The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1917-04-12
THE JUDGES CATCH"
BY OLIVER GRAY.

he could sit hour In and hour out, day
In and day out, week I'm and week out.
without getting a single strickland
without losing his patience.
His thoughts were drifting like the
white clouds In the blue sky reflected
In the water. "Any fellow Is a fool
who goes to a summer resort. It's nice
TO be free! If a fellow was married
he'd have to go where the family want
ed. Look at poor Willis. dragged away
like a lamb to the slaughter. He didn't
want to go to the mountains any more
than l want to 60 TO the bad place.
That's what he gets for getting mar
ried." Suddenly he felt a pull on his
line. He reeled In slowly, very slowly.
IT'S a big bass, I'll bet" he exulted.
But to his surprise he hauled in not
a bass but a pocketbook. 1t was n
long, fiat purse Of patent leather with
fiat plates Of silver at each end and a
silver clasp. He turned it over
thoughtfully. Wet and soggy as 1t
was, It had not lost it's identity and 1t
was coming to him slowly that he had
seen that same purse before.
"Of course" he argued. cher name
and address are inside and it's ridicu-
lous for me to waste time guessing.
But there's something about that purse
that brings back--I have it. 1t was
the case Of the Crockett heirs and the
whole family connection was in court.
Cha MORA IorGy h1rn onI hn1 cn,t nf
copper-colored hair and deep blue eyes
and she dropped this pocketbook three
times, and every time young Skillings
picked 1t up for her she blushed as red
ms her hair. Pretty girl! She wa
afraid Of me, I remember. Wouldn't
look at me at all. Thought I'd bite
her head off I guess. Come to think
Of it I lost some sleep over those eyes
for several days. If I were like Willis
and hadn't the sense to keep my head
[ might be married to them by this
time.
"Tll just open it to make sure 1t be-
longs to her" But the first thing he
pulled out was a newspaper clipping
vet and d%iscolored, but nevertheless
perfectly decipherable. In the center
vas his own photograph! On the mar
yin was written in ink, "The p~eachiest
thing you ever saw. Only about thir-
ty. Dream of him every night. Sorry
when the case is over"
Shades of Izaac Walton! The fish
were forgotten.
He gathered up his tackle and poles,
picked up his oars and rowed down
liver to the landing and thence went
lfoot across fields to his farmhouse.
"Mr. Elder. l found a pocketbook to-
lay with a Miss Eileen Porter's card
II it. You don't happen to know her
10 your"
"No, / don't believe I do. Nobody
round this neighborhood by that
m Must be-Oh, l know; she's like
Y one of those city girls who visited
he Kramers. They have a summer
lone here on the hill, but they're away
low."
"All right" answered the Judge, cas-
ally. "Ill hunt up her address In the
H. III L 81 IoIiC ulu SVhu II W
Ter. BY the way. Mrs. Elder, I've had
;ome important mail today. l must go
home for a while at least"
The city was hot. dusty and noisy,
unbearable after the cool, fragrant
luiet of the country. The judge did
not go home. He left his bags at a
lotel and took a taxi for Howard ave-
aue, the address on Miss POrter's card.
Sut the house was deserted. Then he
called up the editor Of a society paper
and found that the Porters had gone
to Pinehaven In the mountains. That's
where Willis is" thought the judge.
Must be some place."
So he took the first train to Pineha-
ven and arrived at the hotel at nine.
BY ten he was shaved, bathed and
dressed for the dance downstairs.
Willis found him at once. "You old
log! Got tired Of sitting in a lonely
old boat all day, didn't you? r told
Molly I'd get you yet. This is a cork
ing place. Wait till you see the golf
c~ourse-and the girls!"
The Judge stood 1t as long as he
could, then he hunted up the girl. When
ne saw her his heart gave a great jump
and he cursed himself for a tardy fool.
Perhaps he was too late. Those eyes!
And that hair!
There was a moon, so they cut the
dance and went out. The mountains
With the sharp outline Of the pines
against the sky were wonderful.
at doesn't seem as if ! had been fish.
ing OF a lonely river two hundred miles
away from here at noon today"
"How interesting! Did you catch
anythingT'
Yes, this" He gave her the purse,
still damp and flabby.
"Why, it's mine! l dropped it out of
4 boat over a month ago. There really
isn't much Of value in it. Only a"
she stopped suddenly.
"Only a" he suggested.
Nothing"