Show q d I The Real Man By FRANCIS LYNDE e H H by br IRWIN MYERS OO Le Copyright by bl Char Cha Chaa Bona ona CHAPTER II 17 17 The Pots Flesh of Egypt Convinced by Verda telephone message to the construction camp that he stood in no immediate danger Smith spent the heel of the afternoon af- af tc In the High Line offices keeping keepIng keeping keep- keep Ing in wire touch with Stillings whom he had sent on a n secret mission to Red ned Butte and with Williams at the dam The High Line enterprise was on the knees of the gods If Williams could pull through In time if the swell river Ing storms should hold off oft If Stanton should delay his final raid past the critical hour hour and and there was now good reason t-eason to hope that all nIl of vf these contingencies contingencies contingencies con con- were fie te victory was practically won Smith closed his desk at six o'clock and went acro across s to the hotel to dress dres for dinner The day of suspense was practically at an nn end and disaster still held aloof was fairly outdistanced hithe In hi Inthe inthe the race as it seemed Williams Williams' final report had been to the effect that the pouring concrete was completed and the long strain was off ofT Smith went to b bis Is rooms and as once before and for a similar reason renson he laid his bis dress clothes out on the bed lIe He made sure that he would be required to dine with Verda and he was stripping stripping stripping strip strip- ping his coat when he heard a tap at atthe atthe atthe the door and Tibbe came in Glad rags eh ell said the blase one with a glance at the array on the bed Ive just run up to tell you that you OU Verdas Verda's dining tUning with the and she wants me to keep you out of sight until afterward By and by when she's loose foot-loose she wants to see you In the mezzanine Isn't there some quiet little joint where we two can cnn go for a bite You know the town and I 1 dont Smith put his coat on and together they circled the square to Frascati's taking a table In the main cafe While they were giving their dinner order Starbuck came In and joined them and Smith was glad For reasons reasons reasons rea rea- sons which he lie could scarcely have defined defined de de- fined he was relieved not to have to talk to alone and Starbuck played third hand admirably taking kindly to the sham black sheep and filling him up In quiet straight faced humor with many and most marvelous marvel marvel- ous tales of the earlier frontier At the end of the meal while Jib Jib- hey bey was still content to linger er listen lIsten- listening ing open-mouthed open to Starbuck's ro- ro Smith excused himself and returned to the hotel He Be had scarcely scarcely scarce scarce- ly chosen his lounging chair In a quiet corner of the mezzanine before Miss came to Join him It has been a n long day hasn't it she began evenly enly You have ha been busy with your dam damn I suppose but butI I I-I I I have had nothing to do but to think and that is something that I t dont don't often allow myself to do You have gone far since that nl night ht last May when you telephoned telephone me that you would come up to the house later later and and then broke your our promise Montague In Iii a way I suppose I have ve he admitted You have indeed You are a totally totally to to- tally tall different man nina In what way particularly In ever every conceivable way If It one could believe in transmigration one would say that you ou had changed souls soul with some old hitting hard rough- rough riding ancestor Have your ambitions changed tog to too 1 I am Hm not sure now that I had any ambitions In that other life Oh yes you ou had she went on smoothly In the other life as UR you call It you would have be been n quite willing to marry marr a woman who could assure you OU a n firm social standing and und money enough to put you on a footing w with other men of your our capabilities You Yon wouldn't be willing to do that now would you you leaving leaving the sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment out as you used toy to- tolen e leave It out then No I hardly think I 1 should Her laugh was musically low and sweet and only mildly derisive You are thinking that it Is change of environment wider horizons and andall andall all nIl that which has changed you Montague Montague Mon Mon- tague but I 1 know better It Is a woman and as you ma may remember I have met her her twice twice Then with witha a faint glow grow of spiteful fire In the magnificent eyes How can cun you OU make muke yourself o believe that she is pretty He lie shrugged one shoulder in iu tok token n I of the tho utter uselessness ss of or discussion t fa to that direction Sentiment he queried I think we needn't go into that at nt this late day Verda It is a n field that neither of us entered or cared to enter In Inthe inthe the he days that are arc gone If I 1 say that Corona Coron Baldwin has has quite quite unconsciously ly on her part I must ask you to believe taught me what love means menns that ou ought ht to be enough Again she was laughing softly You seem to have broadly forgotten forgot ot ten the limo old proverb about a woman scorned What have you to expect I from me mc after making such an admission sion slon as that thaU Smith pulled himself together and ond stood the argument firmly