Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-09

path out or that graveyard ana started tc
run. when a horse nickered and raised IL
head.
-De Stockin foou" no sasped. Mister
Stuart, whar is your"
No human voice replied. and Nat broke
through the briars to where the sorrel stood
htched in thick clump Of myrtle. No rider.
He stared all around. squinted under the
.cedars where that crazy Fearne woman lav
in her sunken grave "Mister Stuart! Mis-
ter Stuart!" he quavered, and the cedafs
shuddered at such unwonted disturbance.
"Huh!" Nat groaned mister Stuart
done come, an gone-gone"
Uncle Nat Stark didn't banker to visit this
graveyard at all. He had approached 1t with
slow, respectful pace, using every trick Of
woodcraft to avoid making a noise. But he
didn't seem to care how much fuss he made
In getting out. He whirled to leave and his
foot caught in a vine, which started him of
with jump. After that Nat kept jumping
and thrashing through the tangle until he
scrambled into the public road, hit the ground
running, and never looked behind. There
was nothing behind him that Nat craved to
see. Ahead Of him lay Mr.. Walkers store
and he aimed to get there before something
that he didn't want to see might catch him.
Like comet at the apex Of his dust tail, the
duck legged sprinter rounded a bend in the
road. and modified his orbit so as just to
Craze the front Of Mr.. Walkers steps.
AS everybody knows, Josh Walker keeps
general mercantile shack on the east side of
the main highway. In summer time Mr.. Josh
himself can always be seen upon its narrow
gallery, or in winter huddled beside tiny
stove set among the sawdust for expectoral
convenience. At this lonesome moment no
body sat upon Walkers gallery where Nat
hoped to greet companionship and protection.
Something else must have happened. Maybe
Mr.. Stuart had come up there to confer with
Mr.. Walker, and they had gone inside where
folks couldn't see him. ..-
Already Nat heard voices raised in disputa.
ton; twice he caught the name Of Clayton"
mentioned in tone which indicated that the
owner Of it was not present These argu-
ments at Walkers store were rarely impor-
tant, for its patrons always wrangled; yet
they might know something about where
Mister Stuart had gone. and Nat itched to
find out.
With quick swerve he took the side track
and turned in south Of the store to listen at
window. Inside the bristly chinned proprie.
tor was maintaining such hot debate against
Mr.. Sam McGillicutt and Bud Shocky that
none Of them noticed q head which raised
itself above their window sill. After catch
ing firm grip old Nat drew himself up until
his white eyes searched the interior. Mr.
Clayton was nowhere in the store. but Nat
saw all the other folks, and could even hear
snatches of what they said.
Its mighty funny" Mr.. Josh contended,
comm home after twenty years-got ar
rested-Washington detectives. What you
reckin that Clayton feller done?"
The paralyzed Negro let 60 his clutch Of
the window sill and dropped upon the ground
Mister Stuart rested. Lawd! Lawd!"
Now he understood-the sorrel abandoned
in the graveyard; the constables In the auto.
mobile; the nippers. and Nat also remem
bered his hunch.
"Dar now! Dey done grabbed Mister Stu
art; done grabbed him.
Nothing could have hindered Uncle Nat
from going into Walkers store to hear the
narrowing details. Yet he took the precau-
ton Of circling around to the front and
strolling in from the direction of Bennington.
Howdy, Mister Josh! Howdy, Mister Mac.
Mister Bud" He spoke politely. "Hows
ev'ybody? Please gimme dimes worth O.
tobacco; an major say what's de news?'
Each ten cent purchase at Josh Walkers
emporium carried with It a bonus Of free
information. Josh played no favorites and
held back no gossip on account of race color,
or previous condition Of servitude. With a
dime plug Of tobacco in hand, Nat presented
his credentials and learned that the whole
entire United States government had been
hunting that Clayton feller--that the Presi-
dents high detectives had just grabbed him
that he was being taken to Washington
city in an automobile---that the President
himself had come after him-with many sem
sational deductions from these established
facts.
Anyway. it's a cinch they got him." Josh