NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. I .1 I THE VALLEY of the GIANTS CHAPTER XII. Continued. 13 'Two of Uic five coiincllmen ore for nlc; two are honest men nricl one Is an uncertain quantity. Tho innyor Is a politician. I've known them nil since boyhood, and If I dared come out In the open, I think Hint even the crooks have sentiment enough for whnt the Cardigans stand for In this roiinly to decline to hold me up." 'Then why not come out In the open nnd save trotihle nnd expense?" "I am not ready to hnve n Iqt of notes called on me," Itryce replied dryly. "Neither nm I desirous of hnv. Inc (he Lnpunu Gninde Lumber com puny Mart n riot In the redwood linn- "Two of the Flva Councilman Are for Sale." her market by cutting prices to n point where I would have to sell my lumber nt n loss In order to get hold of. a llttlo rendy money. I tell you, the man has me muter Ills tluynb. nud the only way I can escape Is to slip oit when ho Isn't looking.' "Hnni-m-hil Slimy old beggur, Isn't he? 1' dnro say he wouldn't hesitate to buy tho city council to block you, would ho?" "I know he'll lie nnd steal. I dnre uny he'd corrupt n public official." Hack Ogllvy rose mid stretched him self. "I'vo got my work cut out for ipe, haven't I?" he declnred with n yawn, "However, It'll be n light worth while, nnd thnt nt least will make It Interesting. Well?" Bryco pressed the buw.cr on fils desk, nnd n moment later Molrn en tered. "Permit me, Molrn. to present Mr. Ogllvy. Mr. Ogllvy, Miss Mcl'av Nh." Tho Introduction having been acknowledged by both parties, Hryco .continued; "Mr, Ogllvy will have fre quent need to Interview mo nt this of fice, Molrn. but It Is our Jolut desire ''Hint hla visits hero shall remain n (profound secret to everybody with tho Tcoptlon of ourselves. To thnt end lie will hereafter call at night, when this portion of the town Is absolutely deserted. You have an extra key to the ofllce. Molrn. I wish you would lve It to Mr. Ogllvy." Molra Inclined her dark head and withdrew. Mr. Buck Ogllvy gronned. "(hul speed tho day when you can come out frou; under nnd I'll bo per mitted to cull during ofllce hours," ho murmured. He picked up his hat nnd withdraw, via the general nl1'e. Half an hour later, Itryce looked out nnd sn him drnped over the counter, en jnged In nn hunted conversation with Molra McTnvIsh. Beforo Ogllvy left, he had mnnngpd to Impress Molrn with a. sense of the unmitigated horror of lielng n strnngor In a strnngo town, forced to sit around hotel lobbies with Jrummers ami other lost souls, nnd drew from Molra the assurnnco that It wasn't more distressing than to hnve to sit nround a bonrdlng-houso night after night watching old women tat nnd tattle. I This wus tho opening Buck Ogllvy iad sparred for. Fixing Molra with his bright bluo eyes, he grinned boldly nud said: "Suppose, Miss McTuvlsh wis start n league for tho dispersion of gloom. You bo the president, and I'll be the financial secretary." ''How would tho league operate?' Molrn demanded cautiously. "Well, It might begin by giving n dinner to nil tho members, followed by n llttlo motor-trip Into tho country next Saturday nftcrnoon," lluck sug gested. Molra's Madonna glnnco appraiser il in stendlly. "I hnven't known you very long, Mr. Ogllvy," sho reminded bin). "Oh, Tin ensy to get acquainted villi," he retorted lightly. "Besides, jhyt I come well recommended?" Ho pondered fV U moment. Then: "I'll yoli ' what, Miss MeTavlsh. Supposo piit It up to Hryco Cardigan. If luitsnyfl It'h all right we'll pull off the piirty. If lie says It's nil wrong, I'll Xlout and drown myself rind fairer wort Ibeu 1ms uo inuu :KiUe." By PETER Author of "Cappy Ricks' "I'll think It over," snld Molra. ' "By nil means. Never decide such an important matter In a hurry. .Tust tell me your homo telephone number, nd I'll ring up nt seven this evening for your decision." Iteluetnntly Molrn gnve him the umber. 