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Show HlflU mmmtmwwmmmmmmvmmmmmimammimawmmBmMwmmwmmwmmmmmmmtmm'mmmmimmmmmmwmmm - r -i mi -V - J - - - - - - - - - - -- 1 I TEE VALLEY rf the GIAH TS I H By PETER B. KYNE R Author of "Cappy Ricks" 1B CopjrlRht by Peter D. Kyne Hn f flJ CHAPTER XVIII Continued. JWJ -10- M "I suppose so," she answered, "nl- Ml though I think until very recently H int It wns those sixteen townships ma of red cedar that crown grant In SBB Ilrltlsli Columbia In which you Induced 9fl mo to Invest four hundred thousand Bhw dollars. You will remember that you Cfi purchased that timber for me from the SJt Caribou Tlmhcr compnny, Limited. Bj You snld It wns nn unpiirnllolcd Invest BR incnt. Quito recently I learned no H matter how Hint yon wen the prlncl- mm pul owner of the Curlhou Tlmher com- Hff pnny, Limited I Smart as you lire. wB fiomehody swindled you with that red Bg cednr. It wns a wonilerful stand of HJl tlmher bo rend the cruiser's report KB lint fifty per cent n( It, despite Its IM green nnd flourishing appearance. Is uf hollow-liutted I And the remaining HIb fifty Per cent of sound tlmher ennnot AS bo logged unless the rolttcn tlmlier Is Efl logged nlso nnd Rotten out of the wny. ffl And I n tn Informed Hint logging It JjK spoils hnukrtiptcy." H Hlie Killed nt him stendlly, hut with- Jl out tnnllcc; his fiico crimsoned and Bn then puled; presently his glance B sought the enrpet. While he strii-.'Kled Ht to formulnte n vcrhnl defense against Hjj her accusation Shirley continued: HE "You had erected n huge sawmill Hjj nnd hullt nnd equipped n logging road Fl before you discovered you had heen Htf swindled. So, In tinier to save as HK intich ns possible from the wreck, you HI decided to unload your white elephant BK on somebody else. I was the readiest RSj victim. You were the executor of my HJ father's estate you were my gunrdlan Kl nnd llnanelnl adviser, nnd so you found B 't very, very ensy to swindle me!" Bi "I had my back to the wall," he Urn quavered. "I wns desperate and It mti wasn't nt all the hnd Investment you W have been told It Is. You had the money Hf more money than you Knew what to Hi do with and with the proceeds of the Mt sale of those cedar lands, I knew I HE could make nn Investment In California H redwood and moro than retrieve my Htj fortunes make big money for both Htj "You might have borrowed the money Hjj from me. You know I have never lies- HE Itnted to Join In your enterprises." Htj "This wns too bis a deal for you, HM Shirley. I had vision. I could see In- HE1 calculable riches In this redwood em- Mjjj plre, hut It was a tremendous gamble Hi nnd required twenty millions to swing HJ It nt the very start. I dreamed of the HF control of California redwood; nnd If HM you will stand by me. Shirley, I shall yet HJU, umko my dream come true and half Hi' of It shall bo yours. It has always HV' been my Intention to buy bark from Hjij, you Recretly and nt a nice prollt to you HlL that Caribou red cedar, and with the Hllra acquisition of the Cardigan properties HJH would have been In position to do HJB' so. Why, that Cardigan tract In tlio K t Ran Iledrln which we will buy In with Hj lu a year for half a million, Is worth Hj ftvo millions nt least. And by that HJ time, I feel certain In fact, I know HJ . thn Northern Pacific will commenco Hjj, building In from the south, from Wll HJl "I shall " he began, but ho paused HTj abruptly, ns If he had suddenly re- HJj meinliered that tnct nnd not pugnacity Hjj . wns thu requirement for the handling HU of this ticklish situation. B . She silenced him with a disdainful Hjj" gesture. "You shall not smash the. Hjj Cardigans." sho declared firmly. "You Htj aro devoid of mercy, of a sense of Hi sportsmanship. Now, then, Uncle HI Seth, listen to me: You have Hk twenty-four hours In which to make Hjj up your mind whether to accept my Ht ultimatum or refme It. If you re- HJ& fuse, I shall prosecute you for fraud FT and a betrayal of tnist as my father's Hp executor y.oli that red cedar timber BjL Ifa'lirlghtcncd n trifle. "I'm nfnrt.l mt that would be n long, hard row to hue, m i)ty dear, and of course, I shall have to Bj& defend myself." ma s "In nddltton," the girl went on qul- BF,'1 etly, "tho county grand Jury shall bo BE furnished with n stenographic report BR of your ennvomnt'on of Thursday