The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-06

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kock Of the young men. AT sight
OF them her face lit. :.
"oh, I'm 50 glad you've comeip
She cried; tears In her voice. She
caught her hands together In a
conYulsIye little gesture
Her father was sitting in a big
chair, one leg thrown carelessly
over the arm. He was smoking a
cigar composedly. Z,
Come in, boys" he called
Reckon you've heard that I'm q
stage rustler and a murderer"
t''Just now" said Bob. "They
didn't arrest your"
Not yet. Sit down. and Ill tell
It to YOU"
He had gone to sec a home
ateader about doing some work
for him. On the way he had met
johnson and Purdy, near the
Bend, just before he had turned
UP a draw leading to the place in
the hills owned by the man whom
he wanted to see. Two hours had
! been spent riding to the little
valley where the hester had built
his corrals and his log house, and
when Crawford arrived neither he
nor HIS wife was at home. He re
turned to the road. without having
met a soul since he had left 1t, and
from there logged on back TO town.
On the way no had fired twice ut
a rattlesnake.
you naver reached the Bend,
then, at ALL" said Dave.
4 mo, but I cayn't prove / didn't"
Tho old cattleman looked at the
end of his cigar thoughtfully. Nor
cayn't prove went out to Dick
Gretn's place In that three-four
hours not accounted for"
"Anyhow, you can show where
you got tho ten thousand dollars
you paid the bank" said Bob
hopefully.
A moment Of silence: then
Crawford spoke. mo, son, cayn't
tell that either"
Faint and breathless with stls.
pense. Joyce looked at her father
with dilated eyes. "Why not?"
Because the money was loaned
mo on those conditions"
"But-but-don't you see, Dad ?
-ifyou don't tell that"
They'll think I'm guilty. well,
I reckon they'll have to think It.
JOY" The steady gray eyes looked
straight into the brown eyes OF the
girl. tive been in this county boy
and man for most fifty years. Any
one that's willin' to think me a
cold-biooded murderer at this date,
why, he's welcome to hold any
opinion he pleases. don't give q
damn what he thinks"
"Tho best explanation can
give, Joy. is to find out who held
up the stage and killed Tim Har-
rigan. It's the only one that will
satisfy my friends"
Some one was rapping on the
front door imperatively. The girl
opened i TO let into the hall a man
In greasy ,overalls. w.
where's Mr.. Crawfordi?" he d e.
manded excitedly.
Here. In the sitting-room.
What's wrong?"
"Wrong!a Not a thing!" He
talked as he followed Joyce to the
door OF the room. Except that
Number Three's come in the big
gest gusher over I see. She's
knocked the whole super-structure
galley-west."
Emerson Crawford leaped to his
feet, for once vlsibly excited.
WHAT" he demanded. "wha's
that?"
Jus like I say. The oil.s a.
spoutin' up a hundred feet like a
fan. Before morning the stump
holes will be full and she'll be
runnin' all over tho prairie"
Burns sent your"
"Yep. Says for you to get men
and teams and scrapers and gunny
sacks and heavy timbers out there
right away. Many as you can
Crawford turned to Bob, his
face aglow. "Yore job, Bob.
Spread the news. Rustic up every-
body You can get. arrange with
the railroad grade contractor to let
us have all his men, teams, and
scrapers till we get her hogtied ana
harnessed. Big wages and we'll
feed the whole outfit free. Hire
anybody you can find. Buy al
coupla hundred shovels and send
,em ont To Number Ttrnn Cat