3
CHAPTER XXIX
Spalding's Return
Spiers’ tired horses went
•lowly, and now the strain was
over Lawrenee felt that all was
flat. The night was cold, his
clothes were wet, and he was
dull with fatigue. He hated to
think he must soon resume his
labor in the harvest field, but the
thrashers would not wait and the
noisy mill must be supplied.
Although his party had per
haps saved the homestead, Law
renee reflected dry humor that
their return was not at all trium
phant. In fact, he did not think
the others knew they went. The
Ogilvies were not a hospitable
lot, and Lawrence doubted if the
old fellow bad bothered to thank
Spiers. lie certainly had not
thanked him, and when the fire
Was conquered the party, so to
•peak, stole away. Well, Law
rence had not reckoned on much
gratitude, and Margaret had
carried the magazine. In the
smoke and raining sparks she
had nohlv seen him out. Her
pride to some extent perhaps ac
counted for her rashness, but
Lawrence imagined it did not ac
count for all.
Where they cut the Fuirholm
trail Spiers stopped his team, and
the hired men pot down, but he
idid not let Lawrence po.
■“After my rather unusual ef
forts, l cannot relax, and al
though I’m cold and tired, I
don’t want to go to bod,” he
•aid. “If you feel you cannot
•loop, come on over to my place
end Helen will give us some cof
fee I'd like to show you a let
ter T got from a grain broker at
Winnipeg.”
Lawrence agreed, and by and
by a window glimmered in the
dark. Helen, with some surprise,
remarked the dull illumination.
“It’s queer,” she said. “Some
body is carrying about the small |
hand lamp.”
After a few moments the light
vanished, and when Spiers took
the homestead trail Mrs. Heath
crossed the field.
“A stranger got down an horn
back, and tied his horse,’’ she
said, “lie wouldn’t tell me who
he was, but he lighted his pipe
and said he’d wait. As you
wasn’t expecting anybody, I
thought 1 wouldn’t go to bed.”
Spiers sent off Heath with the
horses, and the others went to
the house. When they were at
the door somebody asked:
“Who’s with you, Geoff?”
“My wife and Lawrence
Elliott.”
“Then you can come right
in.” the other replied.
“Thanks! I believe the house
is mine,” said Spiers, and get
ting a light, exclaimed, “Spald
ing!”
Spalding shut a window at the
back and gave Helen an apolo
getic smile.
l •* •* V 1 li 1 1
iuu mt, 1 uasscn t i<ihF
chances, ma’am, and mr horse is
saddled. He has carried me 30
miles since sundown. T reckoned
you’d sooner I came along in the
dark.”
“The plan has some advan
tages, Tom,” Spiers agreed.
“However, to begin with, we’ll
put your horse in the stable.”
They went off and ffolen
frowned.
“It’s too bad, Larryl We
risked something for the man be
fore, and now we're winning out,
I wish he’d left Geoff alone!”
She rather impatiently put
the kettle on the stove and got
tt/aie plates and cups. After a
o few minutes the others cuifte
back and Lawrence studied
Spalding. The fellow’s clothes
were good, he ivas fatter, ami
bin pinched, hunted look was
gone. In fact, although he had
used caution. Lawrence sensed
returning confidence. Helen
gave them coffee and slabs of
frlwn Ubw,
from tlie Indianapolo News
60 diversified turn private industry
become that prison labor Iuu few
outlets for Its product* In commer
cial markets, if U is to avoid comm*
into competition with commodities
made outside penal iiulltutlons The
broad principle that free workmen
arc entitled to <otuideratlon in dr
term Inina (he use of convict man
power U accepted tnii-raily and to
valid but thl* dor* not obscure the
fact that to permit imprisoned per
sona to spend their urn* tn mm
paratlv* It! true** to a detriment both
in them and society. To inculcate
habit* at Industry to to etuourad*
0
cold pie, and Spalding began to
narrate his adventures.
