Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-08-27
CHAPTER vI-continued.

Il IN dLTdlu uUs my uedT, the
Colonel admitted with his best air of
hearty expansiveness. I'm afraid |
do. However. Mr.. Cardigan. now that
you haye-at least. have been so in
fOrmed--taken over your fathers busl-
ness, I AM hoping we will be enabled
to get together on many little details
and work them out on common basis
to our mutual advantage. We lumber
men should stand together and not
make it hard for each other. How
ever" he concluded, lets 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 Shirleys adventures with
salmon in Big lagoon. The Colonel
discoursed learnedly on the superior
sport of muskellunge-fishin which
prompted Bryce to enter into descrip-
ton of going after swordfish among
the islands of the Santa Barbara chan
mel. "Once | 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 the 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-
quisitely patterned redwood burl Bryce
Cardigan had ever seen. Also the
panels were unusually large.
Shirley Summers alert glance rol-
lowed Bryce's as it 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 it polished.
Those panels are positively the largest
and most beautiful specimens of red
wood burl ever turned o.. in this
country. The grain is not merely
wavy; 1t is not merely curly; it is
actually so contrary that you have
here. Colonel Pennington, a room abb
solutely unique, in that 1t is formed
of bird's-e-e burl. Mark the deep
shadows in 1t. And how it does reject
those candles !"
st is beautiful" the Colonel de
ciared. 'And / must confess to
pardonable pride in it, 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 marvel
Gus treef" he queried pointedly. Il
know of but one tree in Humboldt
county that could have produced such
beautiful burl."
For about a second Colonel Pennlng-
-on met Bryce's glance unwaveringly; ;
then he read something in his guests
eyes, and his glance shifted, while
over his benign conntenance a flush
spread quickly. Bryce noted 1t, and
MS quickly reused suspicious were as
quickly kindled Into certainty. where
aid you find that treeT he repeated
innocently.
Rondeau, my woods-boss, knew ]
was on the lookout for something
special--something nobody else could
get; so he kept his eyes open"
"IndeedF' There was JUST a trace
OF irony in Bryce's tones as he drew
shirley's chair and held II for her.
You are fortunate to have such a
Woods-boss N your employ. Such
loyal fellows are usually too good to
oe true, and quite frequently they put
heir blankets on their backs and get
out Of the country when you least ex-
peet It. / dare say 1t would be
Rhock to you If Rondeau did that"
There was no mistakipg the yelled
Iareat behind that apparently innocent
sos"-'atlon, and the Colonel. being
Ran Of u1o<n than ordinary astute-