he had OBJ
tained It. "And now II you will phone
up to your logging camp and Instruct
the woods-boss to lay OF about fifty
men to rest for the day. pending n
hard nights work. and arrange TO
send them down on the last log train
today, TIL drop around after dinner
md we'll fly to that jump-crossing."
"I1l telephone Colonel Pennington's
manager and ask him to kick switch
engine In on the Laurel creek spur and
snake those fiat cars with my rails
aboard out to the junction with the