“When I got across to Dakota
I hit a job at a liverystable. The
boss was pretty good sort, and
although the settlement wasn't
a long ways from the frontier,
I reckoned I’d stay. You see, if
the police made good a claim for
extradition, they’d get me any
how. Besides, if I was near the
boundary, I might get some
news. W’hen I quit, the red coat
boys had not found Hart.”
“Nobody has yet done so,”
Spiers remarked.
“Sure they have not,” said
Spalding with a smile. “Now
I’ll tell you something! Hart
isn’t dead. He was at the
livery stable three or four days
ago!”
“By George!” said Spiers,
and although Helen said nothing,
her relief was obvious.
Spalding turned and gave her
a deprecating glance. “Now
you see why I bothered you this
time, ma’am. I had to get going,
and my friends are roughnecks
nkp me. i ney u loan me a norse
and cover my tracks, but that’s
not all I want. Well, your hus
band is sure a sport and Mr.
Elliot’s his partner. When you
got to think up a touch proposi
tion you can bet on Larry.’’
Lawrence thought Helen’s face
wen. red and he frowned. Spiers
laughed.
“Comparisons are embarrass
ing. Suppose you go ahead?”
Spalding resumed his narra
tive. When he cleaned some
harness one evening two
strangers arrived at the livery
stable and ordered a team to go
back three or four miles for their
ear. The trail was sandy and at
a steep pitch she took the bank
and something broke.
Lawrence nodded. Cars were
not yet much used on the plains,
and he knew prairie trails that
bothered a good team. Spalding
said the strangers were annoyed
about it and one told the livery
man they had planned a trip to
Canada. His voice puzzle!
Spalding, who imagined he had
heard it before, but he was some
distance off and when the boss
called him the fellow had gone
to the hotel, Spalding harnessed
a team and he and the other
went for the car.
While his companion experi
mented with the engine lie saw
some small illustrated folders
on the seat and lie picked up one.
The Pamphlet stated that a live
man willing to invest $1,000
could soon get rich by speculat
ing in a Canadian farm.
“We know the stuff,” Spiers
observed. “The Canadian North
west is not yet a farmer’s para
dise, and when you eannot pay
the interest the land company
takes hack the mortgaged block;
but I imagine the Dakota men
do not expect too much. The
American farmer carries a heavv
load.”
Lawrenep agreed and lighted a
eigaret. He was not bored by
the particulars Spalding rather
generously rainer generously
supplied. As a rule, emigration
is from Panada to the United
States, but sometimes a sort of
reflux from Dakota and Montana
flows aeross the fertile prairie
belt, and American settlors had
begun to buy Canadian farms.
Lawrence knew one or two;
hard, sternly frugal men. whose
wives were worn hv household
eares. Spalding’s eompanion was
obviously a real estate speculator
nnd perhaps thought to work up
a boom.
“Go on. Tom.” he said. “I
expect you made some inquiries
about the fellows!”
Spalding had done so. The real
estate house was a pretty good
house and the hotelkeeper reck
oned they were putting through
n big deal in Manitoba, One
fellow was very mnd because
I they might he forced to use a
I reform and to b?prfu the people by
reducing a drain on the pubUc treas
ury for penal purposes
The Indiana law, subl, ct to several
restrictions. permits th • state refor
matory stair prison ar4 state farm
to manufacture article' and dispoae
of lurptuses not requit'd for use by
the ln*Uiuttona thrmsr.r**. One of
tli# nuerpruw'* of th* state farm u
the manufacture of md floral bas
kets When it was star d the under
| standing was that no ; mat# manu
larmier of the product existed in
1 tut.ana but a cotnpsu., la now in the
field and bat brought utt at tireen
• r t4. enj-sn state t 'irtty of that
sort The rontemkn u that the
team; it looked as if lie did not
want to remain across the
boundary long. Anyhow, he had
ordered the blacksmith to bust
the blasted machine if he could
not make her go.
Spalding’s curiosity was ex
cited. but the real estate men en
tertained some farmers in their
room and he was forced to wait.