H. night with Mayor I'ouudstoue. That vLVK'. ' '111 not ho a long, hard row to line. PIlPp'' Uncle Seth, for In addition to the UgH ' stenographer. I have another reliable H , , witness, Judge Moore. Your casual H disposal. of my sedan as a bribe to the M ' mayor will he hard to explain and M rather nimnlug, In view uf the fact EU !' that llryce Canllnin managed to frlttht I .;, en Mr. I'ouudstoue into returning dm Mg. K'daii while you were away. And HKv If that Is not sulllclent fur my purpose, jB?''' ' ,lmve the sworn coufossloti of tho IHuv' Hlnclc Minorca that you gave him live E; -j, - hundred dollars to kill Ilryeo CnnllKim. Br ' Your woods boss, noudesu. will also HJ swear that you approached him with n HJP proposition to do away with Uryeo B:' CardlKHU. ( tliliil;, therefore, that you Hi" Mill readily seo fiow Impossllilo a sit HT uatlon you have managed to create H a ml will not dlsMfiree with tils when I H hugKOst that It would be butter for you TB tc leave this county." iac Ills fseo Imd none uray nnd hunt !&jgH& (Jsrtl. "1 cun't." he uiurmurixl. "I HHLHH ssn't leflve this great buslncc now. HJjHHJ Your own Interests In the company ffjHJHHJ reniler such a course unthinkable. IjHHHHJ Without inv hiuiil at the helm, things HHHHF go to vmush KHHHHP stoixf i -cftjfia 4iiai "I'll risk that. 1 want to get rid of that worthless red cedar tlmher; so I think joii had better buy It back from me at the same figures at which you sold It to me." "Itut I haven't the money and I enn't borrow It. I I " "I will have tho equivalent In stock of the I.ngtma arande Lumber company. com-pany. You will call on Judge Monro to complete the transaction ami leave with him your resignation as president of the Lnguna Grande Lumber company." com-pany." The Colonel raised his glance and bent It upon her In cold appraisal, Sho met It with (lniincs, nnd tho thought came to him: "She Is a Pennington Pen-nington t" And hope died out In his heart, lie began pleading lu maudlin fashion for mercy, for compromise. Hut the girl wns obdurate. "I am showing you more mercy than you deserve you to whom mercy was ever a sign of wenkness, of vnclllatlon. There Is a gulf between us. Uncle Seth a gulf which for a long time I have dimly sensed nnd which, be-cause be-cause of my recent discoveries, has widened until It can no longer nu bridged." lie wrung his hands In desperation and slid to his knees before her; with hypocritical endearments he strove to take her hnnd, but she drew uwny from him. "fon't touch me," she cried sharply and with a breaking note In her voire. "You planned to kill Ilryeo Cardigan! And for that nnd that alone I shnll never forgive you." She lied from the olllce, leaving him cringing and grovelling on the lloor. "There will be no directors' meeting, Mr. Sexton," she Informed tho manager mana-ger us she passed through the general olllce. "It Is postponed." That trying Interview had wrenche. Shirley's soul to u degree that left her faint and weak. She nt once sel out on ii long drive, In the hope that before be-fore she turned homeward again she might regain somethlni: of her cus ternary composure. Presently tli- asphaltum-paved street gave way to n dirt rond and terminated abruptly at the boundaries of n Held that sloped gently upward a field Btuddedwlth huge black redwood red-wood stumps showing dismally through coronets of young nshvoods that grew riotously around the haso of the departed parent trees. From the fringe of tho thicket thus formed, tho terminus of an old skid-road showed and a signboard, freshly painted, paint-ed, pointed tho way to the Valley of the Ulants. Shirley had not Intended to come here, but now that sho had arrived, It occurred to her that It was hero she wanted to come. Parking her car by the side of the rond, she alighted and proceeded up the old skid, now newly planked and with the encroaching encroach-ing forestratlon cut away so that tho daylight might enter from above. On over tho gentle divide she went and down toward the amphitheater where thu primeval giants grew. And as sho approached It, the sound (hat Is silence In tho redwoods the thunderous thunder-ous diapason of the centuries wove Its spell upon her; quickly, Imperceptibly Impercept-ibly there faded from her mind the vwfHiv vjfxnJi I fs?' vv SrW ft "Who la It7" memory of that grovelling Thing she had