The Lamar register., 1912-06-12
CHAPTER XVI.

Tho Judge offsrs q Reward.
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 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
q 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
II. sir?"
well, I'd keep still"
The Judge laughed dsrisively ~ ne
bowed himself out.
He established himself in his Of
nee. He had scarcely done 20 whom
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-
ned. wondering why II was he had
not felt at liberty to breach the sub
ject which was uppermost In his
mind.
His place was taken BY Mr.. Pegios
and on the heels OF the tavern-keepsr
came Mr.. Bowen. Judge Price re-
csived them with condescension. but
back of the condescension was an air
Of reserve that did not invite Ques-
tons. 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 a. the sheriff had done with
out sight Of the letter.
The judges once became . per-
feet Mecca for the idle and the curl
Gus, and while he overlooked with
hish-bred courtesy he had never
seemed 20 unapproschable- 20
remote from matters Of local and con-
temporary interest.
why don't you show 'em the let
teri" demanded Mr.. Mahany. when
they were alone. Cant you see they
are suffering for q sight OF itr''
An in good time. Solomon" He
became thoughtful. Solomon. 1 am
thinking OF Offering q reward for any
Information that will lead to the dis
covery Of my anonymous correspond
emit" he at length observed with q
finely casual air. as II the idea had
Just occurred to him, and had not
been seething in his brain all day.
There you go. Price" began Ma
hairy.
Solomon. this is no time for me to
hang back. l shall offer q reward Of
nvs thousand dollars for this informa
ton" The judges tone was resolute
yes. sir. l 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 It was another sheet Of Pc
per covered with bold script:
ITO Whom It May Concern:
Judge 6locum Price assumes thai
the above was intended for him since
he found It under his once door OF
the morning Of the twenty-ffth inst.
5 Judge Price begs leave to state II
~ his unqualified conviction that the
writer 10 . coward and q cur, anc
Offers . reward Of I'VE thousand dol
lars for any information that will leat
to his Identification"
Tom Ware was seated alone 0vel
his breakfast. He had left his bee
a. the pale morning light crept across
the great fields that were alike hi
prSdo and hia doapafr-What VA tn