The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-10-13

The following morning the Sentinel
-Phayre's paper-came out with Q
cartoon showing widow dropping heI
mite into bottomless pail marked
"Missatibi," which boiled over q slow
fire of wheat stalks.
Somebody had betrayed the secret
thus forewarning Bowyer and enabling
him to open his campaign to deride It.
But Wilton would not open his mind
to suspicion.
| He took counsel with Jim Belts.
The old man was frankly pessimistic.
! "It looks to me-" he ruminated, "as
II them two snakes'll get the line.
Joe must have been mad. or mighty
hard put, when he hypothecated them
| shares" He turned to Wilton. "What
| dye want to worry about 1t for, any
| way?" he asked. "If Joe took chance
like that. he couldn't have felt too
strong about It."
| shoulder. "Whisky's good" he said
in his odd way. "So's ginger pop.
But the mixtures h--ll. Sos women
| and business, boy. I'd help We with
that loan IL / could see my way. But
/ can't. I've been stung too bad al
ready, and I've got grandson to
look after. Ye'd better make terms
with Phayre."
This was one Of the worst blows
! that had fallen. II Belts had lost
faith. who would have kept It? He
understood the allusion to Kitty. Belts
thought he was In love with her. Then
so must other people.
He was due at the court that day.
and gave his evidence. The half
breeds received each six months In
the penitentiary-a light sentence, on
| the jurys recommendation. Afterward
| Wilton had talk with Quain.
The two men had sullenly refused
to give any reason for their flight. II
the outlaw Hackett had advised them,
| they did not put in that plea.
The jury had believed that one Of
them had accidentally shot Joe, and
| that this had been the cause of their
| disappearance. So did Quain, ap-
parently.
"rm afraid, VIII, that we can't hope
for anything fresh dpon that subject"
he said.
This business done, Wilton went to
see Kitty, swallowing his pride. After
all, 1t was for Joe that he was plead
ing. Kitty received him In the old
| friendly manner, with a touch of re-
serve that should have put him on his
guard. But he began eagerly.
kitty" he said, "you know we've
crossed the Muskeg."
Then Kitty showed her claws.
81 was so glad when heard Of 1t,
Will" she said. you've been trying
to do that all the, summer, haven't
your"
"why-yes, Of course" said Wilton.
looking at her in establishment.
She put her hand on his arm with a
caressing gesture. "Do tell me what
muskeg is, WILL" she said. "Tve
heard you speak of 1t so often, and l
can never remember the meaning Of
those words" ~
Illusions fell from him, leaving him
face to face with stark reality. He
faced Kitty very gently.
"Kitty, listen to me now," he said.
'Tve been In this game for Joe-and
for you. When Joe died I saw that
we'd have to fight hard to keep the
line. saw lot Of money In 1t, later,
and meanwhile you'd have enough to
live on, so that we could use your
capital and your control to carry out
Joe's plans"
eyes, WILL" said Kitty, with the
air of one who listens wearily to a
lesson.
"Joe's borrowing on those shares has
changed everything. The loan has to
be repaid before the year Is out. II
It isn't. you lose the line. They'll
wreck 1t, and they'll wreck your for
tune, and that of the other investors.
Then they'll reconstruct. When the
line has ceased to have any value at
all, Bowyer and Phayre will have a
new line Of their own. Do you under
standT
"Pm trying to, WILL" said Kitty.
"But what do you want me to dor"
"rm proposing this for your sake,
Kitty. II you sell your property In
Winnipeg you can raise three or four
hundred thousand. ! believe ! could
borrow the rest. That will meet
Phayre's loan, and you'll hold the line.
It's the only way, because no bank
would lehd you money on the rest
Of your shares now, after Bowyer's
campaign against US. And he's made
the most of the subsistence. It's
peculative--what I'm suggesting. But
| Joe would have done It. And In a
| few years it'll mean millions"
.Are you sure. winr' asked Kitty,
eagerly.
aNot sure. Kitty. but nearly sure"
~WiIl. you are Joe's executor. Do
you advise me to take that riskr
"Now said Wilton sharply.
Slut you just said" M
.As Joe's executor. ! can't. tn not
sound business. An executor dnres
not advise throwing away certainty
for speculation. A JoS's execut6r
mol" n q ~
.srh.r wbv d,6 ron adyI1p me tor