The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-05-12

were to take charge of a piece of
property that had been abused and
knocked about and used as a means
Of extortion and oppression, and you
were to make 1t good"
Again. that is a mans point of
view"
"Oh. no." she protested quickly.
There is no sex in ethics. Women are
the natural hOuse-cleaners, perhaps,
but that isn't saying that a man can't
be one. too. II he wants to be-
At this, the boss got up and began
to tramp up and down the room;
could hear him. knew she'd been
having the biggest kind of Job to
keep him shut up In this sort Of
abstract corral. when all the time he
was loving her fit to kill, but ap-
parently she had been doing it, sue
cessfully. There wasn't the faintest
breath of sentiment In the air; not
the slightest Whit When she began
again, could somehow feel that she
was just in time TO prevent his break
ing out into all sorts of love-making.
"The time has come, now, when you
must take another leaf out of my
book" she said, with just the proper
little cooling tang in her voice. up
to the present you have been hammer
ing your way to the end like strong
man, and that was right But you
have been more or less reckless-and
that isn't right or fair or just to lot
of other people"
The tramping stopped and heard
him say: 81 don't know what you
mean"
II mean that matters have come to
such pass now that you can't afford
to taFe any risks-personal risks. If
the plan the enemy is trying doesn't
work, it will try another and more
desperate one."
you've been talking to Ripley" he
laughed. Ripley wants me to become
a gun-toter and provide myself with
a body-guard. I'd look well, wouldn't
1? But what do you mean by the plan
the enemy is now trying?
She hesitated little, and then said !:
II shall make no charges, because
have no proof But read the news
papers, and Mr.. Van Britt tells me
something, now and then. You are
having a terrible lot of wrecks"
THAT is merely bad luck" he re-
Joined easily.
freshness is no part of true cour-
age" she interpolated, calmly. "As a
private individual you might say that
your life is your own, and that you
have a perfect right to risk 1t as You
| please. But as the general manager
of the railroad, with lot of your
friends holding office under you, you
can't say that Besides, you are fight
ing for cause, and that cause will
stand or fall with you"
"You ought to be member of this
new reform legislature that some OF
our good friends think is coming up
the good-natured gibe and made him
| listen.
Il was visiting day or two at the
capital last week. and there are in
fiuences at work that you don't know
about. If the opposition can't make
your administration failure, 1t won't
hesitate to get rid of you in the easiest
way that offers"
There was silence in the majors
| den for a minute or so, and then the
boss said:
"As usual. you know more than you
are willing to tell me"
Perhaps not" was the prompt an
swer. Perhaps I am only the on
looker-who can usually see things
rather better than the persons actual
ly involved. Hitherto l have urged
you to be bold, and then again to be
bold. Now l am begging you to be
prudent
"In what way?"
Careful for yourself. For example :
| you walked out here this evening !;
don't do that any more. Come in a
falkland don't come alone"
couldn't see his frown of disagree
meiit. but 1 knew well enough it was
| there.
''There spoke the woman in you"
he said. "If l should show the white
feather that way. they'd have some ex-
cuse for potting me-"
There was a silence again. and l
| got up quietly and crossed the dining
| room to the big recessed window where
I stood looking out into the darkness
of the tree-shaded lawn. 1t was pretty
evident that Mrs. Sheila knew a heap
more than she was telling the boss,
| just as he had said, and couldn't
help wondering how she came to know
it. What she said about the increased
number of wrecks looked like pointer
Was she in touch with the enemy in
some way?
Then my mind went back in flash
to what Maisie Ann had told me. Was
the husband who ought to be dead, and
wasn't, mixed up in 1t in any way?
Could it be possible that he was one
Of those who were in the fight on the
other side. and that she was still keep
ing in touch with him7