Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-06

den. I could understand 1t, but an in
fernal black berry pie! Good heav-
ens!"
81 told you ne was different" she
| replied. To the Coloners amazement
she did not appear at all amused
| Bryce Cardigan Is a man with the
heart and soul Of a boy, and think
| Il was mighty sweet Of him to share
his pie with me. II he had sent roses,
should have suspected him OF try
| ing to rush me. but the fact that
he sent blackberry pie proves that
he's Just a natural. simple, sane.
original citizen--Just the kind OF
person girl can have for dear
| friend without mourning the risk OF
having to marry HIM"
The Colonel noticed a calm little
smile ringing her generous mouth.
He wished ne could tell. by intuition.
what she was thinking about-and
what effect hot wild-blackberry
pie was ultimately to have upon the
value Of his minority holding In the
Iaguna Grande Lumber company.
Not until dinner was finished and
father and son had repaired to the
library for their coffee and cigars did
Bryce Cardigan advert to the sub
ject Of his fathers business AFFAIRS.
well, John Cardigan" he declared
comfortably. Suppose you start at
the beginning and tell me everything
right to the end. George Sea Otter
informed me that you've been having
trouble with this Johnny-come-late-
ly. Colonel Pennington. Is he the man
who has us where the hair Is short7"
The old man nodded.
1.-THE Squaw creek timber deal.
| Ell ?" Bryce suggested.
Again the old man nodded. you
wrote me all about that" Bryce con-
tinued. "You had him blocked which
ever way he turned-so effectually
| blocked, In fact that the only pleas
uro he has derived from his invest
ment since Is the knowledge that he
owns two thousand acres Of timber
with the exclusive right to pay taxes
on 1t, walk in it, look at It and ad-
mire tin fact. do everything except
log It, mill 1t. and realize on his in
vestment. It must make him feel like
bally jackass."
ION the other hand" his father re-
minded him. mo matter what the
Colonel's feeling on that score may
be. misery loves company. and not
until I had pulled out OF the Squaw
creek country and started logging in
the San Hedrin watershed. did real
lie that had been considerable Of a
jackass myself"
"Ycs" Bryce admitted. there can
be no doubt but that you cut off your
nose to spite your face"
His thoughts harked back to that
first season Of logging in the San
Hedrin. when the cloud-burst had
caught the river filed with Cardigan
logs and whirled them down to the
bay. to crash thru the log boom at
tidewater and continue out to the
open sea-
The old man appeared to divine the
trend Of his sons thoughts. Yes,
Bryce. that was a disastrous year."
he declared. THE mere loss OF the
logs was a severe blow. but in addi-
ton I had to pay, out quite little
money to settle with my customers.
I was loaded up with low-priced
orders that year, altho didn't OK
pect to make any money. The or
ders were merely to keep the men
employed. You understand, Bryce!
had good crew, the finest in the
country: and II had shut down,
nv men would have scattered and
well. you know how hard 1t is to
get that kind of a crew together
again. Besides. had never failed
my boys before, and couldn't bear
the thought Of failing them then.
Half the mills in the country were
shut down at the time, and there
was 4 lot Of distress among the, un-
employed. I couldn't do It, Bryce"
Bryce nodded. And when you,
lost the logs. you couldn't fill those
low priced orders. Then the mar
ket commenced to jump and advanc-
ed three dollars In three month";
Exactly, my son. And my Gus
toners began to crowd me to Nil
| those old orders. / couldn't expecr
them to suffer with me: my failure
70 perform my contracts. while un-
Avoidable. nevertheless would have
caused them a serious loss. and whom
they were forced to buy elsewhere.
paid them the difference between the
| price linry Y.:a nay competitors s:a
| the price at which they originally
placed their orders with me. And
the delay caused them further loss.
| He smoked meditatively for a
minute. 'Pve always been land
1 poor" he explained apoligeticaliy
Whenever had idle money. put 81
into timber IN the San Hedrin water
shed. because realized that some
day the railroad would build in from
the south. tap that timber and double
,its value. rye not AZ yet. found
! reason 70 doubt the y i.donn oif nis
course; but"--he sighed--''the rail
road "a q long time coming"
TO. be contlnued.