New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-08-12


XIII me off out of the way, it would
he merely that much gained in the
business fight. You haven't done Il
thus far, and now he is using your
c~heck-caShing excursion as n club Will
winch he proposes to brain the entire
railroad management. your uncle in
cluded, if we interfere with his plans
CollinSwood Scowled up at the cell
ing, shifting the dead cigar from one
corner of his mouth to the other.
: that's the way of it, is IT." he
commented. 'Iie was working for his
WI pocket all the time. and Uncle
Breck stands pat and slips him the
ace he was needing To make his hand
n winner. Between YOU and me, Nor
cross, ! believe this ID piker needs
killing a few times, himself"
The boss sat back in his swing chair
and | could just imagine that he was
trying to get some sort of proper angle
ON this young fellow who, in addition
to MS other sC~OundreliSms, big and
little, had wrecked the life of Sheila
Macrae. ] knew what he was think
ing. He had a theory that no man
that was eve born was either all
angel or all devil, and he was hunting
for the %redecming streak in this one.
When you looked right hard at the
haggard face you could see something
sort of half-appealing in ii something
to make YOU think that perhaps, away
"
back yondcr before the spelling be
gan, there used to be IA man never a
strong man, ! guess, but one that might
have been generous and ~free-heartcd,
maybe. ! got a tleeting little glimpse
of that back-number man when he
turned suddenly and said:
zone night a few weeks ago when
| was full up. Hatch got hold Of me
and told me yen were out ut the Ken
drick place with Stella. lie made me
believe that | ought to go out there
and kill you, and | started to do IL.
Do YOU know why | didn't do it?"
"No," said the chief. mighty quietly. |
"Well, I'll tell You. one night last
spring M at the Billiard you slammed
me one in the face and dragged me off
to my room TO keep me from making
a bigger ass of myself than I'd al
ready made. ! haven't forgotten that,
In all these crooked years, nobody else
has even taken the trouble to chuck
me dccently out of sight and give me
| remembered il that night when |
climbing up to ii window in the
MINORS house and trying TO get a shot
at YOU"
Mr.. Norcross shook his head, more
than half sympathetlcally, | thought.
"Let that part of it go and tell me
about this other trouble" he said.
How badly are You tangled up In
This political busineSs?"
1--WE given II To you straight on the
proposition. Uncle Breck used
ne rs a money carrier because-well,
it was because he couldn't
rust Bullock. ! didn't know definitely
what Bullock was doing with the
| cashed for him. though | sup
POSED, of course, il n something that
N'Nll''l ' Nidlli hha liSbA. II was WHY
side issue with me-. | was coming
nj here anyway. | knew Sheila had
made up her mind-God knows she's
lad cause enough but | had n crazy
loti that I'd like to be on the same
Idle of the earth with her again for I
lst n little while. Then this" he
rallied off in a babble of maledictions
'oured ont upon the man who had {
him and used him. |
The boss Strengthened himself i'm his {
hair. but he still was speaking gently I
-hen he said: q
You are NOT asking my advice, and d
don't owe you anything. personally.
Ir. Collingwopd. But I'll say to YOU
| might say to a better man in a
kc circumstances. You have done an r
ne harm you can, but, as | see IL, $
lere doesn't seem 10 be any need of D
our staying here to suffer the con-
'quences. Why don't you 90 back TO y
York. taking your wife with you. i
she will go?' 5
CollingwOod's smile was a mere u
grimace. b
"Sheila made her wedding Journey II
it'll me once, when she wa Just Q
The next time she rides II
ith me il will be at my funeral. oh. "
We earned H. ana I'm not kicking. {;
nd about this other thing: | can't a
ick. You know what Hatch is hold
me for. He told me just a little ii
lille g that if I stepped aboard of #
train, I'd be arrested before the II
could null out" m
IL WIS a handsome little precaution Il
the part of the chief of the graft
5. If a fight should be precipitated- OF
the bass should try 10 checkmste a
o {. :. x W. gObble-the arrest and v,
1ictment of President Dunton's ia
phew would serve bully good and Of
I'll as a dramatic bit of side play 81
keep the newspapers from print III
, too much about the other thing. ia
IF you really want to go, | think be
a be arranged in some way. in IN
lie of Hatch and his blufing," Mr.. of
put In quietly. so far as br
r railroad troubles are concerned 1t
neither help nor hinder for you an
stay o. here. now" u,
As If the helpful suggestion had been
lighted match to fire a hidden mine Sh
rage. Co~llingwood sprang to his feet ist
IN his dull eyes ablaze. as
NO, by GodI" he swore. "Tm 60 is
TO make him come across with
sc affidavit papers firstl You wait sci
hit here, Norcross. You think I'm
cur. but I'll show you. There isn't be
oh left Of me but hound dog, but we
n a hound dog will bite if you kick ar,
D hard enough. Lend me a gun. tn,
got and I'll" thi
Hold on-none of that !" the boss bu