Cleveland County herald., 1920-09-16

to SdLItI up lHc lOOlS. SlOIC III the machine-shop of Cardigans mill, and dismiss his gang; then he, too, en- tered the automobile and at word from Bryce, the car slid noiselessly away into the darkness. The track cutting crew departed a few minutes later, and when Shirley found herself alone with her uncle, the tumult in her heart gave way to the tears she could no longer repress. Pennington stood by, watching her curiously, coldly.
 Presently Shirley mastered her emotion and glanced toward him.
 "Well, my dear?" he queried
 TT think I had better go home,' she said without spirit.
 q think so, too" he answered. "Get into the mayors fifvver, my dear and I'll drive you. And perhaps the least said about this affair the better, Shir ley There are many things that you do not understand and which cannot be elucidated by discussion"
 T can understand an attempt at as- sassination Uncle Seth"
 "That blackguard Minorca I should such job. I told him to bluff and threaten; Cardigan, l knew, would realize the grudge the Black Minorca has against him. and for that reason I figured the greaser was the only man who could bluff him. While I gave h i'm fn chnnt I fold him dis tinctly not to hit anybody. Good Lord, Shirley, surely you do not think would wink at murder!"
 q do," she answered passionately. "With Bryce Cardigan out of the way you would have clear field before you"
 "oh, my dear, my dear Surely you do not realize what you are saying. You are beside yourself. Shirley. Please-please do not wound me SO so horribly. I am surrounded by ene- mies-the most implaeable enemies. They force me to fight the devil with fire-;tnd here you are, giving them aid and comfort"
 "I want you to defeat Bryce Cardi- gan, if you can do it fairly"
 Al another time and in calmer mood we will discuss that villain" he said authoritatiyely. "Get into the car, and we will go home. There is noth- ing more to be done tonight"
 "Your sophistry does not alter my opnion," she replied firmly. How ever, as you say, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss it"
 They drove home in silence. Shirley went at once to her room. For the Colonel, however, the nights work had scarcely begun. The instant he heard the door to his nieee's room shut, he went to the telephone and called up the Laguna Grande roundhOuse. Sex ton, his manager, answered.
 Have you sent the switch engine to the woods for Rondeau and his men?"
 .Just left
 Good Now, then, Sexton, listen to me: As you know, this raid of Cardi- gan's has developed so suddenly I am more or less taken by surprise and have had no time to prepare the kind of counter-attack that will be most ef- fective. However, with the crossing I gain time in which to organ ize-only there must be no weak point in the organization. In order to insure that, I am proceeding to San Fran cisco tonight by motor via the coast road. 1 will arrive late tomorrow night, and early Saturday morning l | will appear in the United States dis | trict court with our attorneys and file i a complaint and petition for an order | temporarily restraining the N. c. 0. | from cutting our tracks.
 "I will have to make an affidavit to | support the complaint, so I had better | be Johnny to do it. rather than risk the delay of making the afi- | davit tomorrow morning here and for warding it by mail to our attorneys. |
 The judge will sign a restraining order, 'returnable in from ten to thirty days-Fll try for thirty, because that will knock out the N. c. O.'s temporary franchise-and after I have obtained the restraining order, will have the United States marshal telegraph it to Ogilvy and Cardigan"
 Bully" cried Sexton heartily. That will fix their clock"
 ''In the meantime,n Pennington con- tinued, Hogs will be glutting our land ings. We need that locomotive for it's legitimate purposes. Take all that dis ,arded machinery and the old boiler @e removed from the mill last fall. dump it on the tracks at the crossing. and get the locomotive back on its run. Understand? The other side, having no means of removing these heavy ob- structions, will be blocked until I re- turn; by that time the matter will be in the district court, Cardigan will be hung up until his temporary franchise expires-and the city council will not renew 1t. Get me?"
 "Yes, sir"
 "I'li be back Sunday forenoon Good by"
 He hung up, went to his chauifeur's