Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-10
FLOWING GOLD
BY REX BEACH
CHAPTER XIX-COntinued.

agltated frlendS, MalloW ana SIoher.
Mallow dragged him toward the door.
Gee, Governor! You gave us run.
We've been coming since noon"
'It was only by the grace Of God" Stoner
declared, that we heard you were out here
and why you'd come. We managed to get
a phone call through to Jackson but it was"
Jackson didn't get to you, did he?" Nal
low inquired, anXiOusly.
"Get to me? No. Nor I to him" Gray.
spoke impatiently. What Is this all
about?"
"simply this Governor; Jacksons we'll is
'set-up! For Nelson! We nearly dropped
dead when we found out that Parker kid
had laid you agai inst it. Why didn't you
tell u.s."
What are you saying? I don't"
THE wells phony. Dry pretzel."
I'm what way? I saw the oil
"Ill say you did" Mallow chuckled.
Live oil. too right out of old Mamma
Earth. Cheap lease at seventy-ive thousand,
Ell? It's like this: the pipe line of the At
lantic runs across lJackson's lease, and one
dark and stormy night he tapped it, 1t
wasn't hard thing to do; just took little
care and some digging. Now he runs the oil
in, pumps it out and sells it back to them.
He's regular subsidiary of the great and
only Atlantic Petroleum company. 1t can't
last long, of course. What laugh it
would have beeni"
Gray clamped a heavy hand upon the
speakers shoulder harshly he inquired, DO
you mean to say that Miss Parker deiber-
ately-'
"She don't know anything about it."
"YOu said she laid me- against it,"
mo, no! l merely tipped her to it, be-
cause she's one of Nelson's brokers'
Il told you my fight with Nelson was to
be fair and square"
There followed moment of silence. NAL
low and Stone exchanged glances. What
percentage of that goes?" the former finally
inquired.
lone hundred"
80? Then it's lucky Nelson didn't fall
But there's no harm done-nobody's hurt"
'It is lucky, indeed-for me. I'd have
felt bound to make good his loss, If you
had hooked him. I presume 1 ought to ex-
pose this swindle."
Expose Jackson?" Stoner inquired quick
Iy. When Gray nodded, there was another
brief silence before the speaker ventured to
say: II know this bird, Nelson, and take it
J from me, you're giving him the best of it.
If I hadn't known him as we'll as do,
wouldn't t. Of put in with you to break him
Now about this Jackson; you can land him
l s'pose if you try, but it would be lower
than frogs foot, after him playing square
with you.
What do you mean by that?"
He could have stung you, easy, couldn't
he? You surged out here on purpose to buy
I the lease, but he hid out all afternoon to
avoid you"
"Um-m! Suppose we leave it for the
present"
Mallow, who had remained silent during
| his friends argument, greeted this sugges-
! ton with relief He was glad to change the
subject. Good" he cried, heartily. I'D
about as soon face Old Tom Parker, like
! that fellow in the restaurant did as to
face Jackson. He'd sink stillson in my
Parker? Was that old man Miss Par.
| ker's father?"
certainly! What d'you think allied that
gunman? R'you think he got the flu or
something, all of a sudden? There aim
anybody left tough enough to banker for
Toms scalp. He's pinned rose on all those
! old-timers, and he's deadly poison to the new
| CROP
! For the first time Calvin Gray understood
clearly the reason for the unexpected out
| come of that encounter in the cafe No
wonder the strangers trigger finger had
| been paralyzed. Barbara's father. indeed
How stupid of him not to guess
| Il must find him, quickly" Gray declared
! Perhaps he'll ride back to town with US"
| IL was not a difficult task to locate the
| veteran officer, and Tom was delighted at
the chance to ride home with his new ac>
| quaintance.
unique and an engaging person Parker
! proved to be; an odd compound of gentle.
ness and activity, of kindness and rancor:
quiet, guileless, stubborn, violent old man
alarms, who would not be interrupted while
| he was eating. He was both scornful and
contemptuous Of eviI-doers All needed kill
| ing.
Hard luck, 1 call it, for budding des-
perado to wreck career of promise the way
| that Wretched fellow did," Gray told him
| with laugh "Out of all the men in Texas
| to pick you"
ooh. he amt bud! He's quite killer. -
"Indeed?"
He kills Mexcans and niggers and folks
without guns, mostly. Low-down stuff! He's
got three or four, I believe. I never could
see why the Nelson's KEEP him.
There was brief silence Il beg par.
| DOM" said GRAY.
He's been on the Nelson pay roll for
years-doing odd jobs that wasn't fit to be
done But l guess they got tired of him
| anyhow he's been hanging around Wichita
| Tor the last two or three weeks He's been
IN and out of our office quite a bit"
Later, when the journey was over and
Tom Parker had been dropped at his gate,
cray spoke to his two companions.
Did you hear what he said?"
I'VE did,
DO you believe I was framed?" ~
Both Mallow and Stoner nodded.
Continued Tuesday. Renew your Suhscr;n-
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