White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-08-01
CONTINUED from Last Week.


Jack in the morning on the small mil
itary cot, and it seemed to him again,
as on the previous day, a romantic
sound among such wild surroundings.
Walt was gone from the other cot in
the room. He listened, but no one an
swered the call; so hastily he rose and
hurried into his clothes, thinking that
no one could have heard, some asleep,
others out maybe. When he came
downstairs, however, there was Nancy
fussing back and forth in the dining
room.
Good morning, Miss James," said
he.
Good morning, Mr.. Fiske," said
she. Evidently either she had remem-
bered his name or learnt it again from
the early Walt.
"That was an early telephone call, y
said Jack, just for something to say.
Eyes. It's a bit Of nuisance, that
telephone. These party lines keep
ringing. MacIntyre's is one long ring
and a short one, ours is two short.
At that he suddenly realized the
significance of her remark the day
before when she asked if it had rung
once twice, or twice once in hurry
Away she went to the kitchen
again, and Jack returned upstairs to
shave, as he had fastened down sim
ply to be ready to answer the phone
lest 1t rang again and there was some
message for Dewar. AS he was shaw,
ing by the window he saw, over the
top of the little mirror, Nancy going
to the hen-house; and the next mo
ment came a ringing on the telephone
"a long and short it seemed to his
ears.
"That's for MacIntyre's," he consid
cred; and then he heard DeWar's
voice saying: "Hullo!"
II 1t amused Jack to think that DeWal
had fallen into the same error as III
and was answering the phone on be
half of the house. In the ensuing
pause he surmised that Walter hat
discovered the mistake, and then Il
his establishment he heard:
mo, sheriff. He only stopped of
here for supper A man wearing spec
tacles? Yes, that's right. He wen
out to the railroad All right sheriff
Not at all"
Jack sponged his face very thought
fully and went downstairs, and fount
Dewar in the doorway Of the hotel
head up, feeling his chin as thougl
} satisfied with his shave of the morn
ing.
"Hullo," said the Wolfer, turning.
"Hullo," said Fiske; and then: ION
long ring and short one is for MAJ
4 Intyre, two rings for this house."
;. Eyes, I've discovered that. Goo
r thing l didn't know BEFORE" said Wal
i Good thing that | didn't give the 70
( NAL reply of The James House whe
q l took off the receiver but only hu
/ To-; lucky that Mrs. Maclntyre is fee
5 ing her hens, and Mac is down at tn
}. creekside fishing for breakfast.
t. was Larry Shanks ringing him up"
q "Shanks!"
"Yep. He's come back to Jaffer
Knew he would! He pretended to
the sheriff of Jaffery, but l recognize
his voice. He wanted to know If
was on yesterdays stage, and if
had stopped off here. l set his mir
at rest. l told him l had gone rig
, on!"
: Suppose he knew your voice!"
"Have to chance that"
"Why didn't he ring up here?"
| Guess he knows that James is 1
old Big Prairie man and old friend
mine, and that would have been p
wise that somebody was after met
sheriff." he laughed.
!. Then there were two clear tinkl
- on the bell and, as Nancy had not ]
turned yet, Walt drew the curtain al
went into the rear parlor to reply.
"Hullo. Yes, speaking W
know he's come back :.
never mind how, l know
now don't forget. I've gone clear o
to Eagle Bend to take the train hor
: and you're going over the divide wi
:. he horses, and to pack up some thin
left at the last survey camp on t
way. You guess mining-towns do
allure me- Stop there. Add no fril
in case you make it too frilly. G
that? And say you're drunk! :.
No, l can't smell on a wire, but
know by your voice. :. How did y
get it? l guess Carl Scott ran a &C
ignment. Yes, know lot. c
1t out. And look here, Blunt, do
. fetch a bottle out on the trail wi
you! -. Yes, that's an order
for your own good. :. For yo
own good, l said"
He stood space with the receiv
at his ear, then hung it up, came ba
a into the diningroom slowly and EN-
ted "Sshh!" between his teeth as
one disgusted He was so gloor
that John Fiske asked no informant
at the moment regarding details
that conversation. But he gather
from that talk and the preceding o
that Larry Shanks had returned frc
his little pretence of a trip in t
mountains, a little make-believe TT
that was only undertaken to see VIII