ution Its unquestionable footing Let u us put all nil the these 1 e Indirections aside and amI he be for the moment mer merely a man and und a n woman as ns Go God made mode us us Verda Venla he said soberly You know i and md I know that there was never ne any question of oC love Jove Involved In our rela rela- relations relations Hons past and gone We ml might ht have I married but In that case neither of us would have got or exacted anything anything any any- thing more than the conventional con decencies decencies de de- and amenities We Wc mustn't try to make believe at this late day You had hud no illusions about me when I Iwas Iwas Iwas was Watrous Dunhams Dunham's hired man mun you haven't any Illusions about me menow now nov Perhaps not was the calm rejoin rejoin- der And yet et today I have lied to tosa sa save e you ou from those who are trying to crush you I told you not to do that he rejoined rejoined rejoined re re- re- re joined quickly I I know you ou did and yet when you ou went away this morning you ou knew I perfectly well that I was going to do doit doit I it if I should get the opportunity Didn't you Montague He lie nodded slowly common honesty demanded that much Very well you accepted the servIce service service ice and I gave It freely Mr Kinzie believes now that you are another Smith Smith not not the one who ran a a away ay uy from Lawrenceville last May Tell me would the other woman have done doneas as much if the chance had fallen to her It was on the tip of his tongue to tosny say I hope not but he did not say It Instead he said But you dont don't really care Verda Yerda in the way you are trying tring to make me believe you do Possibly not possibly I am nm wholly selfish in the matter and am only looking lookIng looking look look- ing for some loophole of escape E Escape From whom She looked away and shook her head From Watrous Dunham let letus letus letus us say You didn't suspect that did you It is so nevertheless My father father fa fa- fa- fa ther desires It and I suppose Watrous Dunham would like to have my money you you know I have something in my myown myown myown own right Perhaps this may help to account for some other things things for for your trouble for one You were in his way you see But never mind that there are other matters to be considered now Though Mr Kinzie has been put oft off the track Mr Stanton Stanton Stanton Stan- Stan ton I have earned Mr Stanton's Stanton's Stan Stan- tons ton's will ill because I wouldn't tell teU him about you and this evening at table he took It out on me In what way He gave me to understand very plainly that he be had done something that there was a sensation in prospect for all aU Brewster He was so exultantly exultantly exult exult- antly triumphant that It fairly trl frightened fright fright- ht- ht cacti ened me The fact that he wasn't afraid to show some part of his hand to me knowing me-knowing knowing that I 1 would be sure to tell you you makes makes me afraid that th the trap has already been set for you you In other wor words you think he has hus gone over ovel Kinzie's KInzle's head and has telegraphed telegraphed telegraphed tele tele- graphed to Lawrenceville Monta ie Im I'm almost certain of it 1 Smith stood up and put his hands behind him Which means that I have only a u few few hours at the longest he said quietly And then There is a good bit to tobe tobe tobe be done clone turning over the business of the office and all that Ive I've been putting putting putting put put- ting It off from day U to day saying that there would be time enough to set my may house in order after the trap hat had been sprung Now r I t am nm like me the man who puts off oft the making waking of his will until It Is too late Inte Will you ou let me thank you ou very heartily and vanish What shall you ou do she asked Set St t my house hom e In order as ns I say sayas sayas say Hay as ns well as ns I can in the time that re re- mains There mire are others to tobe be considered considered considered con con- you know Oh the plain faced little ranch girl among them I suppose No thank God she Is out of ot It entirely In entirely In the time way ny you mean he lie broke out fervently You mean that you yon haven't spoken to her hel yet her yet et Of course I Do you suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose I would ask usk nn any woman to marry me with the shadow of the hanging over me But you are not really guilty That doesn't make any difference Watrous Dunham will see to It thaI that tha I t get et what he has hns planned to give me She was tapping an nn impatient tattoo tattoo tattoo tat tat- too on the carpet with one shapely i foot toot I Why dont don't you ou turn this new loaf leaf of yours ours hack back and go home and fight tIght It out with Watrous Dunham once for all nil she h suggested I shall shull probably go fast fast enough when Macauley or one of ot his deputies gets jets here with the extradition papers ho to returned But as to fighting lighting Dunham without money money She looked up quickly and this time there here was no mistaking the meaning of ot the glow In the magnificent brown eyes ees Your friends have money Montague Monta Montu- gue plenty gue-plenty plenty of it All you have to todo todo tolo do lo I Is to say that you yon will defend your