Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-05-06

StroV MN, m this was q conclusion
against which she fought desperately.
The plaza clock doomed ten strokes
as they rode into Saguache. Macken-
zie was waiting for them on the steps
of the hotel.
Have they-has anything been-?"
The owner of the Fiddleback shook
his grizzled head. Not yet. Didn't
you meet Curly?"
mo"
HE rode out to come in with YOU,
but if he didn't meet you by ten he
was to come back. You took the north
road, l reckon?"
EYES,"
He put an arm around her Shout
ders and drew her into the hotel with
cheerful talk.
Come along, Bob. We're going to
tuck away a good supper first off.
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 a bite, but she thought better of
it. 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.
Pm so glad you've come" she said
simply.
I'm glad you're glad" he smiled
cheerfully.
He knew she had been crying. that
she was suffering cruelty, but he Of
fcred her courage rather than maudlin
sympathy. Hope seemed to flow
through her veins at the meeting of
the eyes. Whatever a nan could do
for her would be done by Curly.
They talked the situation over to,
gether.
LAS it looks to me, we've got to find
out two things-first, what has be-
come of your father and, second, who
did steal that money. I don't see it
yet, but there's some link between the
two things. | mean between the rob-
berry and his disappearance"
How do you mean?" Kate asked.
Well say the robbers we're 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 it. Unfortu-
nately there is evidence that makes it
look as if he might have done it
what they call c%orroborating testi-
mony."
What does Sheriff Bolt Think"
Curly waved the sheriff aside. "It
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."
"Id like to talk with Bolt" the
young announced.
"All right" Mackenzie assented.
Tomorrow mo'ning-'
"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 before?
"Ill see if he's at his office. Maybe
he'll ONE up" Curly said.
"No. I'll go down to the courthouse
if he's there"
AT the office of the sheriff Kate cut
to essentials as soon as the introduce
lions were over.
"Do you think my father robbed the
w. & S. Express company, Mr.. Bolt?'
she asked. .
Her plainness embarrassed the Off
Ger.
Lets look at the facts, Miss Gull
lison," he began amiably. "Then you
tell me what you would think in my
place. Your father needed money
mighty bad. There's no doubt at all
about that. Here's an envelope on
which he had written a list Of his
debts. You'll notice they run to just
a little more than twenty thousand. 1
found this in his bedroom the day he
disappeared. Turn that envelope V
Miss Cullison. Notice how he has
written there half a dozen times in q
row, 'S2O.O0O.' and just below it twice,
w. 4 S. Elk. Co. Finally, the one
word, Tonight"
She read it all. read it with a heart
heavy as lead, and knew that there he
had left in his W strong, bold hand
writing convincing evidence against
himself. Still. she did not doubt him
in the least, but there could be no
question now that he knew of the in
tended shipment, that absent-mindedly
he had jotted down this data while he
was thinking about it in connection
with his own debts.
The sheriff went on tightening the
chain Of evidence in a voice that, for
all its kindness, seemed to her re-
morseless as fate. at turns out that
MI. Jordan of the Cattleman's Nation
al bank mentioned this shipment to
yOur father that mOrninp Mr. Cnl-