The Jones County news., 1920-10-07

gan talked with her few minutes at
the gate, then bade her goodnight.
Upon returning to Hotel Sequola.
found o. in hotel bar. Saw hlm TO
bed at 10 sharp
Needless 10 relate. this report had
most amazing effect upon Colonel
Pennington. and when at length he
could recover his mental equilibrium,
he set about quite calmly to analyze
the report. with the result that he
promptly arrived at the following con-
clusion:
ID His niece Shirley Sumner was
not to be trusted In so far as young
Bryce Cardigan was concerned. De-
spite her assumption OF hostility to-
ward the fellow since that memorable
day in Pennigton's woods. the Colonel
was now fully convinced that she had
made her peace with him and had
been the recipient Of his secret atten-
tions right along.
(2) The ". G. o. was still a mys-
terry, but a mystery in which Bryce
Cardigan was interested. Moreover,
he was anxious TO aid the n. G. o. In
every way possible. However, the
Colonel could understand this. Cardl-
gan would aid anything that might
possibly tend to lift the Cardigan
lumber interests out from under the
iron heel of Colonel Pennington.
(3) The n. c. o. was going to make
a mighty blHff. even to the extent OF
applying for a franchise to run over
the city streets of Sequola. Hence
0giIvy's visit to Mayor Poundstone--
doubtless on the advice of Bryce Car
digan.
az Ogilvy had carried a small
leather bag to and from Henry Pound
stones office. That bag was readily
explained. 1t had contained a bribe
In gold coin and young Henry had
been selected as the go-between. That
meant that Mayor Poundstone had
agreed to deliver the franchise-for
a consideration. ogllvy had called
first on the mayor to arrange the de-
tails; then he had called on the
mayors son to complete the transac-
tion.
(5) If franchise had been ar
ranged for and the bri6e already de-
llvered that meant the prompt and
unadvertised commencement OF oper-
ations. Yes; the N. @. o. was going
to carry its monumental bluff TO the
point of building a mile Of track
through town. Mono, they
wouldn't spend that much money on
bluff they wouldn't bribe Poundstone
unless the road was meant. And was
it a common carrier, after all?
The trail was growing hoti the
Colonel mopped his brow and c0ncen-
trated further II the N. @. o. was
really going to start operations in or
der to move its material from the
Cardigan dock to the scene of opera
tions 1t would have to cut his (thc
Coionel's) tracks somewhere on Water
street. Damnationl That was it.
They were trying to. slip one over on
him. They were planning to get q
jump crossing In before ne should
awake to the situation; they were
planning, too, to have the city coun.
ell slip through the franchise when
nobody was looking, and once the
crossing should be in, they could laugh
at Colonel Pennington
"The scoundrelsw he murmured.
''Tm on to theml Cardigan is play.
ing the game with them. That's why
he bought those rails from the old
Laurel Creek spuri oh, what a
biithering idiot have beenl How
ever, It's not too late yet. Pound
stone is coming over to dinner Thurs
day night, and I'll wiring the swine
dry before he leaves the house. And
as for those rails Cardigan managed
to hornswoggle me out Of"
He seized the telephone and fairly
shouted to his exchange operator to
get his woods foreman, Jules Rom
deau, on the line.
"That you, Rondeau?" he shouted
when the big French Canadian re
sponded. Pennington talking. What
has young Cardigan done about those
rails l sold him from the abandoned
spur up Laurel creek?"
"He have two fiat-cars upon re spur
now. Dose woodsgang of hees she
tear up dose rails from re head Of "a
spur and load in re fat-cars."
"See to it, Rondeau. that they dc
not leave until give the word. Un
derstand7 Tell them the switch-en
CINE is in the shop for repairs or Il
busy at other work-anything that
will stall him off and delay delivery
Suppose Bryce Cardigan, he come:
around and say 'WhyT" Rondeat
queried cautiously.
"Kill him." the Colonel retortet
: coolly. ut strikes me you and the
Black MiAorca are rather slow play
ing even with young Cardigan"
; Rondeau grunted. 81 tbeenk mebb'
30 you kill heem yourself, boss" ht
replied enig1natically, and hung up.
(TD BE CONTINUED.)
Tobacco Not Wasted Now.
In former times all tobacco confs
J Gated by the English customs author