your- our self elt I am urn not sure that Watrous Dunham couldn't be made to take tale your place lace In the prisoners prisoner's dock or that you on couldn't be put In his place In the Lawrenceville Bank Dank and Trust You have captured Tucker and that means menns Tuckers Tucker's father and my faher fa- fa well ther-well her well when It comes to the worst m my father always does what I went him hint to Its It's his one weakness For one little instant Smith felt the Ule solid ground slipping from beneath his feet Here Herr was a n way out and his quick mentality was showing him that It t was a t perfectly feasible way As Verdi Verda husband and Jo- Jo sinh slab son-in-law son he could fight Dunham and win And the re- re reward re- re ward once more he could take his place In the small Lawrenceville ville world and settle down to the life of conventional good report and ease which he had once thought the acme of any reasonable mans man's aspirations But at the yielding half moment a word of Corona Baldwins Baldwin's flashed Into his brain and turned the scale It did happen In your case givIng givIng giving ing you n a chance to grow and expand and to break with all the old traditions traditions traditions and und the break left you free to make of yourself what you should choose It was the reincarnated reincarnated Smith who met the look In the beautiful eyes and made answer No was the sober decision and then he gave his reasons If I t could do what you OU propose I shouldn't be worth the powder it would take to drive a n bullet hullet through me Verda for now you OU see I 1 know what love lovo means Yon You say I have changed and I have changed I can imagine the past-and- past gone J J. J Montague jumping at the chance chanc you ou are offering But the mill rail will never grind with the water that thatIs Is past Ill I'll take what is coming to me me and try to take It like a man G Goodnight Good Good- od- od night night and and good And he turned his back upon the tho temptation and went away Fifteen minutes later he was in his office In the Kinzie building trying In vain to get Colonel Baldwin on the distance wire trying also and also and also In vain vain vain-to to forget the recent clash elash am and break brenk with Verda He was jiggling Ung the switch of the desk phone for the twentieth time when a nervous step echoed in the corridor and the door opened to admit William Wllliam Starbuck There was red wrath In Inthe Inthe inthe the mine owners owner's ordinarily cold eyes when he flung himself Into a chair am and eased cased the nausea nausen of ot his soul in an outburst outburst outburst out out- burst of picturesque profanity The Jigs Jig's up up definitely Definitely up John he was s saying ying when his speech became became became be be- came lucid enough to be understood We know now what Stanton's other othe string was A half hour ago a deputy United States marshal with a a posse big enough to capture a town took possession of the dam and stopped th the work He lIe says its it's a court order from Judge at Red ned Butte based on the claims of that Infernal paper railroad railroad rail rall- road 1 I Smith pushed th the telephone aside But its it's too late P he protested The dam is completed Williams William phoned me before I 1 went to dinner rill All that remains to be done to save sav the charter Is la to shut the spillway and let the water back up so that 1 It will flow into the main ditch I l Inight Right night theres there's where they've go gous got us was the rasping reply They wont won't let Williams touch the spillway gates and they're there not going to let him touch them until after we have lost ou out outon outon on the time limit Williams Williams' man says say they've put the seal of the court on I Ithe the machinery and have posted armed guards everywhere Wouldn't that tha make you ou run around In circles am and yelp like a scalded dog CHAPTER A Strong Man Armed Smith put his elbows on the desk and propped his head in his hands It was not the attitude of dejection It was rather a u trancelike rigor o of concentration with each and all of th the newly emergent powers once more mor springing alive to answer the battle call At the time end desk Starbuck sa sat with his hands locked ed over one knee too disheartened to roll a n cigarette normal solace for fOI all less les than mortal After a minute or tw two Smith jerked himself around to to- face fac the tho news Does Docs Colonel Baldwin know h he asked Sure That's the worst of It Didn Didn't I tell you ou He drove e out to the dam reaching the works just ahead of th the trouble When 1 and the posse poss outfit showed up the the- colonel got 1 It Into his head hend that the whole thing was wa merely another trick of Stanton's a fake Ginty the quarry boss brought brough the news to town lie He sn says s 's there waa wa was wasa a blood bloody up mix-up and at the end enel of I Ithe it the colonel and Williams were hot both under arrest for r resisting the Smith nodded thou thoughtfully Of course ourse that was Just what was nee needed cd I With the president and the the- chief of construction locked up and und the wheels blocked locked for tor the next twenty four hours our ur charter will be gone This world and another and then in the 10 fireworks Starbuck threw With |