The Dolores star., 1921-02-25
CHAPTER XIV.

Francisco arrived on the regular pas
senGer steamer on Thursday morning
and Bryce called her up to ask when
she desired II sent over.
Good morning. Mr.. Cardigan" she
greeted him cheerIiy. How do you
feel this morning7 ANY the worse for
having permitted yourself TO be hu-
man being last uight?"
"Why. | feel pretty fine. Shirley. l
think II did me lot OF good to crawl
out of my shell last night"
you feel encouraged to 90 on llv-
Ing. eh?"
"Yes"
And fightlng"
"By all means"
"rhen something has occurred Of
late to give you new couraGer'
"oh. many things. BY the way. Shir-
ley. you may inform your uncle at
breakfast Friday morning about my
connection with the \. C. o. In fact.
think 1t would be far better for you
II you made 1t a point TO do so"
"Why3"
f'tfhuN' b'Ah '-lNNN anu lilN Ntll
hnve very strong suspicion that your
uncle has detective or two on our
trails. Judge your uncle will learn
today that ynu dlned with OgIlvy.
MORN and me last night"
"Oh. dear! That's terrible" He
Could sense her distress.
Ashamed Of having been seen In my
company. eh?"
''rlease don't Are you quite serious
IN this matier?"
quite"
Uncle Seth will think It $3.50
strange"
Hell probably tell you about It.
Better heat him to the Issue by Tossing
up. Shirley. Doubtless his suspicious
are already aroused and IL you inform
him TINT you know I am the real build
er OF the n c. o.. he'll think you're
smart woman md that you've been
doing a little private gum-shoe work
OF your own on behalf OF the Laguna
Grande Lumber company"
(which is exactly what have been
doing" she reminded him.
IT know. But then. I'm not afraid
Of you. Shlriey-thnt Is. any more
Aud after Friday morning I'll not be
afraid Of your uncle"
81 feel as II I were conspIrator."
81 believe you are one. Your dicto-
graph has arrived. Shall send George
Sen Otter over with IT? And have you
somebody to install IN"
"Oh bother! Does 1t have to be in
stsiied?"
at does. You place the contraption
hide 1t. rather-iu the room where
the conspirators conspire: then you
run wires from 1t into another room
where the detectives listen In on the
receivers"
"CouId George Sea otter install IT,
81 think he could. There Is a print
ed card OF Instructions. and dare say
George would find the job no more
the Napier"
"Wili he tell anybody?"
mot If you ask him not to-"
"Verv we'll. then. Please send him
over. Thank you so much, Bryce
Cardigan, You're nm awful good old
sort. after all. Really. It hurts me TO
have to oppose you. II would he so
much nicer If we didn't have all those
redwood trees to protect. wouldn't IT
LET us not argue the question. Shir,
ley I think I have my redwood trees
projected. Good-by."
He had scarcely finished telephnn-
Ing his home TO instruct George Sea
Otter to report with the express pack
age to Shirley when Buck Ogilvy
stroled into the office and tossed a
document on his desk. There's your
Gltie old temporary franchise, old
thing" he announced: and with many
q hearty laugh he related to Bryce the
Ingenious means by which he had oh.
tained It. "And now If you will phone
up to your logging camp and Instruct
the woods-bOss to lay off about fifty
mcn to rest for the day. pending Il
hard nights work, and arrange tc
kend them down on the last log train
today, I'll drop around after dinner
and we'll fly to that jump-crossing."
"I'il telephone Colonel Penn!ngton's
manager and ask him to kick switch
engine In on the Laurel creek spur anC
snake those fiat cars with my rails
aboard out to the junction with the
main line" Bryce replied. And ht
cHlled up the Laguna Grande Lumber
company-only to be Informed by ne
less person than Colonel Pennington
himself that 1t would be impossible
to send the switch-engine In until this
following afternoon. The Colonel was
sorry. bur the switch-engine was In the
shop having the brick In her firebo,
renewed. while the mogul that hauled
the log trains would not have time t.
attend to the matter. since the fiat!
would have to he spotted on the side
rack st Cnrdlgan's log landing In tn
se~"- ""H '~'' ~osid not he done un