Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-15
OUIS BASSETT had left for Norado
the daY after DaYid's sudden illness,

Nina went back to the little house in the
Ridgely road, having learned the first les
son of married life, that men must not only
be captured, but also held, that he found
| himself able to resume his journey
He had chafed wretchedly under the
delay. 1t was true that nothing in the
way of story had broken yet The Tribune
had carried a photograph of the cabin
where Clark had, according to the Donald
son woman, spent the winter following the
murder, and there were the usual reports
that he had been seen recently in spots
as diverse as Seattle and New Orleans.
But when the following Sunday brought
nothing further, he surmised that the pack.
having lost the scent, had been called off.
He confirmed this before starting west
by visiting some of the old offices of the
leading papers and looking up old friends.
The Clark story was dead for the time.
They had run a lot of pictures of him.
however and some might turn him
up eventually, but scent was pretty cold
in ten years. The place had changed.
too. Oil had been discovered five years
ago, and the old settlers had good many
of them, cashed in and moved away The
town had grown like all oil towns.
Bassett was fairly content. He took the
night train out of Chicago, and spent the
next day crossing Nebraska, fertile, rich
and interesting. On the afternoon of the
second day he left the train and took a
branch line toward the mountains and
Norada, and from that time on he became
and urbane, interested, and. generally,
cigarsmoking Interrogation point.
Railroad been here long?" he asked the
conductor.
-Four years.,
"Norada must have been pretty isolated
before that"
Thirty miles in coach or Ford car
II was reading the other day. said
Bassett, about the Judson Clark case.
Have cigar? Got time to sit down.
"You a newspaper man."
"Oil-well supplies" said Bessett glibly.
''Well, in this article it seemed some
woman or other had made confession.
1t sounded fishy to me-
"Well, I'll tell you about that" The
conductor sat down and bit the end off
his cigar. 81 knew the Donaldsons we'll,
and Maggie Donaldson was an honest
woman. But I tell you how I explain the
thing. Donaldson died, and that left her
pretty much alone The executors of the
Clark estate kept her on the ranch but
when-the estate was settled three years
ago she had to move. That broke her all
ups She's always said he wasn't dead
She kept the home just as it was. and
my wife says she had his clothes all ready
and everything"
''That rather sounds as though the story
is true, doesn't it,"
Not necessarily. It's my idea she got
from hoping to mOping, SO to speak. She
went into town regular for letters for ten
years, and the postmaster says she never
got any. She was hurt in front of the
postoffice. The talk around here is that
she's been off her head for the last wear
or two" he volunteered
But they found the cabin"
Sure they did," said the conductor
equally We all knew it was there. It
was an old fire station before they put the
new one on Goat Mountain"
WI HEN he had gone Bassett fell into
w deep thought. So Maggie Donald
son had gone to the postoffice for
ten years. He tried to vizualize those faith
Iui' Wearlsome journeys through spring
mud and winter snow, always futile and AL
ways hopeful. He did not for a noment
oeheve that she had "gone off her head
one mad been faithful to the end. as some
"1neh were, and in the end, too, as had
otners. she had died of her faith
He was somewhat daunted at tho s;zo
and bustling activity Of Norada, It's streets
were paved and we'll lighted, there was
PARK and public library and the clerk
at the commercial hotel asked him If bo
Wlshed private bath! In one Nwav a.
helped him, however. In the old Norada
newcomer might have been subiec+ -
friendly but 1nquisitive interest. In this
sio"n-up ana self-centered community a
NAV might come and go unnoticed
=, however, he found a real dffficuItv Of
the start The pack. as he cvniooI Iu
Cmought OF them, would have started az ~
O1"[he ranch and the cabin. He Womb
se' 10 them, of course, but he meant -
o'"[C on the outside of the circ1a end
work in lI 0icle ana
.. Been here long?" he asked the c1erl,
90 T me uesk, after leisurely meal
Inc clerk grinned
Il came here two years 400
saw Jud Clark. To get to the Clark nIooa
I I the north road out of the town and
Aeep stralght about eight miles Tbo
r. ROADS good now. You fellows have worn
Must have written that down and 1oorn
ca II OIL, Bassett said admiringly. "What
the devils Clark place? And whv sbo,.IS
go there? Unless he added. "thev servo
decent meal ''i0' serve
.,x sorry" The clerk looked at him sharn-
1oull near the story If you stay around
~ was satisfied, and picked up a pen.
your" "o Aol
But If the clerk had been there on1v
Two years he was not useful
Yes Fire the cook" Bassett said. and
moved away.
The next day, however, he had bit of
luck. His elderly, chambermaid had lived
IN the mountains behind the town for
Ever hear of any Livingstones in these
parts?" he asked
She glanced at him. "Why, yes. There
used to be Livingstone ranch at Dry
River" she said pausing with her carpet
sweeper. 81 only know the name. 1t
wasn't much of place, think Although
you can't tell these days. I sold sixty