Evening star., 1918-04-07

Nothing: Just plain chicken yard.
was It in the chicken yard or out
OF 3 the exeIaeT wIsms Tas the girl as Il ray
of light had come to her. at was in.
dad-just inside the gate"
And that picture. Allie. of Mr.. Grutz
murdered in bed? Anybody know II
that was the true picture Of the way
1t was?"
"Yes. dad. Joe Hickson. the hired
man. says it is just like the bed and
all was when he found the old man
that. too. That's the way it was. dad"
Shagbark eased himself off the sofa.
well. then" he drawled, 81 guess
we'd better be goin' down to the farm.
Told Pete to get real stylish rig for
us. It cost four dollars"
Orlando and Pete, 1t seemed. were not
to ride. Shagbark clambered into the
phaetton and settled himself comfort
ably, and Alice seated herself at his
side. In the minute before they start
turned bearing in his two hands the
COW horn-an ordinary cow horn. such
as farmers wives use to call their hus-
bands from the fields; but Black Pete
thing in the world. Orlando, with his
banner, and Black Pete, with his COW
horn, walked ahead of the phaeton
Such OF the crowd as thought the long
walk worth while followed it. Report
ers from the local papers. in search OF
some unusual news, were among those
following.
1t was a long and dusty road Shag-
bark's matted hair and beard were
powdered with white clay. dust, and
ers were e>streaked before the procession
turned in at the farm gate. The phae-
ton stopped before the porch of the
house, and Shagbark climbed down
drawn to the scene of the murder by
curiosity, were already there, Mrs
Clutter among them, weeping. Joe Hick-
son was there also, and his friend Hen
ry Henner. who had been down the
river with him on the night of the muir.
der. Joe Hickson advanced and greet
ed Shagbark with that half-sad quiet.
ness OF tone that is assumed by one
closely connected with a tragedy.
guess ! know who you are," he
You're Mr.. Jones, amt you-Shagbark rk
Jones-the man they call the Mystery
ManT
shagbark did not answer. He did no,
notice the hand held toward him.
L see blood! l see red bloodw ht
muttered. looking straight ahead.
We'll, I'll be glad to show you any.
thing you'd like to see or be told" Joe
Hickson said. They took the body te
town.
Red, red bloodw said Shagbark. as il
to himself. ignoring Joe Hickson, ht
walked into the house. All those whs
could do 80 followed him, crowdine
close. He entered the dead mans room
Blood, blood, blood" he muttered.
Red human blood," He closed hi.
eyes and drew a deep breath. Human
blood" he repeated again and again
and. repeating it still, he left the room
He crossed the narrow hall and entered
the room that had been Teeny
mi
He stopped short with the word hall
said. He opened his helf-closed eyes
sought those of Joe Hickson and seemed
to bore into that mans soul.
Chicken blood!' said Shagbark. sharp
txt Cited he seemed to become greatly eH,
Pete. Pete, The cows hornw hs
commanded. Quick, you lazy nigger
Dog-gallux it. Pete, give me thai
horn"
Standing in the poor room that hat
been SO many years the home of Teen,
Schmidt, the hairy old faker raised the
horn to his lips and blew four blasts
one to each corner of the room.
The room was full. The narrow hal
stairs. Joe Hickson backed away, bu,
the crowd held him fast-it was sc
dense he could not push through 1t
Shagbark placed the broad end of the
COW horn to his ear and listened. One
or Two OF MS auulence nuQEeQ rneii
neighbors; the rest were tensely silent
Little bit louder. please" drawled
Shagbark, listening at the mouth of the
horn. yes, you're the planet Saturn!
You was up night before last. You
saw it alp"
Involuntarily Joe Hickson glanced to-
ward the window as If to see if Saturn
could have been peeping through. Then
suddenly his eyes fixed themselves upon
Shagbark's lips
The old man hid the money under his
pillow" Shagbark murmured, as IL talk
ing in his sleep. "and the hand that
stabbed him-no, the other hand
reached under the pillow and took it
Into this room? The hand carried IL
into this room. And left it here? No
The other hand, the hand that stabbed,
took-took what?-took the apron and
the dress the woman had left on the
chair-on the f1oor?-and carried them