The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-10-20

CHAPTER XVI.
lContInuedD.

young Charley Norton out at Ihlcket
Point Plantation
The house Mr.. Pegloe pointed out
was "A small frame building; IL stood
directly on the street with a narrow
porch across the front, and a shed ad-
dition al the back The Judge scut-
tied over TO 1t. The judges pulse
quickened. What location, ana
what a fortunate chance that Mr..
Norton was the owner OF this most
desirable tenement He must see
him at once. AS ne turned away TO
recross the street and learn from Mr..
Pegloe by what road Thicket Point
might be req he'd, Norton himself gal
loped into tie village Catching sight
OF the Judge. he reined in his horse
and swung himself from the saddle.
Il was hoping, sir, ! might lind
you" he said.
"A wish | should have echoed had
] been aware of it," responded the
Judge, Il was about to do myself
the honor to wait upon you at your
plantation"
Then | have saved you long
walk" said Norton. He surveyed the
Judge rather obviously, but listened
with kindness as he explained the
( business that would have taken him
10 Thicket Point
THE house is quite at your SER
vice, sir" he said, at length.
! The rent" began the judge.
But Mr. Norton, with a delicacy
equal TO his own, entreated him not
/ TO mention the rent. The house had
i come to him as boot in a trade. Ii
/ had been occupied by a doctor and q
lawyer: these gentlemen had each
decamped between two days, heavily
Z In debt at the stores and taverns,
especially the taverns. And thus
! handsomely did Charley Norton nc
quit himself Of the mission he had
undertaken at Betty Malroys request
That same morning Tom Ware and
CAPTAIN Murrell were seated in the
small detached building at Belle Plain,
known as the Office. where the former
spent most OF his time when not In
The saddle.
$50 Your sister doesn't like me,
Tom-that's on your mind this morn
inc. is it," Murrell was saying.
Make il worth my while and LII
take her off your hands and Muir
rell laughed.
Tom favored him with a sullen
stare.
There was brief silence, during
which Murrell studied his friends
/ face When he spoke, il was to give
/ The conversation new direction
Did she bring the boy here ias'
night? I saw you drive on with MIN
/ i'm the carriage"
Eyes. she makes regular pet OF
the little ragamufiin.'
! lis the boy going to stay at Belle
Plain?" inquired Murren.
THAT notion hasn't struck her yet
for I heard her say at breakfast ina
! she'd take him to Raleigh this AFTER
noon" -.
That's the boy I Travelled all the
way 10 North Carolina TO get Tor zen
/ tress"
"Eh-you don't say" cried Ware.
Tom what do you know about the
! Ouintard lands: what do you know
about Quintard himself? continued
Murrell :,
.He was a rich planter; lived IN
North Carolina. My father met MIN
when he was In congress and got MIN
| IN invest In land here. They mac
some colonization scheme on foot
! this was upward of twenty years age
but nothing came, of it. Quintarc
lost interest
And the land?"
"Oh. he held on TO that"
"Ouintard has been dead two years
Tom. and back yonder in North Caro-
lima they told me he left nothing bu'
the home plantation. The boy lived
there ND TO the time of Quintard'
death. but what relation he was &c
the old man no one knew. Onhand
Tom, I'd say that by getting holo
of the boy Fentress expects to ge'
hold Of the Quintard land.
That's likely" said Ware; ther
struck by a sudden idea, he added
Are YOU going 10 take all the rlsk'
and let him pocket the cash? II ~
the land he's after the stakes DIS
enough to divide"
"He can have the whole thing an'
welcome, Pm playing for bigger
stake" His friend stared at him II
establishment. I'm licking specu
lation into shape that will cause me
IN no remembered while there's
white wan alive in Mississippi val
lev, Have you. heard what the mig
gers did at Hayti?'
"You let the niggers alone don
Won tamper with them" said ware
! lie assessed profound behef y
Nurrell's capacity He knew how th'
latter had shaped the uneasy popula
tion that foregathered on the edge o
civilization 10 his own ends. and tina
F., what ne had christened the clan ha'
hecome an elaborate organization, dls
\ cinlined and flexible TO his ruthless
will
81 ook here. what do you think
have been working for--to steal
Tow niggers? That furnishes us VIII
money but you can push the trad'
too hard and too far. The planters
are uneasy. The Clans got TO dea
counter blow or 20 out OF business
Between here and the gulf HI
made a wide sweeping gesture witt
his arm. Il am spo:ting the countr
with my men; there are two thou
sand active workers on the rolls o
the Clan. and az many more like yor
Toln-and Fcntrcss-on whose FRIEND
shir can rely"
Sure as God, John MuTrell, yo
are overreaching yourself, You
white men are all right. they've 80
TO stick by you, If they don't the
know it's only a question OF time VI
7 a ~