The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-07-17


You're never going to build that road.
Do you understands
The suddenness of her attack amaz-
ed him to such an extent that he did
not take the trouble to contradict her.
Ir7tead he hlurted out angrily and
deflantly: I'll Build that road if 1t
costs me my life-if 1t costs me you.
Understand! I'm In this fight to win"
you will not build that road" she
reiterated.
"Why?"
Because shall not permit you TO.
I have some financial interest in the
Laguna Grande Lumber company. and
+ Is not to that financial interest that
you should build the n. c. O."
"HOw did you find out that I was
behind OgIlvy?"
Intuition. Then accused you of
It and you admitted It."
81 suppose you're going to tell your
uncle now" he retOrted witheringly.
ION the contrary. I am not. If II
will comfort you the least bit. you
have my word of honor that l shall
not reveal to my uncle the identity Of
the man behind the n c. o. The fact
T., both you and Uncle Seth annoy me
exceedingly. How lovely everything
would have been If yoU two hadn't
started this feud and forced upon me
The task Of trying to be fair and I'm
partial to you both. Forgive my
slang, but-Im going TO hand you each
poke soon"
Shirley" he told her earnestly,
''listen carefully to what am about to
say. l love you. I've loved you from
the day first met you. l shall always
love you; and when l get around to
. it, I'm going to ask you TO marry me.
At present. however. that is a right
l do not possess. However, the day
acquire the right / shall exercise
it,"
And when will that day be?" Very
softly. in awesOme tones!
THE day drive the last spike in
the n. c. o.
Fell a silence. Then; I'm glad,
Bryce Cardigan, you're not gutter
Goodbye, good luck-and don't forget
my GRAND" She hung up and sat at
the telephone for moment dimpled
chin in dimpled hand. "HOw I'd hate
you if could handle you" she MUIR
INJURED.
Following this eXasperating but
Illuminating conversation with Shirley
Cardigan was a distressed and badly
worried man. For an hour he sat
slOuched in his chair. chin on breast,
the while he reviewed every angle
of the situation. He found it impOS-
sible, however, to disassOciate the bust
ness from the personal aspects of his
relations with Shirley, and he recalled
that she had the very best of reasons
for placing their relations on a bust
ness basis rather a sentimental one.
For the present, however, it was all a
profound and disturbing mystery, and
after an hour of futile concentration
there came to Bryce the old childish
impulse to go to his father with his
troubles.
HE will be able to think without
having his thoughts blotted out by a
woman's face" Bryce soliloqulzed.
Hes like one Of his own big redwood
trees; his head is always above the
storm"
Straightway Bryce left the Office and
went home to the old house on the
knoll. John Cardigan was sitting on
the veranda, and from stand beside
him George Sea Otter entertained him
with a photograph selection-"The
Suwanee River" sung by a male quar-
tette. He could not see, but with the
intuition Of the blind he knew.
"What is It, SOM" he demanded
gently as Bryce came up the low steps.
George, choke that contraption off"
Bryce took his fathers hand. I'm
In trouble, John Cardigan" he said sim
ply, land "m not big enough to handle
It alone"
The leonine old man smiled. and his
smile had all the sweetness of a bene-
diction. His boy was in trouble and
had come to him. Good! Then he
would not fail him. "Sit down. son.
and tell the old man all about It. Be
gin at the beginning and let me have
Ill the angles of the angle"
Bryce obeyed. and for the first time
Tohn Cardigan learned of his sons ac-
1uaintance with Shirley Sumner and
the fact that she had been present In
Pennington's woods the day Bryce had
gone there to settle the score with
Tules ROndeau.
With the patience and gentleness IF
confessor John Cardigan heard the
story now. and though Bryce gave no
hint in words that his affections were
involved in the fight for the Cardigan
acres yet did his father know II. for
he was a parent. And his great heart
went out in sympathy for his boy.
81 understand. sonny. I understand.
This young lady Is only one additional
reason why you must win. for of course
you understand she is not Indifferent
to you"
"I do not know that she feels for me
anything stronger than vagrant SYM
pathy. dad. for while she IN etprnaIlv
feminine. nevertheless she has a mas
culine way Of looking at many things.
Her first loyalty Is to her uncle: In
fact. she owes none TO me. And dare
say he has given her some extremely
plausible reason whv we should he
eliminated: while think she is sorry
that II must he done. nevertheless IN
mistaken impulse NJ self-protectiOn
she Is likely to let him do IT.
"Perhaps. perhaps. Eliminate rho