8ho wns not at all prejudiced against this carroty Btrnnger In fact, she had a vague suspicion that ho was sure cure for the blues, an aliment which she suffered from all too fre quently; nnd, moreover his voice, his respectful mnnner, his alert eyes, nnd his wonderful clothing were nil rnther nl luring. The flutter of a great ad vent lire was In Molra's iienrt nnd the flush of n thousand roses In her cheeks hen, line!; Ogllvy having nt length departed, she went Into Bryce's private ffk'e to gel his opinion as to the propriety of nccctitlnc the Invitation. Bryce listened to her gravely ns with all the sweet Innocence of her yenrs and unworthJiiess she lnld the Ogllvy proposition before him. "Hy nil means accept," he counselled her. "Huck Ogllvy Is one of tho finest entlemen you'll ever meet. I'll stake my reputation on him. You'll find hllu vastly nmuslng, Molrn. He'd make Nlobo forget her" troubles, and e does know how to order a dinner." When Molra had left him, Bryce wns roused from bitter Introspec tions by the ringing of the telephone. l'o his aninzeinent Shirley Sumner was ailing til in! "You're a wee bit surprised, aren't you, Air. Cardigan?" she said tensingiy. You're wondering why I have tele phoned to you?" "No, I hnven't hnd time. Tho sud- lenness of It hns left me Inoro or less dumb. Why did you ring up?" "I wanted some ndvlce. Suppose you wanted very', very much to know what two people were talking nhout, but found yourself In a position where you couldn't eavesdrop. What would you do?" "I wouldn't envesdrop," lie told her severely. "That Isn't n nice thing to do, nnd I didn't think you would con- omplnte nuylhing that Isn't nice." "Hut I have every moral, ethlcnl, and financial right to be a party to that conversation, only well " "With you present there would be no conversation Is thnt It?" "Iflxnctly, Mr. Cardigan." "And It Is of the utmost Importance that you should know whnt Is said?" "Yes." "And you do not Intend to use your knowledge of the conversation, when gullied, for nn Illegal or unethical pur pose?" "I do not. On the contrary, If 1 nm nware of what Is being planned, 1 can prevent others from doing something Illegal and unethlcnl." "In thnt event, Shirley, I should say you are quite Justified In eavesdrop ping." "But how enn I do It? I can't hide In n closet nnd listen." "Buy n dlctogrnpli and hnve It hid den In the room where the conversn tlon takes place. It will record every word of It," "Where can 1 .buy one?" "In San Francisco." "Will yon telephone to your San Francisco office nnd have them buy "Jut Tell Me Your Homo Telephone Number." one for mo nnd ship It to you, together with directions for using?" "Shirley, this Is most extraordinary." "I quite realize that. May I depend upon you to obllgo mo In this matter?" "Certainly, But why pick on nu of nil jMirsons, to perforin such u mission for you?" "I can trust you to forget that yoit hnve performed It." "Thank; you. I think you may safely trust mo. And 1 shall nttend to the matter Immediately." "You uro, very kind. Mr. Cnrdlgan. How Is your denr old father? Molrn told mo some time ago that he was 111," B. KYNE t "He's quite well again, thank you. It's too bnd the circumstances nre such that we, who started out to be such agreeable friends, see so little of each other, Shirley." "Indeed, it Is. However, It's nil your fnult. I linve told you once how you cnu obvlnto that distressing situation. But you're so stubborn, Mr. Cardigan." "I haven't got to the point where I like crawling on my hnnds and knees," bo flared back at her. "Even for your sake, I decline to slmulute friendship or tolerance for your uncle; hence I must bo content to let matters stand ns tliey are between us.'' She laughed lightly. "So you nre Rtlll uncompromisingly belligerent still after Uncle Seth's scalp?" "Yes; and I think I'm going to get It. I'm not fighting for myself alone, but for n thousand dependents for n principle for nn ancient sentiment thnt was my father's and Is now mine. You do not understand." "I understand more than you give mo credit for. and some day you'll realize It. I understand Just enough