The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-06-25

,ncle Luck coines bacx. Hen n& 40
em sick for talking about him"
His cousin nodded, choking down
her sobs. "Of course. lt-it'll come
out all right-as soon as nc finds nut
what they're saying. Saddle two
horses right away, Bob"
Sure. Wen Soon find where he is,
| bet you"
The setting sun found their Journey
less than half done. Kate was tor
tured with anxiety. Deep within her
something denied that her father could
be gone out OF a world 50 good. And
II he were alive, Curly Flandrau
would find him-Curly and Dick be-
tween them. Luck Culfison lad plenty
of good friends who would not stand
by and see him wrongcd.
Any theory Of his disappearance
that accepted his guilt did not occur
to her mind for an instant. The two
had been very close TO each other.
Luck had been in the habit of saying
sml!tngly that she waS his major dome.
his right bower. Some share of his
laWleSS temperament she inherited,
enough to feel sure that this particu-
lar kind Of wrongdOing 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-foul play.
And from this she Shrank with a quako
ing heart. For surely if his enemies
wished to harm him they would de.
StrOy him, and this was a conclusion
against which she fought desperately.
h plaza clock doomed ten strokes
rs 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?"
NO"
III 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, / reckon?'
"Yes."
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 our he must be fed.
Curly came into the room. and tho
girl rose to meet him. He took her
little hand in his tanned muscular one.
and somehow from his grip she gath.
cred strength.
I'm 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
fered her courage rather than maudlin
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.
Gas 1t 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 ii
yet, but there's some link between the
two things. l mean between the rob
berry and his disappearance"
How do you mean?" Kate asked.
"We'u 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 it. UnfOrtu-
nately there is evidence that makes 1t
look as il he might have done it
what they call corrObOrating testi.
mony."
what does Sheriff Bolt think?'
Curly waved the sheriff aside. 1T
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
q fare-yOu-well."
"Pd like to talk with Bolt" the
young woman announced.
"Al right" Mackenzie assented.
Tomorrow morning"
"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?
sIu see If he's at his office. Maybe
ho,u coma nm" Curly aid