The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-04-18

men secured the woods and roads,
and then this activity quite unpro-
ductive of any tangible results ceased,
matters were allowed to rest with the
constituted authorities, namely Mr..
Belts. the sheriff, and his deputies.
No private citizen had shown
greater zeal than Judge Slocum Price.
One morning he found under his door
a folded paper:
"You talk too much. Shut up, or
you'll go where Norton went"
A few moments later he burst in
on Mr.. Saul.
"Glance at that, my friend!" he
cried, as he tossed the paper on the
clerks desk. what do you make OF
it, sir?"
well, I'd keep STILL"
The Judge laughed derisively az he
bowed himself out.
He established himself In his Of
fee. He had scarcely done so when
Mr.. Belts knocked at the door. The
sheriff came direct from Mr.. Saul and
arrived out of breath, but the letter
was not mentioned by the judge. He
spoke of the crops, the chance OF
rain, and the intricacies OF county
politics. The sheriff withdrew mysti-
fed, wondering why 1t was he had
not felt at liberty to breach the sub
ject which was uppermost In his
mind.
His place was taken by Mr.. Pegloe
and on the heels of the tavern-keeper
came Mr.. Bowen. Judge Price re-
ceived them with condescension, but
back of the condescension was an air
of reserve that did not invite Ques-
lions. The judge discussed the extern
sion of the national roads with Mr..
Pegloe, and the religion of the Per-
sian fire-worshipers with Mr.. Bowen;
he permitted never pause and they
retired as the sheriff had done with
out sight OF the letter.
The judges Office became a per-
feet Mecca for the idle and the curl
Gus, and while he overflowed with
high.bred courtesy he had never
seemed so unapproachable-never so
remote from matters of local and con-
temporary interest
"Why don't you show 'em the let
ter?" demanded Mr.. Mahaffy, when
they were alone. Cant you see they
are suffering for sight of it?'
"All In good time, Solomon" He
became thoughtful. Solomon, I am
thinking of Offering reward for any
information that will lead to the dis
covery of my anonymous correspond
ent," he at length observed with a
finely casual air, as If the idea had
Just occurred to him, and had not
been seething in his brain all day.
There you 60, Price, began Ma
haffy.
Solomon, this is no time for me to
hang back. l shall offer a reward OF
five thousand dollars for this informa-
tion." The judges tone was resolute.
Eyes, sir, shall make the figure COM
mensurate with the poignant grief /
feel. He was my friend and client"
The next morning 1t was discovered
that some time during the night the
Judge had tackled his anonymous COM
munication on the court house door;
just below 1t was another sheet OF pa
per covered with bold script:
ITO Whom It May Concern:
Judge Slocum Price assumes that
the above was intended for him since
he found it under his Office door on
the morning of the twenty-tifth inst.
Judge Price begs leave to state 1t
as his unqualified conviction that the
writer is a coward and cur, and
offers a reward of five thousand dol
lars for any information that will lead
to his Identification"
Tom Ware was seated alone over
his breakfast. He had left his bed
as the pale morning light crept across
the great fields that were alike his
pride and his despair-what was the
use of trying to sleep when sleep was
an impossibility! He was about to
quit the table when big Steve en-
tered the room to say there was a
white fellow at the door.
Fetch him along in here" said
Ware.
The white fellow delivered q PEN
ciled note from Murrell. When he
was gone, the planter ordered his
horse.
As Ware rode away from Belle
Plain he cursed Murrell under his
breath. His own inclination toward
evil was never robust; he could have
connived over a long period of years
to despoil Betty of her property, but
murder and abduction was quite an
other thing:
Three miles from Belle Plain he en-
tered a bride path that led toward
the river A growth of small timber
was standing along the waters edge,
but as he drew nearer, those better
ments which the y resident of that
lonely spot had seen fit to make for
his own convenience, came under his
scrutiny; these consisted Of, log
cabin and several lesser sheds.