The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-05


soaked him for a final cleanup on
there was TO it.
Did my-did the old gentleman you
speak of ever come out here himseIfT'
She nodded.
"0nce that we know of; that was
after IT was all over and the place was
deserted At that time Daddy had
taken up a claim just west Of here in
the next gulch and we were living in
this cabin; squatters, 1 guess you'd
call US. So we camped down"
THAT was quite right and proper.
And this Mr.. Jasper Dudley; he didn't
turn you out when he came, did he?"
'Oh. no, indeed; he was very kind
When he found that Daddy's gulch
claim wasn't going to pan out any
thing, he said he needed a earetaker
here. and since that time he has sent
US money every month But now
suppose it will all be different Mr.
Dudley is dead"
But the heirs?' / suggested.
I'VE don't even know who they are.
When Mr.. Dudley went away he left
a sealed envelope with Daddy. He
said he might come back again, some
time. but if he didn't, or couldn't, Dad
dy was to keep the envelope and give
it to his-Mr. DudIey's-representa
live, whoever that might be-"
Talk about plots thickeningi This
one was already as thick as mOlasses
IN the dead of winter
How were you to know this repre-
sent; i've if one should Gomez edged
in cautiously.
81 don't know" she replied simply.
Il should suppose he would be able
80 identify himself in some way.
though; shouldn't you? That is. if he
ever comes"
''Sdre; nothing easier, of course. =
| agreed; and then, since we seemed
70 have scraped the bottom Of the Gin
nabar dish clean l switched off To
something else.
when we were coming up the road
a while back, Miss Jeanie, YOU gath
cred the impi ession that | wa> a crazy
man. didn't you?"
Didn't you try TO give me that i'm
pressiOn?' she cOuntered.
81 fancy | didn't have to try very
hard-inasmuch as you had been
Spending the afternoon in Atropia.'
She forced a queer little laugh and
bent lower over her knitting.
when you were in AtrOpia. did You
see OF hear anything of the other crazy
man?"
rs there another one?'' she asked.
a bit breathlessly.
81 was told so In Angels this after
noon"
as this other man friend of
yours?" she wanted to know.
"TOu could scarcely call him that /;
I've met him only once He is a min
Ing engineer and his name is Butler
ton-Charles Fullerton"
If had reached up and got her pis-
toI out of its holster over the mantel
to bang it off into the fireplace she
could hardly have been more startled,
'Ch-Charles Bullerton?" she stam-
mered. rs Mr.. Fullerton hereT'
Not here, exactly, but he was in
Atropia two days ago. Do you, by
any chance. happen TO know him?'
"Oh, yes; qui-quite we'll"
Then, naturally. you know best
whether or not he is in my class-the
crazy class, / mean"
Once more she let the blue eyes
( drop TO her knitting, and if l wasn't
a hn
themselves in a sort of wry smile.
THE last time | saw him he told
me he was crazy" she admitted.
Isn't this delightful :" / murmured.
"BullertOn is crazy and I'm crazy
perhaps we are all a bit crazy. Do
you know, Miss Jeanne. that / have
come thousands of miles to find you %
ITO find meF-the blue eyes were
as round as the full moon.
Even so; you. your horse and your
dog. Would you-er-would you per-
! nit an exceedingly personal question +!
Remembering always that it is put
| by man who has lost his wits? Have
YOU small brown mole on your left
| shoulder"
| the handsome mountain wind tan
wasn't brown enough to hide it.
81 think you are crazy-completely
crazy"
Certainly l am; there hasn't been
| the slightest doubt of it since-well
since about two weeks ago, when ]
| started to hunt for you and a pie
faced dog and piebaId horse
There. was silence before the fire
for a long minute and l began to be
afraid Daddy Hiram would come bach
before anything else happened. Thei
she said. with more curiosity than re
sentiment. l thought:
How did you know about the
| mole?''
'Then there is one?'' 1 questioned
eagerly
yves"
''GIOry beI'' / chanted "You dom
know what a load you have lifted from
whatever poor fragment of a mind