left behind In thu inlll-olHee. and In Its place there came a subtle pence, a feeling of uwo. of wonder such a reeling, Indeed, as must wine to one In the reallwitlon thnt man Is distant but Uod Is near. A cluster of wild orchids pendent from tho groat funtus-co ored loots of h gluut challenged her attention. She gathered thuiu. Pnrther on, in n spot whore a shaft of sunlight fll. htii plucked nn armful of golden Owl Ifrouln poppies and tunning rhododeu-dren. rhododeu-dren. and with her delicate bunion she came at length to thp glaut-guard-ed clearing where the halo of sunlight fell upon the grave of Hryce Cardigans Cardi-gans iiioihi.r There wore red roses on it- a i uupie of douen, nt least, and these liu learranged In older to make room for her own offering. "Poor dcnrl" she murmured nud-Ibly nud-Ibly "Ood didn't spare you Tor much happiness, did her' A voice, deep, resoniHit. klndlv. spoke a few feet nwuy. "Who Is It?" Shirley, stnrtled, turned swiftly. Sealed across the little amphitheater In a lumberjack's easy-chair fashioned from nn old barrel, John Cardigan sat, his sightless gaze bent upon her. "Who Is It?" he repeated. "Shirley Sumner," sho answered. "You do not know me, Mr. Cardigan." "No," replied he. "I do not. That Is a name I have heard, however. You nro Seth Pennington's niece. Is someone some-one with you?" "I ntu quite alone, Mr, Cardigan." "And why did you come here alone?" he queried. "I I wnu ted to think." "You mean you wanted to think clearly, my dear. All, es this Is tho place for thoughts." lie was silent-a silent-a moment. Then: "You were thinking think-ing aloud, Mlvs Shirley Sumnei. I heard you. You said: 'Poor dear' Iod didn't spare you for much Imp-plui-vs. did he?' Then you knew about her being here." "Yes, sir. Some ten years ago. when I wns n wry little girl, I met your son llryce. IIu gave mo a Tide on his Indian pony, ami wo came here. So I remember." "Well, I declare I Ten year ago. eh? You've met. eh? You've met llryce since his return to Sequoia, I believe. He's quite n fellow now." "Ilo Is Indeed." Jehu Cardigan nodded sagely. "So that's why you thought aloud;" he remarked re-marked Impersonally. "llryce told you about her. You are right, Miss Shirley Shir-ley Sumner. (5od didn't give her much time for happiness Just llireo years; but oh, such wonderful years! Such wonderful years! "It was mighty Hue of you to lirlng Mowers," he announced presently. "I appreciate that. I wish I could see you. You must he a dear, nice, thoughtful thought-ful girl. Won't you sit down and tulle to me?" "I should be glad to," she answered, and seated herself on the brown carpet car-pet of redwood twigs do.se to his chair. "So you came up here to do u little lit-tle clear thinking," lie continued In his deliberate, amiable tonus. "Do you cotno hero often?" "This Is the third time lu ten years," she answered. "I feel that I Irnvrj no business to Intrude here. This Is your shrine, mid strangers should not profane It." "I think I should have resented the presence of any other person, Miss Sumner. I resented you until you spoke." "I'm glad you said that, Mr. Cardigan. Cardi-gan. It sets me nt ease." "I hadn't been up here for nearly two years until recently. You see I I don't own thu Vnlley of thu Olnnts any more." "Indeed. To whom hao you sold It?" "I do not know, Miss .Sumner. I hail to sell; there was no other wny out of the Jam Hryce ami I were In: so I sacrificed my sentiment for my hoy. However, the new owner has been wonderfully kind nnd thoughtful. She reorganized that old skid-road so even an old blind duffer like me can llml his way In and out without getting lost and she had this ensy-ehalriiiHde for me. 1 have told Judge Moore, who repiesents the unknown owner, to extend ex-tend my thanks to his client. Hut words nre so empty, Shirley Sumner. If that new owner could only understand under-stand how grateful I am how profoundly pro-foundly her courtesy touches hip " "Her courtesy?" Shirley echoed. "Did a woman buy the flhints?" He smiled down at her. "Why, i-i-i'liilnt v. Wtin lull ii u-ftniHii mill . dear, kind, thought fill woinun would have thought to have this chair made and brought up here for me?" Fell a long sllcnro hutuccii them; then John Cardigan's trembling hand went groping out townrd the girl's. "Why, how stupid of mo not tn have guexsed It