The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1920-06-10
CHAPTER vi-continued.

III dITHiU no, my ucdTt I0e
Colonel admitted with his best air of
hearty expansiveness. I'm afraid
do. However. Mr.. Cardigan, now that
you have-at least. have been so In
formed-taken over your fathers bush
ness, ] am hoping we will be enabled
to get together on many little details
and work them out on a common basis
to our mutual advantage. We lumber
men should stand together and not
make 1t hard for each other. How
ever" he concluded. ''let's not talk
shop. ] imagine we have enough Of
that during the day. Besides, here
are the cocktails"
With the disposal of the cocktails.
the conversation drifted into discus
sion of Shirley's adventures with a
salmon in Big lagoon. The Colonel
discourscd learnedly on the superior
sport Of muskeilunge-fishing. which
prompted Bryce to enter into descrip-
tion of going after swordfish among
the islands of the Santa Barbara chan
mel. "Once I was fishing at San"
The butler appeared in the doorway
and bowed to Shirley, announcing that
dinner was served. The girl rose and
gave her arm to Bryce; with her other
arm linked through her uncle's she
turned toward the dining room.
Just inside the entrance Bryce
paused. The, soft glow of the candles
in Ntfe old-fashioned silver candle
sticks upon the table was reflected in
the polished walls of the room-walls
formed of panels OF the most ex-
Duisitely patterned redwood burl Bryce
Cardigan had ever seen. Also the
panels were unusually large.
Shirley Summers alert glance fol-
lowed Bryce's as II swept around the
room. This dining room is Uncle
Seth's particular delight, Mr.. Cardi-
gan" she explained.
ut is very beautiful. Miss Sumner.
And your uncle has worked wonders
in the matter OF having 1t polished.
Those panels are positively the largest
and most beautiful specimens of red
wood burl ever turned out In this
country. The grain is not merely
wavy; 1t is not merely curly; 1t is
actually SO contrary that you have
here. Colonel Pennington. a room alb
Solutely unique, In that it is formed
of bird's-eye burl. Mark the deep
shadows In It. And how 1t does reflect
those candles r.
1T is beautiful" the Colonel de
g. N
pardonable pride In 1t, although the
task of keeping these walls from be-
Ing married by the furniture knocking
against them requires the utmost
care"
Bryce turned and his brown eyes
blazed into the Colonel's. "Where did
you succeed in finding such a marvel
Gus tree?" he queried pointedly. II
know OF but one tree In Humboldt
county that could have produced such
beautiful buri."
For about second Colonel Penning-
Ton met Bryce's glance unwaveringiy /;
then he read something In his guests
eyes. and his glance shifted, while
over his benign countenance a flush
spread quickly. Bryce noted II, and
his quickly reused suspicious were as
quickly kindled into certainty. "Where
did yoa fina that treey' he repeated
innocently.
''Rondeau. my woods-boss. knew
was on the lookout for something
speciai-something nobody else could
get; so he kept his eyes Open"
'Indeed" There was just trace
Of irony In Bryce's tones as he drew
ShirIey's chair and held 1t for her.
''You arc fortunate to have such
woodsboss In your employ. Such
loyal fellows are usually too good 10
be true, and quite frequently they put
their blankets on their backs and get
out of the country when you least ex-
pect 1t. l dare say II would be a
shock to you II Rondeau did that"
There was no mistaking the yelled
threat behind thai apparently innocent
observation. and the Colonel. being
. man Of more than ordinary astute-