All the same, he found out where
they were going first, and at
length the mended ear rattled
noisely up the street. Spalding
was then at the pool room, and
he ran for the hotel. The night
was rather dark and when lie
was 50 yards off, the strangers
got in the ear. A beam from the
lamps touched one's face, and
Spalding pushed savagely
through the group at the steps.
The fellow was Hart.
He did not know if Hart saw
him, but the ear went ahead.
Somebody pulled Spalding back
and he was left to storm in tlv?
tossing dust. Now he asked
Spiers to picture his emotions
Hart certainly was not dead.
The brute had cheated him and
sold his farm, and afterwards
used their fight to help him make
his getaway; Spalding began to
think somebody in Canada, a
creditor perhaps, was on the
blrjned hog’s track, which might
explain his unwillingness to he
long on British soil. For all that,
he was going to exploit some
suckers who wanted to sell land,
and very possibly to rob the
ivmerjt'Hn real esiaip Mouse.
The livery stable keeper was a
good sort, and when Spalding
gave him his confidence he
loaned him a horse. Tn Canada
Spalding sent back the animal
and borrowed another, on which
he started for Pine Creek. ITc
did not know what he ought to
do, but lie reckoned Lawrence
might put him wise. For one
thing. Hart did not use his
proper name and was a clever
crook. Suppose he did rob his
American partners and vanished
another time? The police might
not believe Spalding’s romantic
tale; all they would have to go
upon was his statement that the
land agent was Hart. In fact,
Hart must not be allowed to re
cross the frontier.
Well, the others knew all
Spalding knew, and be was very
tired. In the morning Lawrence
might think up a plan. Spiers
fixed a bod for him with the har
vesters, and when he returned to
the house lighted his pipe.
“We are very tired, but the
gang starts at daybreak apd to
keep the mill supplied will oc
cupy all my thinking powers.
We ought perhaps to arrange our
program before we go to bed.
What are you going to do about
it, Larry?”
“So far, I don’t sec much
farther than Spalding sees,”
Lawrence replied. “To begin
with, T believe Hart is a crook,
and it’s very possible he had an
object for vanishing, although
nothing indicates whom he
feared. There’s another thing
that supports Spalding’s sur
mise; when ITart thought he
could not use the ear he was
savagely annoyed. Since he was
keen to travel fast, the implica
tion is, for him to stay long in
Canada might be dangerous.
Well, when he recrosses the
frontier, to get on his track
might baffle us, and in the mean
time the police want Spalding.
Hr _A* • _ ...AA A 1
iU » IIUIH'II 1^, » t. t I V IU mill
the man Hart is afraid to moot.”
TTolon looked up and her eyes
sparkled.
“I believe T know— Not Ion?
after the hailstorm. Ogilvio came
aeross and talked about Geoff's
lending somebody a horse. He
tried to bully me, but I said
nothing about Spalding and at
length he asked if Hart had got
the horse. T told him I hated the
brute, I lhink he believed me,
for lie went. T thought it ipieer.
but now I begin to see a light.
Ogilvie did not mind if Spalding
escaped; lie wanted Hart and
doubted if be was dead.”
“By George!” said Spiers.
“You have solved another puzzle.
All the same, our line is not
yet very obvious.”
“Perhaps yours is not.” Helen
rejoined with a smile. “In the
morning I’ll go over to Ogilvie’*.
If Hart 1# in Cnnndn, I think the
state farm does not require reed
floral baskets tn it* conduct. and
that, therefore, thev are twun made
for commercial trade ah nr. In viola
tion of the law.
What the merit* of the row plaint
are we do not know The latr r as
pect* of the altuation are c!ea> how
ever. An outlet for prison labor U
not only desirable but tmpera ire. If
the general welfare la to be ad
vanced We do not purpose to say
In what direction It can be found
without encroaching on other legiti
mate interests, both tn the *ay of
free labor and capital invr iment
Penologists thrmaetvf* hold « Jfertng
new*. Troublesome and dlff ult a*
old fellow will find him.”
