The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-12-30
on his face, he exclaimed "Vapo-
CMtto}ene I"

lOA4 LAO AsSSS1 AAS SNSA>S>~~
Cettolene!"
What this cryptic utterance
meant, no one could guess; and
no one gave it a second thought,
except Landon, who smiled at
the red-headed boy and said,
"Yes!''
AS soon as she could do so,
Aviee escaped to her own room.
So this was her inheritance! A
fortune, only if she took also
a husband of her uncle's choice f!
It had come upon her so sudden
ly, that she had to reiterate to
herself that it was true.
"If I'd only KNOWN" she
thought. I'm sure I could have
persuaded Uncle Rowly not to do
that! l don't blame him so
much, for l know he thought I
J wanted to marry Leslie, but I
never told him [ did. [ suppose
he had right to think so,-but
THAT was all before Kane came
back" And then her thoughts
wandered far away from her in
heritance, both real and personal,
and concerned themselves with
the strange man who had come
out Of the West For he was
strange. Landon had abrupt
ways and peculiar attitudes that
Avice could not altogether IN
derstand. He was so blunt and
breezy. That, Of course, was
owing to his recent surround
ings; then, again, he was so mas
terful and dominating, but that
he had always been. Still more,
he was ineomprehensible. She
couldn't understand his curt, al
most rude manner the time Of
the inquest proceedings. To be
sure, it was enough to make a
man furious to have insinuating
questions put to him about the
murder of his uncle,-as if Kane
could have known anything of
but, well, he was mysteri-
GUS in some ways.
And his attitude toward
Eleanor Black. They must have
mes before or they never would
have talked as absorbedly as they
had been doing when Avice came
upon them unexpectedly. And
Eleanor was another mysterious
one! She had her Inheritance
now, and Avice hoped they might
separate, never to meet again.
Well, of course, they would, for
neither had a desire to continue
living with the other. AS for
Avice herself, she would go out
of that house at once. But
where2 That must soon be de-
cided. Then, like a flooding
wave, came back the memory of
her uncle's will She must marry
Judge Hoyt or lose her fortune.
she would have some money, to
be sure, but the interest of that,
as an income would make life a
very different matter from what
it had been!
And Eleanor would have this
house,-to live in, or to sell. Idly
she speculated on this, feeling an
undercurrent Of satisfaction that
the widows bequest had not been
even larger.
Then her thoughts reverted to
the episode Of Mrs. Blacks tele-
phoning so late that night, after
the death of her uncle. She re-
membered she had secured the
telephone number.
GIVE a notion to call up and
see who it is, she unused. II am
going to derote myself to search
ing out the murderer, and while
I don't, of course, dream that
Eleanor had anything to do with
it, yet-she is Italian,-and sup
pose she is mixed up with some
secret society-oh - well IN
have to call that number or new
er rest. | might as well do it
now"
Unwilling to take a chance Of
being overheard in the house,
Avice dressed for the street and
went out. She said to a maid
in the hall, eff any one asks,
say I've gone out for a little
breath Of air ali. y
Glad of walk nthe sunshine,
she went to the nearest public
Telephone booth and called the
numser. She had queer feeling
of doing wrong, but she persuad-
nl horcnlf fho4 1,o,,