The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-02-12
"You Have Begun Early. Young Fol
low" He Said Quietly.

clteQ and ShOt as soon as he saw he
was surrounded. We are both very
sorry he was killed. Father could not
stop the boys In time. Perhaps you re-
member that he tried to get you to
surrender"
The rustler nodded. Eyes, 1 heard
him holler to me to put my gun down,
but the others blazed away ut me-"
''And so you naturally defended
yourself. Father wants it made clear
that he feels you could have done moth
ing else"
"Much obliged. I've been sorry ever
since hit him. and not only on my
own account"
Then none Of us need to hold hard
feelings" The girl looked at her ia
ther. who answered her appeal with a
grim nod, and then she turned again
to the young rustler little timidly. "I
wonder II you would mind If I asked
you question"
you've earned the right to ask as
many as you like"
ITS about We have been told
you know the man they call Soapy
Stone. Is that true?'
Flandrau's eyes took on stony look
1t was as If something had spOnged all
the boyishness from his face. Still try
Ing to get him to give away his part
ners in the rustling, were they2 Well,
he would show them he could take his
medicine without sQuealing.
"Your boys were asking that Ques.
tion about Soapy last night. They had
rope round my neck at the time.
Nothing unfriendly in the matter, Of
course. Just a casual interest In my
doings."
CullisOn was looking ut him with
the steel eyes that bored into him like
gimlet. Now he spoke sharply.
"Fve got an account running with
SOapy Stone. Some day I'll settle 1t,
likely. But that ain't the point now
Do you know his friends-the bunch
he trails with?"
WEAKNESS still seemed to crouch In
the cool eyes of Flandrau.
And II / say yes. I'll bet your next
quesso. will be about the time and
the place last saw them"
Kate picked up a photograph from
the table and handed it to the prisoner.
Were not Interested In his friends
except one of them. Did you ever see
the boy that sat for that pctureT
The print was a snapshot Of boy
about nineteen, a bright-faced hand
some fellow, little Sulky around the
mouth but with a pair Of straight hon
est eyes.
Curly shook his head slowly. Yet he
was vaguely reminded of some one he
knew. Glancing up, he found instant
ly the clue to what had puzzled him.
The young man In the picture was like
Kate Cullison. like her father. too. for
that matter.
Hes your brother" The words
were out before Flandrau could stop
them.
"Yes. You've never met himT
mo"
Cullison had been watching the
young man steadily. "Never saw him
with Soapy StoneT
/ mo"
"Never heard Stone speak Of Sam
Cullison2"
mo. Soapy doesn't talk much about
| who his friends are"
The ex.sheriff nodded. "Tve met
; him."
OF course he had met him. Curly
knew the story Of how In one drive he
had made gather Of outlaws that had
brought fame to him. SOapy had
broken through the net, but the sheriff
had followed him into the hills alone
| and run him to earth. What passed
between the men nobody ever found
out. Stone had repeatedly given 1t out
that he could not be taken alive. But
Cullison had brought him down to the
| valley bound and cowed. In due sea
son the bandits had gone over the
road to Yuma. Soapy and the others
had sworn to get their revenge some
day. Now they were hack in the hills
at their old tricks. Was II possible
that CullisOn's son was with them.
! Taught In trap during some drunken
frolic just as Curly had been2 In what
way could Stone pay more fully the
debt Of hate he owed the former
| sheriff than by making his son a VIII
lainl
The little doctor came briskly into
the room.
| Everybody out but the nurse.
You've had company enough for one
day. Luck" he announced cheerily.
Kate followed Maloney and his pris-
oner to the porch.
"About the letters of your friend
that was shot," she said to Curly.
doctor Brown was telling me what
you said. I'll see they reach Miss An
derson. Do you know in what res
taurant she worksf"
"No. Mac didn't tell me-" The boy
gulped to swallow an unexpected lump
in his throat. "They was expecting to
get married soon."
| It'll write to her." Kate promised,
her eyes misty.
| "Td be obliged, miss. Mac was a
good boy. Anyone will tell you that
And he was awful fond of her. He
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