Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-02-08
CHAPTER vi.
-. -',.: y >. ~
cass Eendrick Makes a Call.

Kate was in her rose garden super
intending the stable boy as he loos-
ened the dirt around the roots Of some
: OF. the bushes. She had retupned to
the Circle C for day. OF, two to give
some directions in the absence Of her
father. Buck and the other riders
came, to her for orders and took them
!. without contempt, She knew the cat
tie business, and they knew she knew
1t. TO q man they were proud of her,
of her spirit, her energy, and her good
looks. - ,.i H.. ,,.T ..,.,..$ -. =
The rider who. cantered up to the
fence, Seeing, .her In her well-hung
corduroy skirt, her close,htting blouse,
and the broad-rimmed straw hat that
shielded her dark: head from the sun.
appreciated. the fitness; Of her sur
.r,oonndIpgs.f She, too, was flower Of
the. desert, .delic9telys fashioned yet
vital, with the bloom. Of health.
A. 10 clatter of aoofs she looked
+. up from the: bush she, was. trimming
ane at once rose to her feet. Beneath
: their long lashes her eyes. grew dark
and hard. :. For the man who had
drawn to halt was Cass Fendrlck.
From the pocket OF his shirt he drew
crumpled piece of stained linen.
). !.:I.re brought back your handker-
chief, Miss Cullison."
e "Nhat have: you. done with my fa'
theri"
He nodded toward the Mexican boy
and Kate dismissed the lad. When he
had gone she asked her question again
in exactly the same words.
-, He swung from the horse and threw
the. rein TO the ground. Then, saun-
;tering to the gate, he let himself. In:
g. you've surely got nice posy gar
Z den here. Didn't know there was one
like 1t in all sunbaked Arizona
+: She stood rigid. Her unfaltering
eyes. sloe-black In. the pale face, never
lifted from him.
- II want youoto- tell me. what you
."haEe done with my father"
!. He laughed little and looked at
her with eyes that narrowed like
:, those of cat basking in the sun. he
), had something the look Of the larger
members of the cat family-the soft
long tread, the compact ripping mus
cles Of tame panther, and with these
the threat that always lies behind Its
sleepy wariness.
YOU'RE young lady Of one idea.
No use arguing with you, ] reckon"
= mot the least use. I've talked with
Mrs. Wylie."
He raised his eyebrows. "Do know
= the lady?",,...,
"She will know you. That is more
to the point"
:, Did she say she knew me?" he
purred.
IS be will say it in court-if it ever
comes to that" :.
"Just whit will she say, If you
= pleaseT' =
Kate told him in four sentences with
a singing; ;directness that was the out
standing note OF her, that and fine
self-forgetful courage.
"Is that all? Comes to this then,
that She says I heard her scream, ran
in, and saved your fathers life. H
that penitentiary offense?"
"You helped the villain take his
body into the cellar. You plotted with
him to hold father prisoner there.
"Says that, does she-that she over
heard us plotting?"
"Of course she did not overhear
what you said. You took good care OF
that. But she knew you were conspir'
Ing"
"Just naturally knew it without
oyerhearing," he derided. And OF
course Il was Il plot must have
teen Johnny-cn-the-spota a good deal OF
the time. Hung round there a-plenty
I e1pect?"'
He had touched on the weak spot Of
Mrs. Wylie's testimony. The man who
had saved Cullison's life, after long
talk with Blackwell. had gone out Of
the Jack, of Hearts and had not re
turned SO far as she knew. Foe hel
former husband had sent her on AZ
errand just before the prisoner was
taken away aid she did not know who
had Helped him.
Kate was silent. =
How would this do for an explana
tion:" he suggested lazily. well say
Just for the sake of argument that
Mrs. Wylie,s story is true, that die
save your fathers life. Wen put II
that I did help carry him downstairs
where it was cooler and that die
have Il long talk with the fellow Black
p &, well. What would 1 be talking to hin
about. II wasn't reading Tie riot ac
to him? And after he had said lie was
sorry why shouldn't hit the road o'l1
of there? There's no love lost between
ne and Luck Cullison. wasn't under
any obligations to wrap him up in cot
ron and bring him back this side III
with care to his anxious friends. II
he chose later 10 take q hike out OF
town on p.d.q. hurry up business
:. ;lin't to blame. And reckon you'll
fnt, Il jury will agree with mo-"
She brushed his explanation aside