The Coolidge examiner., 1934-03-23

him only n dozen miles before the
route entered swampy country trai
could be handlly Travelled only by
teams. but II completed that much
of the trip before McNally had
more than a start on the way home
Prom there Franz went afoot. head
cd toward Goodbye lake. lie swan
the lower river and. AT night. rolled
himself ln a blanket taken from =
pack.sack cached beneath a well.
concealed canoe
Until the arrival IN the countrs
Of Steve Drake. FranE's frst plan
which had taken many months s.
the faShlonlng. had progressed
steadily. once upon a time. nc had
sought 10 attach himself TO Old Jim
Flynn. render the services OF which
be was capable and pront there
from. as most men profit Ills i'm.
pulse then had been rather decent /:
he Sus willing TO give value for
what be received.
Then Kate Flynn had come TO
Goodbye with her father. To the
beginning she appeared 10 ike him.
but her intuition had IL that the
man was not what be appeared TO
be on the surface. that be was not
one. even. for her father 20 depend
on.
when this became clear "a Franz
what decency had been In his char
acter before was consumed by the
hre Of his greed and ruihlcssness.
Nothing remained for him In his
relationship with the Flynns except
gain.
But he did not heiray himself In
the beginning. lie pretended a con.
,inulng friendship with Polaris un.
, 81 his connections with rival timber
owners were perfected Then he
had commenced his campaign 20
undermine Old Jim.
Everything seemed 10 be going well
The arrival os the man for whom
he was 20 form such an antlpathy
frustrated the success of that
scheme. Ills hope of sending Jim
Flynn tobogganing into ruin so his
holdings might 20 TO add TO that
growing empire Of tlmberlands
which Franz's principals desired
was quickly cooled by the new
signs OF life about the job which
followed the arrival OF an outstand.
Ing leader.
This was bad enough hut. added
10 these other failures which could
be laid only at the feet OF the one
who posed as Flynn. was the
item OF his hold over Mary Wolf.
When Steve Drake aided the girl In
her departure from the squalid III.
tie farm home where she had been
50 conveniently located. Franz was
shaken by an urge for vengeance
which knew no bounds.
He tried TO XIII. in a cowards
way. and failed. He tried black.
mail. a towards weapon. and failed
again. AT MacDonalds. because OF
his regard for the old Scots nature.
he was forced TO stand by and see
the last plan he had laid for per.
sonal gain 40 crashing down.
But he was no quitter. this Franz :
And when he read those telegrams.
at Shoestring. hope came 10 life
again. Money was coming into the
country money In a quantity which
was In Itself disturbing 10 consider.
But that money meant more than
the possession OF so many thou
sands. II renewed his faith that
some day he would be the agent for
transaction involving the transfer
OF the much coveted Macdonald
property.
He had unmasked Steve Drake
for the Laird at the proper moment
IL that option could be caused to
lapse he felt certain that the eccen-
trio old Scot would refuse 20 renew
deal with one who had hood
winked him or with a corporation
which had had such a one I'm its
service. So. the option must lapse.
Steve was In the store when Nc
Nally drove into the clearing. Mac
had planned TO spend the night at
the last farmhouse between head
quarters and town and Drake. after
breakfast. had busted himself there
TO be present at the arrival.
He had awakened as usual when
the chorus OF bird songs commenced
TO swell. dressed and stepped out.
side with an ejaculation OF surprise.
because Mary Wolf was seated on
log beside his threshold. elbows
on knees. waiting with stolid pa