Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-02-23

right here ole Man Terrill's dead
Nothin' will bring him back, an you
might as well git the good Nv the mon,
ey. It's Slim Hoover's, anyhow. IT /
Jack Payson can marry yer brother
Dicks gal on Dicks money-fer there's
no hope Nv stoppin' that now-you can
cut Slim out with Polly on Sims sal
airy. Aw, take the money! And Nc
lee pressed half of the bills into Buds |
lax fingers.
The young mans hand closed upon
them mechanically. A vague thought !
that he might some day make restitu-
ton conspired with McKee's insidious
appeal to his hatred and jealousy to
induce him to retain the blood money,
and he thrust it within an inside
pocket of his loose wa0tcoat.
"Now," said Mckee, thoroughly sat
fsfied that he had involved Bud in the
crime too deeply for him to confess his
share in it, well shake hands an
say 'Adois' Slim Hoovers probably
on our track by this time but l reck
on he'll be some mixed in the trail
around the mesa an give the job up
as a bad one when he reaches the riv-
er. I'll show up on the Lazy X, where
the whole outfit will swear I've been
fer two days if Hoover picks on me as
one Nv the men he's been follerin'.
You're safe. Nobody d put killel' any
body on to you, let alone yer ole
frien' Terrill. Why, you amt man
yet, Bud, though don't say it to dis
currudge you. You've made a start,
an some day you won't think no
moren me Nv KILN Teller what
STAINS in yer way. l shouldn't be so
turribly surprised if Jack Payson got
what's comm to him some day. But
what have you got there. Bud?" he in
quired as he saw the young man hold
ing letter he had withdrawn from
the pocket into which he had put the
bills.
Letter 1 got in Florence yesterday
when | was too full to read it," said
Bud He opened it. Why, it's from
Polly" he exclaimed. it, an invite
by God. it's an invite to Jack and
Echo's wedding! It's tomorrow! The
scoundrel has hurried the thing up for
fear Dick will get back in time to stop
it! Buck Mckee, believe you're
right! could kill Jack Payson with
no more pity than l would a RATHER or
ella monsters"
At this exhibition of hatred by his
companion new thought flashed sud
denly through the Satanic mind of the
half breed 1t involved an entire
change of his plans, but the devilish
I daring of the conception was irresist
! BILE.
SAY" he broke in, with seeming IT.
! relevarce don't Payson ride pacin'
/! mare?"
! "Yes," answered Bud. "What Of it,"
: "Oh. nothin'," said Mckee. at jes'
/ struck me as sorter funny-Payson an
4 pacin', don't you see
Bud was mystified. Had his COM
] panion gone daft?
4 Mckee saw instantly that 1t would
be very easy to fix the charge of muir
dering the station agent upon Payson.
(! The ranchman had evidently left the
: station a short time before the MUIR
/; der and had gone straight south to
the Sweetwater. Unless it had become
! confused with their own tracks the
!; trail! would be a plain one owing to
the fact that it was made by pacing
+. horse, and the pursuit would undoubt-
eddy follow this.
Payson rode the only pacing horse
/ In the Sweetwater and Bar One out
1 fits, and 1t was certain to come to
light from Terril's receipts that he
had been with the agent about the
4 time of the killing. The motive for
the robbery would be evident. Pay.
r son was in need Of $4,000 to pay of
!. the mortgage on his ranch.
Mckee said to Bud: 1--WE changed
> my mind. / think I'll see little fur
before l break fer Texas I'll go will
n! you to the weddin'."
!, "But you have had no invite" OBJ
!" jected Bud.
$ "Oh, reckon they'll take me along
ON yers! l know too much fer Pay
J. son to objeck to me too strenuous"
II They rode up to Allen Hacienda
l. shortly after Slim Hoover had arriv
+. ed They could hear the merrimen
j. Of the wedding guests in the kitchen
Loud laughter was punctuated by TIT
h popping of corks, and Mckee, VIII
y, rode in advance of Bud, distinguished
a the voice of the sheriff in eXpostula
e ton against the general raillery con
centrated upon him.
ly The half breed grinned woltiShly.
le was evident that the bloodhound o
!" the law had tracked the supposed muI
derer just as the real criminal ha
k conjectured and desired.
s. Polly ran out on the piazza. Sh
if saw the man whom she regarded a
N her lovers evil genius. AS he greete
III her overwhelmingly, "Howdy, Miss Pc
T. ly?" she replied sharply:
you amt got no invite to this wee
II. dim"
is 81 come with my friend Bud" he e,
IN planned, with an elaborate bow.
f. ~ didn't see you, Bud" answere
e. Polly. slightly Modified, as she crosse
the dooryard to shake hands with be
1T sweetheart Buck offered her hi
k. hand, but she ignored him. McKe
ss shrugged his shoulders and started fl
in the house
IS. "Bud, he's some cast down becaus
W, it's not his weddin'," was Mckee
ne parting shot at the young couple.
low I'll go in an join the boys e
~ cuse me-"
to with pleasure" coldly replied Il
*, girl.
IN. u,bo holf hrao1 ;rnora5 tho oroao,