Charlevoix county herald., 1921-06-03


soning mind, Graham; haven't you
discovered IL before thls?"
The boss nodded soberly. II have
discovered a good many things about
you during the past six months: one
of them is that there was never an
other woman like you since the world
began"
Knowing, as / did, that she had a
husband alive and kicking around
somewhere, 1t seemed as If i just
couldn't stay there and listen to what
a break Of that kind on the boss part
was likely to lead up to. But Maisie
Ann gripped my wrist until she hurt.
"You must listen!" she whispered
fiercely. you're taking care of him,
and you've got to know"
AS on many other earlier occasions,
Mrs. Sheila slid away from the senti-
mental side of things just as easy as
turning your hand over.
"YOu are too big a man to let an
added difficulty defeat you now" she
remarked calmly, going back to the
business field. "You are really max
ing a miraculous success. / have just
spent two weeks in the capital, as
you know, and everybody is talking
about you. They say you are In
fair way to solve the big problem-the
problem Of bringing the railroads and
the people together in a peaceable and
profitable partnership-which is as 1t
should be-"
at can be done; and l could do 1t
right here on the Pioneer Short Line
If / didn't have to fight so many diff
ferent kinds of devils at the same
tlme,' saIo the boss, scOwIing down at
the fire in the CRATE. And then with
quick jerk of his head to face her:
"YOu sent the major wire from the
capital last night, telling him to per-
suade me not to go to Strathcona.
Why did you do it? And how did you
know l was thinking of going?"
For the first time in the whole six
months / saw Mrs. Sheila get little
fiustered, though she didn't show it
much, only little more, color in her
cheeks.
''Some day, perhaps, / may tell you,
but l can't now" she said sort of hur-
riedly. And then: You mustn't ask
me-"
'But you did send the wire?"
"Yes."
"And you also sent another to Upton
Van Britt?"
81 did"
The boss smiled. "That second mes
sage was an after-thought. You were
afraid I'd be stubborn and go, any
way. That was some more of your
marvellous INNER reasoning. Tell me,
Sheila, did you know that there was
going to be broken rail-joint set to
kill me on that trip"
That got her in spite Of her heaven
ly calm and / could see her press her
pretty lips together hard.
"Was that what they did?" she
asked, bit trembly.
He nodded. Evan Britt was on the
pilot engine ahead of my car, and he
found il. There was no harm done.
1t was bad enough God knows, to
set trap that would have killed ev-
erybody on my train; but this other
thing that has been pulled off tonight
is even worse. Mr.. Dunton and his
unprincipled followers have set thing
on foot here which Is due to grind
us all to powder. Past that, they have
cOntrived to handcuff me so that l
can't make move without pulling
down consequences Of a personal ma
ture upon President DuntOn, himself"
"Now my marvellous inner reason
ing has gone quite blind" she said,
with a queer little smile. you'll have
to explain"
''It's simple enough" said the boss
shortly. IF Mr.. Dunton had sent only
hired emissaries out here to bride the
members Of the legislature-but he
didn't; he included n member of his
own family"
/ was looking straight at Mrs. Sheila
as he spoke, and I saw a sudden
frightened shock jump into the slate
gray eyes. Just for a second. Be
fore you could count one, it was gone
and she was saying quietly:
"a member of his own family2 That
is very singular, isn't It? Was there
was this thing that was done actually
criminal?" she asked, just breathing
1t at him.
at was, indeed. The election laws
of this state have teeth. 1t is a peni-
Tertiary offense to bride either the
electorate or the lawmakers"
There was silence for a little time,
and she was no longer looking at him
she was staring into the heart Of the
glowing Goals I'm the CRATE basket. BY
and by she said: you haven't told me
this mans name-the one who did the
| bribing; may / know it?'
I knew just what the boss was GO
ing to do and he did II; took the slip
of paper that Dedmon had written on
from his pocket and passed 1t across
to her. II there was another shock
for her none Of us could see 1t. She
had her face turned away when she
looked at the name on the paper.
Pretty soon she said, sort of drearily
"Once you told me that the true
test of any human being came when
4