Imm'sHately!" he snld. "You are the new owner. My dear child, If the silent prayers of a very unhappy old mini will bring Cod's blessing on j ou- there, there, girl! didn't Intend to make yon weep. What u tender heurt It Is, to he sure.!" She look his great tpll-wpfn hand, and her hot tears fell on It. for lit conllones. his twnlunnney. had touched touch-ed her deeply, tilt, you must not tell anybody! Y -i lousn't." she erled. He put Ids hand on her shoulder as she knelt before him, "flood land or love, girl, what taado you do It? Why Rlinulil a girl like you give n hundred thousand for my Vnlley of tho Ulnnts? Were you" hesitatingly "your uncle's un-cle's agent?" "No. I iMinght It myself with my own money. My uncle doesn't know I nm tho new owner. You two, hu wanted want-ed It for nothing." "Ah, yos. I suspected as much n long time ago. Your uncle Is the modern type of business ninn. Not very much of an Idealist, Pm afraid. Hut tell mo why you decided to thwart I tho plans of your relative." J "I knew It hurt you terribly to sell your (limits; they were dear to you for M-ntlniciitnl reasons. I understood, also, why jou were forced to sell; so-I so-I well, I decided the (Hants would be safer lu my possession than In my uncle's, lu nil probability he would have logged this valley for the sake of the clear seventy-two-lnch boards he could get from these trees." "That does not explain satisfactorily, satisfactor-ily, to me. why you took sides with a stranger against your own kin," John Cardigan persisted. "There must lie ii deeper and more potent reason, Mlis Shirley Sunnier." "Well," Shirley made answer, glad he could not see the Mush of confusion ami embarrassment that crimsoned her cheek, "when I came to Sequoia last May, your son nnd I met, quite accidentally. The stage to Sequoia had already gone, and he was gracious enough to Invite me to make the Journey Jour-ney In his car. Then we recalled having hav-ing met ns children, and presently I gathered from his conversation that he and his John-partner, ns he called you. were very dear to each other. I was witness to your meeting thut night I saw him take .wu lu his big arms nnd hold you tight because you'll gone blind while he was away having a good time. And ou hadn't told him I I thought thnt was hiave of ,ou: and later, when Hryce and Molra McTnvlsh told me about you how kind you were, how you felt your responsibility toward your employees mid the community well, I Just couldn't help a leaning toward John-partner John-partner mill John-partner's hoy, because be-cause the boy wns so line nnd true to his father's Ideals." "Ah, he's u man. He Is Indeed," old John Cardigan murmured proudly, "I dnre say you'll never get to know him Intimately, hut If you should " "I know him Intimately," she corrected cor-rected him. "Ho saved my life the day the log-train ran away. And thnt was another reason. I owed him n debt, nnd so did my uncle; but Uncle wouldn't pay his share, and I had to pay for hllii." "Wonderful," murmured John Cardigan, Cardi-gan, "wonderful 1 Hut still you hnven't told me why you paid n hundred thousand dollars for the Giants when you could liavo bought them for fifty thousand. You hud n woman's reason, I dare say, and women ulways reason from the heart, never the head. However, How-ever, If you do not care to tell me, I shall not Insist. Perhnps I have appeared ap-peared unduly Inquisitive." "I would rather not tell you," she answered. A gentle, prescient smile fringed his old mouth ; he wngged his leonine head as If to say: "Why should I ask, when I know?" Foil again a restful silence. Then : "Am I allowed one guess. Miss Shirley Sumner?" "Yes, but jou would never guess tho reason." "I am n very wise old innn. When one sits In the dark, one sees much that was hidden from him In the full glare of the light. My son Is proud, manly, Independent, and the soul of honor. Ho needed a hundred thousnnd dollars; you know It. Probably your uncle Informed you. You wnnted to loan him some money, but you couldn't. You feared to offend him by prolTerlng It: had you proffered It, he would have declined It. So you bought my Vnlley of tho (limits: at a preposterous price and kept your (ictlon a secret." And he patted hoi hand gently, ns If to silence any denial, while far down the skid-road a voice- u half-trained baritone ilonted faintly