The Adair County news., 1921-02-09

Rany nrSt-m0rtgagez bonds until he Is
IN control Of the issue. He'll buy IN
the San Hedrin timber at the fore
closure sale. and in order to get it
back and save something for you out
of the wreckage. I'll have toSmake an
improbable trade with him. I'll have
to give him my timber adjoining his
north Of Sequoia, together with my
Valley of the Giants, in return for the
San Hedrin timber, to which he'll have
sheriff's deed. But the mill, all my
old employees, with their numerous
dependents gone, with you left land
poor and without dollar to pay your
taxes. SmashedIIike that!" And he
drove his fist into the palm of his
hand.
"Perhaps-but not without fight"
Bryce answered, although he knew
their plight was well-nigh hopeless.
"Tll give that man Pennington a run
for his money, or I'll know the reason"
The telephone on the table beside
him tinkled, and he took down the
receiver and said "HelloT
"MercyI' came the sweet voice of
Shirley Sumner over the wire. do
you feel as savage as all that Mr..
Cardigan"
For the second time in his life the
thrill that was akin to pain came to
Bryce Cardigan. He laughed. "If I
had known you were calling, Miss
Sumner" he said, 81 shouldn't have
growled So"
swell, you're fOrgiven-for several
reasons, but principally for sending
me that delicious blackberry pie.
Thank you so much"
''GIad you liked it, Miss Sumner. !
dare to hope that may have the
privilege of seeing you soon again."
"Of course. One good pie deserves
another. Some evening next week,
when that dear old daddy of yours
can spare his boy, you might be In
tereSted to see our burl-redwood-
paneled dining room Uncle Seth Is so
proud of. Would Thursday night be
convenient?"
Perfectly. Thank you thousand
times"
She babe him goodnight. AS he
turned from the telephone, his father
looked up. "What are you going to do
tomorrow, lad?" he queried.
Il have to do some thinking to-
morrow" Bryce answered. $50 I'm
going up into Cardigan's redwOOds to
do it,"
''The dogwOods and rhododendrons are
blooming now" the old man murmured
wistfully. Bryce knew what he was
thinking of. 'I'll attend to the flow
ers for Mother" he assured Cardigan
and he added fercely: sand I'll at
tend to the battle for Father. We
may lose, but that man Pennington
will know he's been in a fight before
we fin"
He broke off abruptly, for he had
just remembered that he was to dine
at the Pennington house the following
Thursday-and he was not the sort of
man who smilingly breaks bread with
his enemy.
All about Bryce were scenes of
activity, of human endeavor, and to
him in that moment came the thought;
my father brought all this to pass
and now the task of continuing it is
mine! All those men who earn a
living in Cardigan's mill and on Cardi-
gan's dock-thOse sailors who sail the
ships that carry Cardigan's lumber
into the distant marts of men-are de-
pendent upon me; and my father used
to tell me not to fail them. Must my
father have wrought all this In vain?
And must stand by and see all this
go to satisfy the overwhelming ambition
Of a StrangerT His big hands clench.
ed. "No!" he growled savagely. "Give
me your last five annual statements,
Mr.. Sinclair, please"
The old servitor brought forth the
documents in question. Bryce stuffed
them into his pocket and left the Office.
Three quarters of an hour later he en-
tered the little amphitheater : in the
Valley of the Giants and paused with
an expression Of dismay. One of the