Lawrence got up. “Since yoa
are going to help us, I mustn't
meddle, and now 1 think about
it, I ought to get home.”
They let him go and he lan
guidly crossed the harvest field.
The long rows of stooks were
melting, and when he reached
the high wheat bin he stopped.
He was worse tired than he had
thought, and when he sat down
the straw was soft. For a few
minutes he would weigh Spald
ing’s narrative ami Helen’s con
clusions.
To begin with, he had rather
vaguely felt that the small
farmer's independence was
threatened. When lie arrived
Fairholm was mortgaged, Spald
ing’s farm was sold, and Hart
had meant to seize l’ine Creek.
Moreover, Lawrence knew
others. . . . Methods were
changing and pluck and muscle
could not compete with gasolene
and steel. To use modern ma
chines. however, implied the sup
port of a good bank roll. In
fact, it might imply the con
solidation of capital and central
management. But Lawrence’s
brain was dull and he had
pondered something like this be
fore. He did not want to in
dulge in abstract speculations
about agricultural economy.
The important thing was, the
new forces gave the rich man
fresh power, uml it looked as if
unninhnilv h:wl iihmmwl to lISft the
*
power for his neighbors’ ini
poverishment. Well, llart was
greedy and unscrupulous, but
Lawrence doubted if he had the
talent and imagination as big
consolidation scheme required.
Yet he might be an agent, em
ployed by another who plotted to
crush the small men and seize
their land. Lawrence’s back was
sinking in the straw and his head
bent, but he suddenly braced up.
Mrs. Spiers had solved the puzzle
that had baffled him for long.
Margaret’s father was the man!
Well, nature had beaten the
plotter; the noble harvest had
broken his power and given his
victims freedom. Although they
had pinched and sweated, now
they triumphed.
But Margaret was Ogilvie’s
daughter and she was loyal.
Lawrence began to see her pride
sprang from humiliation. She
doubted her father and was
ashamed from him. Her lover’s
business was to give her liberty
and break the old fellow’s domi
nation. Well, when Lawrence
knew he had made good, he
would try to do so.
CHAPTER XXX
The Loser Says
In the morning Helen went
to Ogilvic’s and waited for some
time on the shady porch. Ogil
vie was in the field, but Margaret
sent for him, and at length he
arrived. Although Helen im
agined him unwilling to be dis
turbed, his look was inscrutable
and hers was not at all apolo
getic.
“I have got about 10 minutes,
ma’am,” he said.
“Thank you,” said Helen tran
quilly. “Then minutes is enough;
but I doubt if you will go back
to your harvesters afterward.
Well, some time since you asked
if my husband lent Hart a horse.
It looked as if you knew he was
not dead. Let’s be frank. Did
it 1 A 9 9
you rtuiiiy miuw i
Ogilvie knitted his brows, but
ho did not. hesitate.
“Spalding stopped TTart hv
the bridge, and it’s pretty ob
vious he thought he knocked him
out. I allow I was not quite
sure.”
“Perhaps you had some
grounds to doubt!”
“Suppose you go ahead; I’ll
wait.” said Ogilvie dryly.
“Then, you imagined Hart
might he willing for you to think
him dead? In fact, the fight gave
him the chance he wanted to
steal away?”
“You are clover, ma’am. One
begins to see why Spiers makes
good,” Ogilvie remarked.
Helen’s .color rose. “Geoffrey
is a hotter farmer than vou im
agine. hut I wnnt to talk about
something else. Hart was afraid I
ofytwf** _
(TO UK CONTINUED)
the issue U, the time Is fast anpro9',h
Ing v.hrn a etc r out and u ..alta ad
justment ta essential. Prison* were
no*, built to encourage loafing.
Were I Ike It.
From Puss'll* Show. I.imtin.
**Oh. mother, may I go to the mas
querade tomorrow an a milkmaid f
‘ No. you are too small -
"Then may 1 go as a condensed
milkmaid?"
• • —-u*g
Indefinite.
From the Il.^iun Transcript
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