to make me feel sorry for you. I un derstand whnt even my uncle doesn't suspect nt present, and thnt Is that ynur're the directing genius of the Northern California ' Oregon railroad nnd hiding behind your friend Ogllvy. Now, llsjqn to me, Bryce Cnrdlgan: You're never going to build that road. Do you understand?" Tho suddenness of her attack ninnz ed hltn to such an extent thnt he did not take the trouble to contradict her. Instead ho blurted out, angrily and defiantly: "I'll build thnt road If It costs me my life If It costs me you. Understand I I'm In this fight to win." "You will not build that rond," she reiterated. "Why?" "Becnuse 1 shall not permit you to. I hnve some financial Interest In the Lagunn Grande Lumber company, and It Is not to that flnnnclal Interest that you should build tho N. C. 0" "How did you find out that I was behind Ogllvy?" "Intuition. Then I accused you of It, and you admitted It." "I suppose you're going to tell your uncle now." he retorted wltherlngly. ' On tho contrary, I nm not. If It will comfort, you the least bit, you fiave my word of honor thnt I shall not reveal to my uncle tho Identity of the man behind the N C. O. The fact Is. both you and Uncle Selh annoy me exceedingly. How lovely everything would hnve been If you two hndn't started this end nnd forced upon me the tnsk of trying to be fair and Im partial to you both. Forgive my slang, but I'm going to hnnd you each a poke soon." "Shirley." he told her earnestly, "listen carefully to what I am about to say : I love you. I've loved you from the day T first met you. I shall always love you; and when I get nround to It, I'm going to ask you to marry inc. At present, however, thnt Is a right I do not possess. However, tho day I ncqulro the right I shnll exercise It." "And when will thnt day be?" Very softly, In awesome tones 1 "The dny 1 drive the last spike In the N. O. O." Fell a silence. Then; "I'm glad, Bryce Cardigan, you're not n quitter. (Jood-bye, good luck nnd don't forget my errand." She hung up nnd sat at the telephone for a moment, dimpled chin In dimpled hnnd. "How I'd hate you If I could handle you !" sho mur mured. Following this exasperating but Illuminating conversation with Shirley Sumner over the telephone, Bryce Cardigan was a distressed nnd badly worried mnn. For nn hour he sat slouched In his chair, chin on breast, tho while he reviewed every angle of the situation. He found It Impos sible, however, to disassociate the busi ness from the personnl nspects of his relutlons with Shirley, and he recalled thnt she hnd tho very best of reasons for placing their relations on n busi ness bnsls rather a sentlmentnl one. For the present, however, it wns nil a profound and disturbing mystery, and after an hour of futile concentration there came to Hryco the old childish Impulse to go to his father with his troublcfl. "Ho will be nblo to think without hnvlng bis thoughts blotted out by a woman's face." Hryco soliloquized. He's like one of his own big redwood trees; his hend Is always above the storm," Straightway Bryce left tit ofllce nnd went home to the old house on the knoll, John Curd I gun wns sitting on the vcrnndn, and from n stand beside hlni George Son Otter entertained him with n phonograph selection "The Suwnnee Itlver," sung by n mnlo quar tette. He could not see, but with the Intuition qf tho blind he knew. "Whnt h It. son?" ho demnnded gently as Bryce came up tho low steps. "George, choko that contraption off." Bryco took his father's hand. "I'm In trouble, John Cardigan," ho said slm- ply, "nnd I'm not big enough to handle It nlonc." Tho leonine old tnnn smiled, and his smile bnd nil the sweetness of n bene diction. Ills boy was In trouble and Coprlght by Peter D. Kjrns had come to him. Good! Then he would not fall hltn. "Sit down, son, and tell the old mnn all about It. Be gin at the beginning and let me have all the angles of the nngle." Bryce obeyed, nnd for the first time John Cnrdlgan learned of his son's ac quaintance witli Shirley Sumner and tho