The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-11

broken jug. He showed his mother
the raw wound in his hair. He said
the blow had rendered him uncon-
scious. After he had come to he had
returned home
while he was telling his ma all
this" Alice said, MRS. Mullarly came
over from her house next door.
She had face-ache and tooth-ache
and had run over to see if Mrs. Dun
Mike Mullarky was in bed and drunk
and wouldn't go down to the saloon
for a swig or two of whisky-her ia
vorite remedy in such cases. She
heard Jim's story-Mrs. Durham made
him tell it again, and she helped wash
his wound and bandage his head. Then
she got the nostrum she wanted and
went home. Before noon next day
everyone in White Clay knew Jim
Durham had lost his gun and joked
him about it That night Mike Null
larky found the body in the deserted
kiln. and with it Jim Dunham's gun.
stranger in White Clay, but Jim had
often made short visits in Tenersville,
the big town up the river, and it was
believed he had girl there. The
county sheriff was looking this up and
believed jealous rivalry was the motive
for the crime.
When Alice had finished her recital,
Shagbark sat looking at the bowl of
his pipe, turning it slowly in his hand.
II got to find out three things, Al
lie" he said. 81 got to find out who
took this Jim Dunham's gun, and who
was the man that was shot, and who
shot him. What time was it they
found the body?"
81 Npr1Nctr ~ nfutf-
Saturday. night. Mike Mullarly
Shagbark closed his eyes. He
rubbed his hand over his face like a
man who is wiping away eobwebs.
Then he asked:
what time did this boys dad come
home Friday night? Was he drunk?"
Mighty drunk, his wife says. 1t
was nigh ten o'clock"
Nigh to ten o'clock. And that was
mighty late" unused Shagbark.
That was mighty late for White
Clay. l reckon the saloon had closed.
1t is almost ten o'clock now. Allie;
was the saloon closed when you
came by?"
CLOSED tight" she answered. "You
know how towns like White Clay are,
Dad. Everybody but the loafers get
to bed at eight or nine"
yes, yes!" said Shagbark, rubbing
his hand over his face again. $50,
now we know who killed the man,
Allie. We know that now"
DO we, Dad?" she asked eagerly.
why, dod-whiliux it'll Don't l say
we dor" he cried. "Of course we
knowl We amt blind, are we? And
we know he was killed with Jim Dun
hams gun. And Jim Durham was
IL L.
took. He was down below the kiln.
So reckon the stranger was coming
from that direction. The man that
killed him was expecting him to come
along and went down there to get
first look at him, and he saw Jim Dun
hams gun and just took it along for
luck-it might come handy. Now,
why did he tell his wife?"
who tell whose wife?" asked Allie.
why did the murderer tell his
wife? Why did he tell her he had shot
man with Jim Dunham's gum"
Did he tell her that?" asked Allie.
"If he didn't tell her." asked Shay
bark, why did she go over to Mrs.
come homer"
you mean that Mike Mullarky
killed the mani" asked Allie.
Now, Allie" complained Shay
bark. 81 can't make out why daugh
ter of mine is so stupid. l got to talk
to you like I was reading out of
primer. What was Mike Mullarky
doin' in a deserted kiln at eleven at
night when he found a dead man
there? You've got a town that is all
abed by ten o'clock, even the saloon
closed, and a deserted kiln that no
body would want to go into anyhow;
and man whose wife went next door
to find out if Jim Durham knew who
finds a dead man! He goes there at
an hour at night when nobody ever
goes anywhere, let alone into de-
serted kiln. Now. who did he kill
and what did he kill him for?"
He raised his eyes to the cheap
alarm clock that licked on the bare
pine shelf.
Allie" he said, do you reckon
folks at White Clay connected you up
pretty we'll with me? Do you reckon
they thought you was from You're
pie, Dees and was snoopin' round for
the Mystery Mani"
IL know they did," the girl an
swered.
"Well, we got time yet" said Shay
bark at amt eleven yet, and they
won't dare go to the kiln before mid
night for fear somebody might happen
to be up, sick or something. But go
they will. Soon as they knew Shay
bark was comm, they started to get
uneasy. They tried to remember if
everything was safe in the kiln,
They're getting more anxious and
worried about it every minute, and
along about midnight they won't be
able to stand it any longer So you
got to go to the kiln, Allie Orlando
can go with you if you want him"
81 don't. Dad" the girl answered,
beginning to draw on her stockings.
"What'll they do, and what shall dor"
(which way does the door of the
kiln face?" asked Shagbark.
Toward the town"
Then they won't strike light. lest
somebody in town sees it," said Shay
bark. You'll hide in the dark in the