Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-06
"You and / will go straight there, y
decided Sanders.

lou and / will go straight there,
decided Sanders.
Joyce opened the door to the knock
of the young men. At sight of them
her face lit.
ooh, I'm SO glad you've comet" she
cried, tears in her voice. She caught
her hands together in convulsive
little gesture.
Her father was sitting in a big
chair, one leg thrown carelessly over
the arm. He was smoking cigar
composedly.
"Come in, boys" he called. Creek,
on you've heard that I'm a stage
rustler and a murderer
"Just now" said Bob. "They didn't
arrest your"
mot yet. Sit down, and I'll tel
it to you"
He had gone out to see a home
steader about doing some work fol-
him. On the way he had met John
son and Purdy, near the Bend, just
before he had turned up a draw lead
ing 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 returned to the road, without
having met soul since he had left
it, and from there logged on back
to town. On the way he had fired
twice at rattlesnake.
:'You never reached the Bend,
then, at ALL said Dave.
mo, but I can't prove didn't"
The old eattleman looked at the end
of his cigar thoughtfully, "Nor |
can't prove | went out to Dick
Grien's place in that three-four hours
not accounted for"
Anyhow, you can show where YOU
got the ten thousand dollars you
paid the bank" said Bob hopefully.
A moment of silence; then Craw-
ford spoke. mo, son, | can't tell
that either"
Faint and GREATNESS with sus-
pense, Joyce looked at her, father
with dilated eyes. why not?"
Rocks, clay and sand were hurled
me on those conditions"
"But-but don't you see, Dad?--
IL you don't tell that
They'll think Pm guilty. Well, ]
reckon they'll have to think it, JOY.
The steady gray eyes looked straight
into the brown ones of the girl. ''I've
been in this county boy and man for
most fifty years. Any one that's
willin' to think me a cold-blooded
murderer at this date, why, he's well
come to hold any opinion he pleases.
/ don't give a damn what he thinks"
1.-THE best explanation | can give,
joy, is to find out who held up the
stage and killed Tim Harrigan. It's
the only one that will satisfy my
friends"
Some one was rapping on the front
door imperatively. The girl opened
it, to let into the hall a man in
greasy overalls.
''Where's Mr.. Crawford?" he de.
nlanded excitedIy.
Here. In the sitting room. What's
wrong?.
Wrong! Not thingp He talked
as he followed Joyce to the door of
the room. Except that Number
Three's come in the biggest gushef
ever ] see. She knocked the whole
superstructure gallew-west. )"
Emerson Crawford leaped to his
feet, for once visibly excited
"What?" he demanded. "Wha's
that?"
Jus like ] say. The oils a-snout.
in up a hundred feet like fan. Be-
fore morning the stump holes will be
full and she'll be runnin' all over. the
prairie"
Burns sent you?''
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 send"
Crawford turned to Bob, his face
aglow. "Yore job, Bob. Spread the