fact that she had been present In Pennington's woods the dny Bryce had gone there to settle the score with Jules Ilondeau. With the patlencr nnd gentleness of n confessor John Cnrdlgab heard the story now, nnd though Bryce gnve no hint In words thnt his affections were Involved in the light for Mie Cardigan ncres yet did his father know If. for he was a parent. And bis great heart went out In sympathy for his boy. "I understand, sonny, I understand. This young lady Is only one ndilltlonal reason why you must win. for of course you understand she Is not Indifferent to you." "I do not know that she feels for me nnythlng stronger tlinn a vagrant sym pathy, dad, for while she U eternally feminine, nevertheless she has a mas culine way of looking at many things. Her first' loynlty Is to her uncle: In fact, she owes none to liie. And I dare say he has given her some extremely plausible reason why we should be eliminated ; while I think she Is sorry that It must be done, nevertheless. In n mlstnkeu Impulse of self-protection she Is likely to let him do it." "Perhaps, perhaps. Kllmlnate the girl, my boy. She's trying to piny fair "Sit Down, Son, and Tell the Old Man All About It." to you and her relative. Let us con centrate on Pennington." 1 "The entire situation hinges on that Jump-crossing of his tracks on Water street." "Hp doesn't know you plan to cross thein, does he?" "No." "Then, lad, your Job Is to get your crossing In before he finds out. Isn't It?" , "Yes. but It's nn Impossible task, partner. I'm not Aladdin, you know. I hnve to have n franchise from the city council, nnd I have to have rails." "Both are procurable, my son. In duce the city council to grant you n temporary franchise tomorrow, and buy your rails from Pennington. lie hns a mile of track running up Laurel creek, and Laurel creek was logged out three years ago." "Bur he hates mo. old pal." "The Colonel never penults sentiment to Interfere with business, my son. He doesn't need the rails, and he does do sire your money. Consider the rail problem settled." "How do you stand with tho mayor and the council?" "I do not stand at nil." "Thnt mnkes It bad." "Not at all. The Cardigans nre not known to be connected with the N. C O. Send your bright friend Ogllvy nfter that franchise. He's the only man who can land It. Give him n free hnnd nnd tell him to deliver the goods by any means short of bribery. I know you can procure the rails nnd have them at the Intersection of B and Wii ter streets Thursday night. If Ogllvy can procure the temporary franchise nnd have It In his pocket by six o'clock Thursday night you should have thnt crossing In by sunup Friday morning, Tnen let Pennington rnv. He cannot procure an Injunction to restrain us from cutting his tracks, thus throwing the inntter Into the courts nnd hold ing us up indefinitely, because by the time ho wakes up the tracks will hnve been cut. The best he can do then will bo to flght us before the city conn ell when wo npply for. our permnnent franchise." "Partner, It looks llko n forlorn hope," snld Bryce. "Well, jon'ro tho boy to lead It. And It will cost but little to put In tho crossing nnd take n chnnce. Rcnicm ber, Bryce, onco wo have that crossing In It stands like a spite fence between Pennington and the law which bo knows so well how to pervert to sut his Ignoble purposes." Ho turned car nestly to Bryco nnd waved n trembling admonitory finger. "Your Job Is t( keep out of court. Onco Pennlngtot gets the law on us the Issue will not be settled In our favor for yenrs; an In the meantime you perish. Rut nlong, now, nnd hunt up Ogllvy." It wns with a considerably llghtri heart that Bryce returned to the mil ofllre. from which he lost no time It summoning Buck Ogllvy by telephone "Thanks so much for the Invllntlon.' Ogllvy murmured gratefully. "I'll b down In n pig's whisper." And he wns "Bryce. you look like the devil," he de clnred the moment he entered the lot tor's prlvnte office. "I ought to, Buck. I've Just raiser the devil nnd spilled the beans