Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-05-31

Hobbling quickly from the room.
McAlpin left Selwood at the mercy
of the dumb appeal. The woman.
galvanized into a sort Of life by Nc
Alpin's words, started, rose. sank
back into McAlpin's chair, choked.
and managed to ask one unfortunate
question: "Are you the sheriff. sirT
A faint grin overspread Selwood's
'features-it was his only answer.
"Or the marshal, sir" she ven
tured
McAlpin, listening outside. decided
she had killed every chance of help.
He could not see Selwood's face but
felt heavy silence.
"Is this your mother" McAlpin
after pause, heard Selwood ask the
question Of the boy and heard the
boys affirmative answer.
"What kind of specimen are you"
McAlpin hurried down the barn to
get away from the tongue-lashing that
he knew was to follOw-for SelwOod
was credited with a frontier vOcabu.
larry not alone uniquely forcible but
also extremely biting.
The barn boss was brought back to
the scene by sharp call from Sell
wood, who babe him look after the
woman. In the excitement-andm much
to SelwoOd's annOyance-she had
tainted and fallen into Selwood's
arms. When McAlpin had taken her
in hand-and as a widower he knew
how to hold a baby or a woman
Selwood spoke sharply to Moses and
told him to come with him.
He had said no word as to his in
tentiOns, but McAlpin knew exactly
what they were. Pushing the boy i'm
patiently ahead, Selwood stepped into
the street and slammed the door be-
hind him.
Bartoe's place, in the River quar-
ter, besides those periodically victim
lied within it. had a regular follow
ing of the characters that haunt the
border-line between honest men and
rogues-always a considerable one on
the frOntier-and sympathetic fol-
lowing of the parasites moving in and
out Of Sleepy Cat: men who. like the
habitues of Bartoe's. lived wholly by
their wits.
It was ten O'Clock at night when
Selwood walked into this place with
Moses McCracken in tow. Bartoe.
soft-spoken and with all the words
needed for collOquy but few to
waste on compliments. met Selwood
with the doubtful grin Of man that
can't figure out exactly what Is COM
ing. With his eyes rowing apologize
ally from Selwood's words to Moses
solemn face. Bartoe listened atten-
lively to all that was said. Moses.
meantime, following earlier explicit
directions, was looking carefully at
the few men standing In the room.
As Selwood finished, Bartoe, resting
his eyes on Moses, spoke mildly:
Il never saw this fellow before, that I
know of. We amt seen six hundred dol
lars at once here in a month. This fell
lows picked the wrong place, that's ALL"
SCIWOOu gave uO SlCuCASC
ever to the expected denial, but
Moses saved him the trouble Of say
ing so by pointing suddenly to man
sitting alone at a card table across
the room. porting over an old and
well-thumbed illustrated newspaper.
"There's the man that brought me In
here-and this"-he looked Bartoe in
the eye-''is the man that was deal
ing the three cards." Bartoe only
laughed. Moses, he insisted, quite un-
ruffled, was mistaken-a thing that
might happen to any man. st make
mistakes. myself" he said pleasantly
to Moses. whose stubbornness In re-
peating his accusation gave Bartoe
no offense.
But Selwood showed immediate in
terest in the man with the newspaper.
He was a liveryman who traded in
stolen horses when he safely could.
and in stolen goods-using his barn
for a fence. Selwood had already
suffered at his hands-or his employ