The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-01-16


brace up an take yer medicine
straight
But | didn't want to take the mon
ey for myself" replied Bud as if to
soothe his conscience. "Oh, Buck,
why didn't you let me alone?" he con-
tinued as the thought of his position
| again overwhelmed him.
| Buck gasped at the shifting of the
full blame upon his shoulders.
We'll, I'll be darned!" he muttered
"Iou make me sick, kid His voice
rose in anger and disgust. why, to
| hear you talk one would think you
wuz the only one had right feelin's.
I'm goin' to take my share an start
| a decent life. I'm goin' back to Texas
an open Il saloon. You take yer
| half. marry yer gal an settle down
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. If
Jack Payson can marry yer brother
Dicks gal Oh 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
| Kee 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 waistcoat.
Now" said Mckee. thoroughly sat
| isfied that he had involved Bud in the
share in it. well shake hands an
say 'Adois.' Slim Hoovers probably
on our track by this time, but / reck-
! on he'll be some mixed in the trail
| around the mesa an give the job up
as 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 KILN any
body on to you, let alone yer ole
frien' Terrill. Why. you amt man
| currudge you. You've made start.
an some day you won't think no
more'n me Nv KILN a 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ing a letter he had withdrawn from
the pocket into which he had put the
bills.
Letter l got in Florence yesterday
when | was too full to read it." said
Bud. He opened it. why. it's from
Polly he exclaimed. ITS 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 would RATHER or
ella monster
At this exhibition Of hatred by his
companion a new thought flashed sud
denly through the Satanic mind of the
half breed. 1t involved an entire
/ change Of his plans, but the devilish
daring Of the conception was irresisti-
BILE.
"Say," he broke in, with seeming ir
relevarce. don't Payson ride pacin'
mare?'
Eyes" answered Bud. what of it,"
"Oh, nothin'," said Mckee at jes'
struck me as sorter funny-Payson an
pacin'. don't you see''-
Bud was mystifed. Had his COM
panion gone daft?
Mckee saw instantly that II 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 plain one owing to
the fact that it was made by pacing
horse, ard the pursuit would undoubt-
edly follow this.
| Payson rode the only pacing horse
in the Sweetwater and Bar One out
| fits, and it was certain to come to
| light from Terrill's receipts that he
had been with the agent about the
time of the killing. The motive for
| the robbery would be evident. Pay
son was in need of $4,000 to pay off
the mortgage on his ranch.
Mckee said to Bud: I've changed
my mind. think I'll see little fun
before | break fer Texas. I'll go with
you to the weddin'."
But you have had no invite" OBJ
jected Bud.
"Oh, l reckon they'll take me along
on yers! / know too much fer Pay
son to objeck to NE too strenuous"
They rode up to Allen Hacienda
shortly after Slim Hoover had arriv-
ed. They could hear the merriment
Of the wedding guests in the kitchen.
Loud laughter was punctuated by the