on th N. C. 0." "To whom, when nnd where?" "To Pennington's niece, over thi telephone nhout two hours ngo." Buck Ogllvy smote his left pnlm with his right fist. "How did you 'et tin cnt out of the bog?" "That remnrkable girl called me uf and nccused you of being n mere scrcer for me nnd amazed me so I admitted it." Ogllvy dropped his red head lp sim ulated agony nnd moaned. Presently he raised It nnd snld : "Well.lt might have been worse. Think of whnt might hnve happened had she cnlled In per son. She would hnve picked youi pocket for the corporate enl. th com lilnntlon of the snfc and the list ot stockholders, nnd probnbly ended up bj gagging nnd binding you In your own swivel chnlr." "Don't. Buck. Comfort nnd iidvle. Is what I need now." "All right. Whnt do you wont m to do to snvo the dny?" "Deliver to me by six o'clock Thurs day night n temporary franchise from the city council, granting the N. C. O the right to run a railroad from out drying yard ncross Water street at Its Intersection with B street nnd out Front street." "Certainly. By nil means' Easiest thing I do! All right, old dear! Pro on my wny to do my d dost which angels enn't do no more. Nevertheless, for your sins you shnll do me a favor before jny henrt brenks nfter falling down on this contract you've Just given me." "Granted. Buck. Nnme It." "I'm giving n nice little prlvnte. spe cially cooked dinner to Miss McTnvIsh tonight. We're going to pull It off In one of those prlvnte screened corral In thnt highly decorated Chink re tauraw on Third street. Molra thnt Is. Miss McTuvlsh Is bringing a chap- eron. one Miss Shirley Sumner. Your .lob Is to be my chaperon and entertain Miss Sumner, who from nil accounts Is most brilliant and fnsclnntlng." 'Nothing doing!" Bryce almost roared. "Why, she's the girl that bluffed the secret of the N. C. O. out of mo!" "Do you hate her for It?" "No, I hate myself." "Then you'll come. You promised In advance, nnd no excuses go now. The news, will be all over town by Fri day morning; so why bother to keep up nppenrances any longer?" And before Bryce could protest Ogll vy had thrown open the ofllee door and called the glad tidings to Molra. who wns working In the next room: where upon Molra's wonderful eyes shone with that strange, lambent flame. She clasped her hands joyously. "Oh. how wonderful!" she exclnlmed. "I've al ways wanted Miss Shirley to meet Mr. Bryce." CHAPTER XIII. Fortunately for tho situation which hnd so suddenly confronted him. Bryce Cardigan had Mr. Buck Ogllvy; nnd out of the experiences gained In other railroad-building enterprises tho said Ogllvy, while startled, was not stunned ny tne suddenness nnd immensity of the order so casually given hlni by his youthful employer, for he had already devoted to the mntter of thnt crossing tho better pnrt of the preceding nlghr, "Got to run a sandy on the innyor," Buck soliloquized ns he walked rapid ly uptown. "Now how shall I proceed to snenk up on thnt oily old cuss' blind side?" Two blocks fnrther on Mr. Ogllvy pnused nnd snapped his fingers vigor ously. "Eureka !" he murmured. "I've got Poundstone by the tall on a down hill haul. Is It a cinch? Well. 1 Just guess I should tell a maul" He hurried to the telephone building and put in a long-distance call for the San Francisco ofllce of tho Cnrdlgan Redwood Lumber company. When the mnnuger camo on the lino Ogllvy dic tated to hlni a message which he In structed the mnnnger to telegraph hnck to hlni nt the Hotel SequoJn one hour later; this mysterious detail attended to,vhe continued on to the mayor's of fice In tho city hall. Mayor Ponndstone's bushy eyebrows nrched with interest when his secre tary laid upon his desk the card of Mr, Buchanan Ogllvy. vice president nnd general mnnnger of the Northern Call fornln. "Ah-h-h 1" he brenthed with nn unpleasant resemblance to n bon vl vnnt who'sees before hlni Ills fnvorlte vintage. "I" hnve been expecting Mr. Ogllvy to cnll for quite n while. Show him In." 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