Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-07-07
By FRANCIS LYNDE

her hand on the door-knob she shot
quick question at the boss.
"How much will you tell Cousin
Basil?"
Nothing Of what you have told
me-"
"Thank you," she whispered back;
you are as big in your friendship as
you are in other ways" And with
that she was gone.
1t was right along In the same half
minute. while the boss was standing
with his back to the fire and the ma
1or was going in to talk to him, that
lost Maisie Ann. I don't know where
she went, or how. She had let 70 Of
my wrist, and when I groped for her
she was gone. Since I didn't see any
good reason why l should stay and
spy upon the boss and tile major, I
slipped out to the hall and curled up
on the big settee beyond the coat
rack; curled up, and after listening
a while to the drone Of voices in the
II
1t was away deep in the night when
the boss took hold of me and shook me
awake. The long talk was just get
ting itself finished, and the major had
come to the door with his guest.
1--WE must manage to pull Colling-
wood out of 1t in some way" the ma
jor was saying. II don't love the
d-n' scoundrel any betteh than you
do, Graham; but that's reason-a
family reason, as you might say"
Then he switched of quickly. 'You
haven't asked me yet why ran away
from home this evenin' when I was
expecting you"
"No," said the boss. "Sheila told
me that you had telephone call to
the Billiard"
4 The old Kentuckian chuckled.
| Eyes, sub; and; you'd neveh guess
in a thousand yeahs who sent the
call, or what was wanted. 1t was Duh
friend Hatch. and no otheh And he
had the face to offeh me ten thousand
dollahs veal, to act as consulting
4 counsel for him against the railroad
company!''
"Of course you accepted" said the
boss, meaning just the opposite.
The major chuckled again. II
talked with him. long enough to find
out about where he stood. He thinks
he's got you by the neck, but, like
most men %. his breed, he's paltry
coward. sub. ut heart"
n The boss laughed. "What is he
afraid OFF," r.
HE is afraid of his life. He told
me. with his eyes buggin' out, that
than was one man heah in Portal
City who would kill him to get pos.
session of certain papehs that were
locked up in the cash vault of the
Security National"
The boss was pulling on his gloves.
81 didn't give him any reason to
think that was anxious to murder
him." he said.
"Oh, no, my deah boy; 1t isn't you,
at all. It's HOWE Collpgwood. Thnt's
where we land afteh all is said and
done. You'll, hands are tied. and we've
got this heah young maniac to deal
with. II COllingw0od gets about three
fingehs Of red lIkkeh under his belt,
why, thah's one murder in prospect.
And II Hatch has any reason to think
that: you can still get the undlerl,olt
ON him. why. thal's another. I'm glad
you've seen fit. to take Kipley's advice
at last, and got you a bodyguard.'
'.sWllat's that?" queried the boss.
But the query was answered minute
later when we hit the sidewalk for
the tramp hack to town and Tarbell
fell In to walk three steps behind us
all the way TO the door Of the rail-
road club.
1t sure did look as II things were
just about MS had as they could ever
be. now. Hatch once more on top,
the whole bottom Knocked out Of the
railroad experiment, our good name
for political honesty gone glimmering.
and. worst Of all; perhaps, the boss
big heart broken right in two over
those four little words that nothing
could ever rub out-'he Is my hus-
band" didn't wonder that the boss
said never a word in all that long
walk downtown, or that he forgot to
tell me goodnight when he locked
himself up in his room ut tie club.