The Dolores star., 1921-12-09
CHAPTER xiv-continued.


souiug mind. Graham; haven't you
discovered il before this:'
The boss nodded sVherly. 81 have
discovered II good many things about
y.u during the past SIX months: one
OF them is that there was never an
otter woman like you since the world
crguG-"
Knowing. as | did. that she had
eHshaEd alive and kicking around
home,ytcrc, il seemed as IL | just
cD,iidn'l stay there and listen to what
a bgeat OF that kind on the boss part
was nAeiy TO lead ur TO. Eut Mtisie
Ana gripped nay wrist until she tiurt.
"Voa must iiSlrn - she whispered
tierceiy. YOU'RE Jakiu: care of him,
snd you've got TO know
As on many other earlier occasions,
hlrs Sheila slid away from the senu-
m-utai side Of things just rs easy as
.Hrunc YOUR hand over.
''You are too big n man TO let an
added difficulty defeat you now" she
rc,oarket calmtJ. going back to the
buSipess field You are really max
!nr Il miraculous success. | have lust
ep+ut twU weeks IN the capital, AS
soa know. and everybody Is talking
seout YOU. Tuey say you are in
rnir way to solve the big problem-the
pronIein of bringing the railroads and
the people together in pcaccable and
profitable partnerShIp-which is az 1t
should he"
"tt >Su he done; and I could do II
r'ghf hege on the Pioneer Short Line
u / DICT have to fight 40 many diff
ferent h,nds OF devils at the same
time" said the boss. scowling down at
the tire in the CRATE. And then with
a quick jerk of his head TO face her:
"Yoa seat the major "a wire from the
capital isst night. telling him to per
surd. the not to go to StrathcoEa.
why did you do it7 And how did you
know | was thinking OF goinsf"
For the first time {. the whole six
TVntiIs | saw Mrs. Sheilu get little
clustered, though she didn't show II
muci, only little more color in her
cheeks
'S"tss day perhaps. l may tell you,
hut can't now" she said sort OF hur-
ried,y. And then: You mustn't ask
me"
But you did send the wire?"
Yes"
"And you aiso sent another to Upton
Van Hritt7"
II did"
The boss smiled THAT second mes
sage was an after-thought. You were
a ho or
way. That was some more OF your
Tarreious innner reasoning. Tell rue.
Sheiia. did you know that there was
eoiae to be Il broken rail- Joint set to
kli me on that tript"
That got her In spite of her heaven
ty cain and l could see her press her
pretty tips together hard.
WAS that what they didi" she
asked. a hit trembiy.
de nodded. ivan Britt was on the
Pitot engine ahead OF my car. aud he
found 1t. There was no harm done
1t was bad enough. God knows. to
set trap that would have killed ev-
erybcdy on my train: but Tits other
taiag that has been pulled on tonight
Is even worse. Mr. DuntOn and his
Nnprincipied followers have set thing
on foot here which Is due to grind
as all to powder. Past that. they have
cOntriyed to handcufr me so that
can't make move without pulling
down consequences OF q personal ma
ture upon President Dunton. himself"
Now my marvellous inner reason
tag has gone quite blind" she said.
with queer little smile. "YOuIl have
&c expisin.'
IT'S simple enough" said the boss
shortly. "If Mr.. Dunton mad sent only
hired smissaries out her. to bribe the
members of the iesisiature-bHt lie
didn't: he Included y Incinber OF his
own family"
i Yas looking straight at Mrs. Sheila
az 'e spoke. and I snw II sudden
frightened shock jump into the slate
gray eyes. Just for second. Re
forc you could count one. 1t was gone
and she was saying quietly:
"A member Of his own family? That
Is very singular. isn't III Was there
was this thing that was done actually
rriminal2" she asked. Just breathing
It at him.
1T was, indeed. The election laws
IT lids state have teeth. 1t 10 peni-
tehtiary offense to bribe either the
electorate or the lawmakers"
There was silence for little time,
and size wss no longer looking At him !;
she was staring into tile heart OF the
glowing cvsis in the crate basket. BY
end by she said: "Y0u haven't told me
mis- mans name-the one who did the
oribing; may I know TT"
| knew just what the boss was 60
ing {" do, and he did II: took the slip
1t paper that DedrnOn had written on
from his pocket and passed 1t across
20 her. II there was another shock
Tor her none Of us could see It. She
had her fncp turned awav whom che