Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-27

boulevard, where the brunette youns
lady alighted and entered the house
She returned at seven sharp. accom-
panied by young lady whom she In
troduced to o. All three were then
driven to the Canton restaurant at
4s2 Third street. At 7:15 Bryce car
digan entered the restaurant ana was
escorted by tho waiter to the tapie
occupied by o. and party.
AT $50 entire party loft restaur-
ant ana entered a Napier car driven
by half-breed indian whom the
second young lady hailed as George
o. and the brunette young lady were
dropped at s48 Elm street while Car
digan and the other young lady pro-
ceeded directly to No. 80 Redwood
boulevard. After aiding the lady to
alight. Cardigan talked with her n
few minutes at the gate. then bade
her good-n might.
"tpon returning to Hotel Sequoia,
found O. In hotel bar. Saw him to bed
at 10 sharp"
Needless to relate. this report had
most amazing effect upon Colonel
Pennington. and when at length he
could recover his mental equilibriurh
he set about quite calmly to analyzc
the report. with the result that he
promptly arrived at the following
conclusions.
G) 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 memora BILE
day in Pennington's woods. the Col
onel was now fully convinced thst
she had made her peace with him and
had been the recipient Of his secret
attentions right along. ~.
(2) The n. c. o. was still a mye-
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. Car
digan would aid anything that might
Lpossibly tend to lift the Cardigan
lumber interests out from under the
iron heel of Colonel Pennington.
| CD The n. c. o. was going to make
a mighty bluff. even to the extent of
applying for franchise to run over
the city streets of Sequoia. Hence
| Ogilvy's visit to Mayor Poundstone-
| doubtless on the advice Of Bryce
| Cardigan.
ca Ogtlvy had carried small
leather bag to and from Henry
Poundstone's office. That bag was
readily explained. 1t had contained a
bride 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 consideration. Ogilvy had call
ed first on the mayor to arrange the
details; then he had called on the
mayors son to complete the transact
ton.
| go II a franchise had been ar
ranged for and the bride already de-
livered, that meant the prompt and
unadvertised CONNIE ncement of oper-
atoms. Yes. the N. c. o. was going
to carry its monumental bluff to the
point Of building a mile of track
thru town Mono, they
wouldn't spend that much money on
a bluff; they wouldn't bride Pound
stone unless the road was meant.
And was it a common carrier, after
all?
The trail was growing hot; the
| Colonel mopped his brow and con-
contracted further. II the NC. o.
was really going to start operations,
in order to move its material from
the Cardigan dock to the scene of
operations it would have to cut his
(the Coloners) tracks somewhere
on Water street. Damnation! That
was 1t. They were trying to slip
one over on him. They were plan
ming to get jump crossing in before
he should awake to the situation;
they were planning, too, to have the
city council slip thru the franchise
when nobody was looking. and once
the crossing should be in, they could
laugh at Colonel Pennington!
| THE Scoundrels!" he murmured.
I'm on to them! Cardigan is play
ing the-g game with them. That's why
he bought those rails from the old
Laurel Creek spur! Oh, what a
plithering idiot l have been! How
ever, it's not too late yet. Pound
stone is coming over to dinner
Thursday 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 Ron
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 sold him from the abandoned
spur up Laurel creek?"
/ HE have two flat-cars upon re
spur now. Dose woodsgang of hees
she tear UP dose rails from re head
of re spur and load in re flat cars"
See to it, Rondeau. that they do
not leave until l give the word. I'm
derstand? Tell them the switch en-
CINE is in the shop for repairs or is
busy at other work--anything that
will stall him off and delay delivery"
Suppose Bryce Cardigan, he
comes around and say. 'Why?" Rom
deau queried cautiously.
xiii him." the Colonel retorted
coolly. ut strikes me you and the
Black Minorca are rather slow play
ing even with young cardigan"
Rondeau grunted. Il theenk mebbe
SO you kill heem yourself, boss" he
replied systematically. and hung up.
| lIo De conIinued.J ra
A Friend. Recommended Them.