The Lamar register., 1920-02-25

bet STACK OF Dlues you We euesseu IT,
There's way to make sure" Curly
said. ''Fendrick couldn't wear Mr..
CulIison's hat around without the risk
of someone remembering II later.
What would he do thenf'
Kate beamed. buy another at the
nearest store"
That would be my guess. And ihe
nearest store is the New York en-
porlum. We've got to find out whether
he did buy one there on Tuesday some
time after nine O'Clock in the morn
ing"
The girls eyes were sparkling. She
hustled with businesslike energy. "I'll
go and ask right away"
Don't you think we'd better let
Uncle Alec find out1 He's not so
likely to stir up curiosity" Curly sug-
gested.
Within a quarter of an hour Alec
Flandrau Joined the others at the
hotel. "You kids are right at the head
of the class In the detective game.
Cass bought a brown hat. about 8 80
In the mo'ning. Paid five dollars for
1t. wouldn't let them deliver the old
one but took 1t with him in a paper
sack"
With her lIeutenants hanking her
Kate went straight to the office Of the
sheriff. Bolt heard the story out and
considered 1t thoughtfully.
"You win. Miss Cullison. You
haven't proved Fendrfck caused your
fathers disappearance by foul play.
and you haven't proved he committed
the robbery. Point Of fact I don't
think he did either one. But 1t GER
tainly looks like he may possibly have
manufactured evidence"
Curly snorted scornfully. You're
letting your friend down easy. Mr.
Bolt. By his own story he WAS on
the ground a minute after the robbery
took place. How do we know he
wasn't there a minute before7 For
II he didn't know the holdup was 60
Ing to occur why did he bring Mr.
Cullison's hat with him punctured so
neatly with bullet holesf"'
Hold your hawses while. Flan-
drau. and look at this thing reason
able. You're all preJudiced for Cul-
lison and against Fendrlck. Talk
about evidenced There's ten times as
much against your friend as there is
against Cass."
''Then you'll not arrest FendrickT"
when you give me good reason to
do IT," Bolt returned doggedly.
The four adjourned t1 meet at tho
Del Mar for a discussion Of ways ana
means.
Wen keep a watch on Fendrick-
see where he goes. who he talks to.
what he does. Maybe he'll make
break and give himself away" Curly
said hopefully.
But my father-we must rescue
him first"
"As soon as we find where he Is.
Killing him wouldn't help Cass eny.
because you and Sam would prove up
on the claim. But II he could hold
your father prisoner and get him to
sign a REIMBURSEMENT to him he would
be in fine position"
''If we could only have Fendrick ar
rested"
what good would that dor II he's
guilty he wouldn't talk. And II he
is holding your father somewhere in
the hills it would only be serving no.
tice that We were getting warm. No.
I'm for still hunt. Let Cass ride
around and meet his partners in this
deal. Wen keep an eye on him. all
right"
Maybe you're right" Kate admitted
with a sigh.
Sheriff Bolt, though a politician.
was an honest man. 1t troubled him
that Cullison's friends believed him to
be a partisan in matter of this sort.
For which reason he met more than
half way Curly's overtures. Young
Flandrau was In the Office of the sher-
III a good deal. because he wanted to
keep Informed of any new develop
ments In the w. & S. robbery case.
II was on one of those occasions
that Bolt tossed across to him a let
ter he had just opened.
"rve been getting letters from the
village cutup or from some crank.
don't know which. Here's a sample"
The envelope, addressed evidently in
a disguised hand. contained one sheet
of paper. Upon this was lettered
roughly,