The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-05-13

Of good friends who would not stand
by and sea him wronged.
Any theory of his tilsappenrnnce
that accepted his guilt did not occur
to her mind for an Instant. The two
had been very close 70 each other
Luck had been IN the habit Of saying
smilingly that she was his major tlomo,
his right bower. Some share Of his
lawless temperament she Inherited,
enough to feel sure that this particu.
lar kind Of wrongdolng was impossible
for him. He was reckless, sometimes
passionate, but she did not need to re-
assure herself that he was scrupulous-
~ honest.
This brought her back TO the only
other tenable hypothesIs--fou play.
And from this she shrank with Quak-
ing heart. For surely II his enemies
wished to harm him they would de-
stroy bInI and this was a conclusion
against which she fought desperately.
The plaza clock doomed ten strokes
Ms they rode into Saguache. Macken-
zle was waiting for them on the steps
OF the motel.
'Have they--has anything been--T
The owner OF the Fiddleback shook
his grlzzled head. "Not yet. Didn't
you meet Curly7"
"No.v
HE rode out to come in with you.
but II he didn't meet you by ten he
was to come bnck. You took the north
road. | reckonf"
Eyes"
He put an arm around her shoul-
ders and drew her into the hotel with
cheerful talk.
Come along, Bob. We're going to
tuck away good supper first OF.
While you're eating. I'll tell you all
there is to be told"
Kate opened her lips to say that she
was not hungry and could not possibly
eat bite, but she thought better Of
1t. Bob had tasted nothing since noon.
and of course he must be fed.
Curly came into the room, and the
girl rose to meet him. He took her
little hand in his tanned muscular one,
and somehow from his grip she gath
cred strength.
"Fm so glad you've come" she said
simply.
"rm glad you're glad" he smiled
cheerfully.
He knew she had been crying, that
she was suffering cruelty. but he Of.
fered her courage rather than maudlln
sympathy. Hope seemed to flow
through her veins at the meeting Of
the eyes. Whatever a man could do
for her would be done by Curly.
They talked the situation over to-
gether.
"As II looks to me, we've got to find
out two things-frst, what has be.
come Of your father and, second. who
did steal that money. l don't see II
yet, but there's some link between the
two things l mean between the rob-
berry and his disappearance"
"How do you meanf" Kate asked.
"Well say the robbers were his enc
mies-some of the Soapy Stone outfit,
maybe. They have got him out Of the
way to satisfy their grudge and to
make people think he did II. Unfortu-
nately there is evidence that makes It
look as II he might have done it
what they call corroborating -testi'
mony."
"What does Sheriff Bolt thlnkf
Curly waved the sheriff aside. at
don't matter what he thinks, Miss
Kate. He says he thinks Luck was
mixed up In the holdup. Maybe that's
what he thinks, but we don't want to
forget that Cass Fendrick made him
sheriff and your father fought him to
a fare-you-well."
"Pd like to talk with Bolt" the
young woman announced.
"An right" Mackenzie assented-
Tomorrow mo'nlng--"
"No, tonight, Uncle Mac"
The cattleman looked at her In sur
prise. Her voice rang with decision.
Her slight figure seemed compact with
energy and resolution. Was this the
girl who had been In helpless tears not
ten minutes beforef
ell see IL he's at his Office. Maybe
he'll come up" Curly said.