The Holbrook news., 1921-04-01
CHAPTER xII-continued.

rusty nat.
 Did your grandpa send you?"
 "Uh-huh I brung y'u a letter. Gran'pa tends t tn post office now. The or postmaster had a stroke night b'fore last, an hain't knowed nothin' since. So gran'pa tends to it."
 He unbuttoned the bosom of his waist, drew out letter and handed it over.
 "Air you Box 23?"
 T-yes-I guess so," was the startled answer as she took the letter.
 "Huhl That's funny name-fer a girl"
 But she was too busy with the let ter to notice the remark. It was ad- dressed in a very bold and legible hand: Box 23, Buckeye, Ind. The pOstmark she could not be sure of. It appeared to be Vincennes, but some of the letters were too dull to read with certainty.
 ''Is that your r'volver?"
 There was not much chance to read letters-or do anything else-with a youngster like that in the house.
 "Yes. Have they found that man that escaped from jail last night?"
 ''Nawl An I hope they don't. I met that timber buyin' feller on the way down here" He came near the girls chair. If they's anybody hate, it's him. Gran'pa says"-he leant nearer, and spoke low-''lle kills peo- pie! GeeI but wus skeered when I saw him a-comin' down tn road He wus awful mad, an a-swearin' to his self. He slashed at me with switch. But I ducked, an cut dirt, an shinned over tn fence. When I looked back he was a-goin' on toward town, an streaked it through tn woods lickety- split"
 The very information she had been about to venture forth into the woods to acquire.
 "How is your grandma today?'
 "Oh, she's well agin. She cooks lots of things now She fried me some screw-cakes yisterd'y."
 He was gone-'lickety-spl
 The girl closed the door, laughing softly, and turned toward the curtains The Pearlhunter was just coming through them. "It couldn't have turned out better" he said. 'The dark, one stroke more, and things will take a turn"
 "That stroke l" She was very thoughtful, her eyes searching the side of his face toward her. "You speak of it lightly; but so you spoke of that dreadful fight with the mob."
 He sat still long time.
 'T don't know why I shouldn't tell you" he said at last. 'The only req son I didn't was to save you the thought of 1t. But girl like you'd Her face lighted.
 ''Then why not take me with you?'
 He started, turned his slow eyes toward her. A moment he studied her, and then shook his head.
 "No"-the word seemed final. 'It won't do for sirl-a lady-to hear what will have 10 be heard tonight; and see what will have, to be seen."
 Her eyes dropped; so did his. They both met at the same focus-the letter in her hand. She passed it to him. He turned it over and over, looked at the address, the postscript. and handed it back.
 ''I never got a letter in my life" he said, "nor wrote one."
 "Neither did l." She turned the let ter over and over, studying it. BOX 23,"-she mused ''It's for Daddy! He couldn't read it, even if he were here. Do you think should open it?'
 "Yes, I think you should" he ad-. vised.
 She tore open the end of the envel- ope and drew out a folded sheet of legal cap. As she unfolded it, bill "a greenback- fell out upon her lap | She bounced upon it.
 Fifty dollars Why-why-l"
 "The letter will teIl," he said, lean- ing eagerly toward her.
 She unfolded the stiff sheet, the in- | ner side of it covered with the letter, | written in a clear, readable hand:
 "Vincennes Ind, June 15, 1S4-. My Dear Colonel:
 Enclosed I an sending the usual | monthly remittance, as per your order | when you left.
 "Why haven't you answered any of | my letters? I have sent the remit | tance regularly but have not heard a word from you for nearly seven years. As I have repeatedly told you, your estate has increased till hardly know how to invest 1t further. If I don't | hear from you I shall have to come up to Buckeye for consultation.
 "I'he little giIl--little Hesper Dawn must be quite woman now. As I ! have written yOr. her grandfather, old Godfrey Dawn, died last year, He re pented in his last hours and left her sole heir to his fortune, which, as you know, is even more considerable than your own. The estate Is in my hands ready to convey to her. The legal age of a woman In this state is eighteen If old Godfrey has not misinfOrmed me, she will be twenty the twentieth os this present month. So. she has been for some time legally competent to come into her estate. If, under the terms of yOu- will, she should fall heir to your fortune as well, which she bids fair to do, as no word has come and none likely to come at this late day, she will be quite the richest heireSs in my knowing.
 "Now, my dear Colonel, let me hear from you. Why should a famous sol dier, and the greatest cellist of his