The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-05-25
CHAPTER XVI,

The news OF Charley Norton's muir.
der spread quickly over the county.
For two or three days bands OF armed
men secured the woods and roads,
and then this activity quite unpro-
ductive of any tangible results ceased,
matters were allowed to rest with tho
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
1t. sir?"
well, I'd keep STILL"
The Judge laughed derisively as 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.
fied, wondering why 1t was he had
not felt at liberty to broach 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.
tions. The Judge discussed the exten.
sion of the national roads with MIR.
Pegloe, and the religion of the Per.
sian f1re-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 q per-
feet Mecca for the idle and the curl.
Gus, and while he overfiowed with
high-bred courtesy he had never
seemed 80 pproachable-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 o. it?'
"All in good time. Solomon" He
became thoughtful Solomon, l am
thinking of offering a reward for any
information that will lead to the dis
covery OF my anonymous correspond.
ent," ne at length observed with
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. shall offer a reward OF
five thousand dollars for this informa.
ton" The judges tone was resolute.
Yes, sir, shall make the figure COM
mensurate with the poignant grief /
feel. He was my friend and client"
The next morning it 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 hold script:
"To Whom 1t May Concern:
Judge Slocum Price assumes chat
the above was intended for him since
he found 1t under his office door on
the morning Of the twenty-tifth inst.
Judge Price begs leave to state II
as his unqualified conviction that the
writer Is q coward and q 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
white fellow at the door.
Fetch him along in here" said
Ware
The white fellow delivered pen.
ciled note from Nurrel. 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 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-.