Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-06-16

- ASANt NN Ao 50SSS $500
trouble for it, and that-to use his
W phrase again, you were the man
who would try to get his goat" |
"And his object is telling you this?"
"Was entirely worthy of the man.
He asked me, or rather I should say,
commanded me-, to choke you off,
And, of course, he added the insult.
He said I was the one who could
do it."
without intending to, you have
tied my hands," the boss said gravely.
81 wasn't meaning to spare Colling-
wood if there were any way in which
I could use him as a club to knock
Hatch out of the game"
81 haven't asked you to spare him"
"No, I know you haven't. But the
fact remains that he is your hus-
band. T."
The interruption was the opening
and closing of the front door and the
heavy tread Of the major in the hall.
In a flash Mrs. Sheila was up and
getting ready to vanish through the
door that led to the dining room. With
her hand on the door-knob she shot a
quick question at the boss.
Show 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 vas gone.
1t was right along in the same half
minute, while the boss was standing
with his back to the fire and the ma
jor was going in to talk to him, that
I lost Maisie Ann. I don't know where
she went, or how. She had let go Of
my wrist, and when I CROPPED for her
she was gone. Since I didn't see any
good reason why l should stay and
spy upon the boss and the 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
farther room. went to sleep.
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.
"We must manage to pull Colling-
wood out Of it 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 a reason-a
family reason, as you might say"
Then he switched off quickly. "You
haven't asked me yet why I ran away
from home this evenin' when I was
expecting you"
mo-" said the boss. "Sheila told
me that you had a telephone call to
the Billiard"
The old Kentuckian chuckled.
Eyes, sub; and you'd neveh guess
in. az thousand yeahs who sent the
call, or what was wanted. 1t was Duh
friend Hatch, and no 0theh. And he
had the face to offeh me ten thousand
dollahs a yeah to act as consulting
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 of his breed, he's a paltry
coward, sub. at heart"
The boss laughed. "What is he
afraid Off"
HE is afraid of his life. He told
me, with his eyes buggin' out, that
thah 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 N his gloves.
81 didn't give him any reason te
think that I was anxious to murder
him. he said.
ooh. no. my deah boy; it isn't you
at all. It's HOWE Collingwood. That's
where we land afteh all is said anG
done. Youth hands are tied. and we've
got. this heah young maniac to dea,
with. If Collingwood gets about three
fingehs of red likkeh under his belt
why, thah's one murder in prospect
And if Hatch has any reason to think
that you can still get the undertook
on him. why, thah's another. I'm glat
you've seen fit to take kipIey's advice
at last. and got you a bodyguard.
"What's tlat?" queried the boss
But the query was; answered a minute
later when we hit the sidewalk fol
the tramp back to TONI and farpel
fell in to walk three steps teli.nd u
all the way to the door of the rail-
road club.
It sure did look as if things We're
just about as bad as they could ever
be, now. Hatch once more on top,
the whole bottom knocked out of the
railroad experiment, u good name
for political honesty gone glimmaring.
and, worst of all, perhaps, the BOSS
big heart broken right in two over
those four little words that nothing
could ever rub out-s'he is my hus-
\ tL4AE , 49, RI !, % n .-NLI- 4 49,