faint-ly Jo them through tho forest. Somebody Some-body was singing or rather chanting a singularly tuneless refrain, wild mid barbaric "What Is that?" Shirley cried. "That Is my son. coming to fetch his old daddy home," replied John Cardigan. "That thing he's howling Is mi Indian war-song or paean of triumph something his nurse tnnght him when h wore pinafores. If you'll excuse me, Miss Shirley Sumner, I'll Ivave you now. I genernlly contrive to meet him on tho tra.t." Hu bade bur good-bye and stnrtod down thu trail, his stick tapping against the old logging-cable stretched from tree to tree Uesldu the trail and marking It. - Shirley wa tremendously relieved. She did not wish to meet Hryce Cardigan Cardi-gan to-day. and she wns distinctly ufntpful to .l.ihti Cardigan for his nice consideration in sparing bur an lutm--view. She seuteil hertelf In tW lutn-IHT-jHCk'j iuy-ohnlr mi lately vacated. nd chin hi hand gave herself up to meditation on this extraordinary old man and his extraordinary miii. A couplo of hundred yards down the trail Hryce mot his father. "Hello. John Cardigan I" he cnlled. "What do you inosii h,y skallyhootliig through these -roods without n pilot? Hh? Explain your reckless conduct." "You great overgrown duffer." his father retorted nffectloiintoly, "J thought jou'd never come." i reached reach-ed Into his pocket for n handkerchief but failed to find It nnd searched through another pocket nnd still nilothcr. "By gruvy, son," he remark ed presently. "I do believe I left my silk handkerchief the one Molra gnve me. for my last birthday up yonder. I wpuldn't lose that handkerchief handker-chief for n farm. Skip along nnd Hnd It for me, son. I'll wait for you here. Don't hurry." "I'll be back In a pig's whisper," his son replied, and slnrtcd briskly up the trail, while his father leaned against n madrone tree and smiled his prescient little smile. Hryce's brisk step on the carpet of withered brown twigs nrouscd Shirley from her reverie. When sho looked up he wns standing In the center of the little amphitheater gazing at her. "You yoiiP' she stammered, mid roe as If to flee from hltn. "Tho governor sent me bnck to look for his handkerchief, Shirley," he explained. ex-plained. "He didn't tell me you were here. (Jttess he didn't hear jou." lie advanced smilingly toward her. "I'm tremendously glad to see you today, Shirley," he ald. nnd paused beside her. "Fate has been singularly kind to me. Indeed I've been pondering all day us to Just how 1 was to arrange a private mid conlldeutlitl tittle chat with joii. without calling upon you at your uncle's house." "I don't feel like chatting today." she answered n little drcniily and then he noted her wet lashes. Im I f" ) ' 1 T "I Wouldn't Lose That Handkerchler for a Farm." stuntly he was on one knee beside her; with the unitizing confidence thnt had nlvvnys distinguished him In her eyes his big left nrm went uround her, nnd when her hands went to her face he drew them gently nwuy. "I'vo waited too long, sweetheart," he murmured. "Thnnk God, I can tell you at last all the things thnt have been accumulating In my hdnrt. 1 love you, Shirley. I've loved you from that Mrst day wo met nt tho station, mid all these months of strife and repression repres-sion havo merely served to mnke me love you the more. Perhaps you have been all the dearer to me because you seemed so hopelessly unuttulnablo." He drew her bend down on his breast; his great baud patted her hot cheek; his honest -.brown eyes gnzed earnestly, wistfully Into hers. "I love you," he whispered. "All thut I have nil thnt I nm nil that I hopo for I offer to you. Shirley Sumner; nnd In the shrine of my heart 1 shall hold you sacred while life shall last. You aro not Indifferent to me, dear. I know you're not ; but tell me answer me " Her violet eyes were uplifted to his, nnd In them he rend the answer to his cry. "Ah, may I?" he murmured, mid kissed hor. "Oh. my dear, Impulsive, gentle big sweetheart." she whispered and then her arms went nround his neck, nnd the fullness of hor happiness found yent In tears he did not seek to hnve her repress. In the safo hnvou of his arms she rented; nnd there, quite without effort or distress, she managed to convey to him something more than nn Inkling of the thoughts that were wont to como to her whenever they met. (TO DK CONTINUnn.) |