Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-09-27

Il
again of that Greaser murder last fall.
Stewart made him look like fool
showed him up as bein' scared Of the
bandits or hevin some reason. fer
slopin' off the trail. Anyway, the row
started all right, an it might hev
amounted to fight. In the thick. of
| 1t, when Stewart was drivin' Pat an
his crowd off the place, one Of them
de-pooties lost his head an went fer
his gun. Nels throwed his gun an Grip
pied the feller's arm. Monty jumped
then an throwed two forty-fives, an
| fer a second or so 1t looked ticklish.
But the bandit-hunters crawled. an
then lit out"
Stillwell paused in the rapid deliv-
cry Of his narrative; he still retained
Madeline's hand, as If by that he might
comfort her.
after Pat left we put our haids to-
gether." began the old cattleman, with
a long respiration. I'VE rounded up a
lad who had seen a dozen or SO fellers
| --he wouldn't say they was Greasers-
breakin' through the shrubbery to the
back Of the house. That was while
| Stewart was ridin' out to the mesa.
Then this lad seen your servants all
runoin' down the hill toward the I'll
lage. Now, heah's the way Gene fig
gers. There sure was some deviltry
down along the railroad, an Pat Have
trailed bandits up to the ranch. He
hunts hard an then all to onct he quits.
Stewart says Pat Have wasn't scared,
but he discovered signs Of somethin', or
got wind in some strange way that
there was in the gang of bandits some
| fellers he didn't want to ketch. Sabe7
Then Gene, quicker'n a flash, springs
his plan on me. He'd 60 down to
Padre Marcos an hev him help to find
out all possible from your Mexican
servants. was to hurry up hyar an
| tell you-give you orders, Miss Males
ty. Amt that amazin' strange? Wal,
you're to assemble all your guests in
the kitchen. Make grand bluff an
| pretend, as your help has left, that it'll
be great fun fer your guests to cook
dinner. The kitchen is the safest room
in the house. While you're joshin' your
| party along, maxim kind Of picnic
| out Of it, I'll place cowboys in the long
corridor, an also outside In the corner
where the kitchen joins on to the main
house. It's pretty sure the bandits
think no ones. wise to where they're
hid. Stewart says they're in that end
room where the alfalfa is, an they'll
slope In the night. or course, with me
an the boys watchin', you-all will be
safe to 60 to bed. An we're to rouse
your guests early before daylight, to
hit the trail up into the mountains.
to bed. Say as your servants hev
sloped, you might as well go campin'
with the cowboys That's all. II we
hev any luck your friends1l never
know they've been sittin on a powder
mine. Now. Miss Majesty, I've used up
a lot Of time explainin'. You'll sure
keep your nerve?"
"Yes," Madeline replied, and was
surprised at herself.
Better tell Florence. She'll be a
power Of comfort to you. I'm goin'
now to fetch up the boys"
Instead of returning to her room
Madeline went through the office into
the long corridor. It was almost as
dark as night. She fancied she saw a
Storytelling figure darker than the sur
| rounding gloom; and she entered upon
the fulfillment Of her part Of the plan
| In, In
footsteps were noiseless Finding the
door to the kitchen, and going in, she
struck lights. Upon passing out again
she made certain she discerned dark
shape, now motionless, crouching along
the wall. But she mistrusted her vivid
Imagination. 1t took all her holiness
to enable her unconcernedly and natur-
ally to strike the corridor light. Then
she went on through her own rooms
and thence into the patio.
Her guests laughingly and gladly en-
tered into the spirit Of the occasion.
They trooped merrily into the kitchen.
Madeline, delaying at the door, took q
sharp but unobtrusive glance down the
great, barnlike hall. She saw nothing
but blank dark space. Suddenly from
one side, not rod distant, protruded
a pale, cleaning face breaking the
even blackness. Instantly It flashed
back out Of sight. Yet that time was
long enough for Madeline to see pair
Of glittering eyes, and to recognize
them as Don Carlos.
| Without betraying either hurry or
alarm, she closed the door. It had a
heavy bolt which she slowly, noiseless-
ly shot. Then the cold amaze that had
all but stunned her into inaction
throbbed into wrath. How dared that
Mexican steal into her home! What
did he mean? Was he one of the ban
dts supposed to be hidden in her
house? She was thinking herself into
greater anger and excitement. and
probably would have betrayed herself
had not Florence, who had evidently
seen her bolt the door and now read
her thoughts, come toward her with
bright, intent, questioning look. Made