The Little River news., 1920-08-21

All I1OuT ldIcT MISS DOlOTeS hucly
 alias Henrietta Wilkins, was handed this remarkably verbose and truly
 candid telegram:
 Miss Henrietta Wilkins, Lower 6,
 Car g. on board train A.
 Do you recall the bewhiskered,
 ragged individual you met on the s. P, l.. A. & S. l.. train in Death val ley ten days ago? He lifted his hat to you tonight, and you almost killed him with look. It did not occur to him that you would not recognize him disguised as a gentleman, and he lift
 ed his hat on impulse. Do not hold 1t | against him. The sight of you again
 set his reason tottering on it's throne, and he told me his sad story. 'This man, John Stuart Webster, is | wealthy, single, forty, fine and crazy l as March hare. He is in love with | you. You might do worse than fall in | love with him. He Is the best mining | engineer in the world, and he is now | aboard the same train with you, en | route to New Orleans, thence to take | the steamer to Buenaventura, Sobran- | te, c. A, where he is to meet another | lunatic and finance a hole in the | ground. l do not want him to go to l Sobrante. If you marry him. he will
 not. If you do not marry him, YOU still might arrange to make him listen
 to reason. If you can induce him to
 come to work for me within the next | 20 days. whether you marry him or
 not, will give you $5,o00 the day he reports on the job. Please bear fin
 mind that he does not know I am do- | ing this. If he did. he would kill me, l but business is business, and this is | plain business proposition. l am put ting you wise, so you VIII know your | power and can exercise it if you care | to earn the money. If not, please for | get about it. At any rate, please do
 me the favor to communicate with me
 on the subject. if at all interested. Edward P. Jerome, President Colo | rado Consolidated Mines, Ltd, Care
 Engineers Club"
 The girl read and reread this tele gram several times, and presently a 1 slow little smile commenced to creep around the corners of her adorable l mouth.
 "I believe that amazing old gentle
 man is absolutely dependable" was | the decision at which she ultimately arrived, and calling for telegraph blank, she wired the old schemer:
 "Five thousand not enough money. NToI- < C10 ,,ta | to deliver the man within 90 days. I stay on this train to New Orleans. HENRIETTA That telegram arrived at the Engi- neers' club about midnight and pur-
 suant to instructions, the night bar
 keeper read it and 'phoned the con- | tents to Neddy Jerome, who prompt | ly telephoned his reply to the tele- | graph office, and then sat on the edge l of his bed, scratching his toes and
 meditating.
 That's remarkable young wom-
 an," he decided, "and business to her
 finger tips. We'll. I've done my part,
 and it's now up to Jack Webster to
 protect himself in the clinches and
 breakaways."
 About daylight a black hand passed
 Neddy Jerome's reply through the
 berth curtains to Dolores Ruey. She | read:
 Accept When you deliver the goods, communicate with me and get your money.
 "JEROME.- She snuggled back among the pill lows and considered the various as-
 poets of this amazing contract which she had undertaken with perfect stranger. Hour after hour she lay there, thinking over this prepOsterous situation, and the more she weighed it, the more interesting and attractive /, the proposition appeared. But one consideration troubled her. How would the unknown knight manage an introduction? Or if he failed to man. age it, how was she to overcome that obstacle?
 "Oh, dear," she murmured, "I do hope he's bra|e."
 She need not have worried. Hours
 before, the object of her thought had settled all that to his own complete
 satisfaction, and as consequence was sleeping peacefully and gaining strength for whatever of fortune. good
 or i'll, the morrow might bring forth. cLAprER IV