Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-06
READ THIS FIRST

READ THIS FIRST
Ackland Center, a little old town
in New England, is proud of its
beauty and traditions. But the mod
ern world il fast crowding in on its
peace. Finally a notorious road
house. LAKELAND. il opened BY a gang
Of hootleggers. Liquor flows. Girls
Of the town are lured there. Edi-
tor Hamilton Pew of THE Weekly
Age" fights LAKELAND, and IA shot 10
death. the identity of his assailants
never being a~scertained. Homer
Pew. his bgother. takes up the fight
in the newspaper. Stella Bagot, A
hometown girl who has made good
IN New York Is a magazine wr,.s >
comes home TO write about the flight
against the gang. She is driven to
Ackland BY Ernie HEllam. a married
man. much in love with her. He
wants her to meet him in Boston.
Homer tells Stella how his brother
"a shot down at Jazzland.
Joe Harmer. Aekland's political
boss. calls on Homer to find out If
he is going 10 keep on with the pa
per. now that bis brother is gone.
Homer Is called to the phone and
hears the same mysterious voice
that warned his brother to give up
the fight against LAKELAND. He en-
deavors to trace the call
CHAPTER XIV
Homer was moving again toward
the door. The asthmatic young man
looked up, very white. with startled
eyes. Miss Curry stood ~motionless.
staring.
wait. Homerl" cried Stella. ~:
came from the booth in the railway
station. Here in Ackland!"
Homer's expression had not chang
cd at all. He merely shrugged. and
turned again. But Stella was M his
side. catching at his arm. Don't 90
alone. Horc-l"
Its all right, Stella. The town is
we'll policed now" That was All Ne
said. He had no fear in him; no
self-consciousncss. even. He went on
out; got in his a and drove off.
And for a moment Stella's breath
failed.
Then she hurried back to the tele-
phone. He had dropped that casual
remark about the state police ap-
pearing rather wary Of the local
force. So. quickly. she called the
state patrol station. IL was more
than a mile outside the Center, but
they had motor cycles.
Next she called te house Of Jos.
Harmer. Mrs. Harmcr said that her
husband was just coming in from
the barn after putting up his car
for the night. "He's certainly TAX
ing his time" muftered Stella.
standing t~ensely by the desk. FIJI
nally she heard his voice. and crisp
ly told him of the message.
well. well!" said he. isn't that
too badi"
There's a chance for quick action,
Mr.. Harmer. The man was az the
railway station three minutes ago.
lis Homer Mt the office ?"
mo. He's just gone home. There's
no time for questions, Mr.. Harmer."
She hung up with a snap. Cut him
off. The man had never hurried in
hrs life. Old Yankee fashion, he
pondered. balanced, waited every
thing out.
Gosh" muttered the pale young
man, with a faint whistle always in
his speech. "this is getting on my
nerves. Ard when / came here 10
work for Mr.. Pew ten days & |
thought il would be quiet. E.estful.
Ny Cod"
Miss Curry had sunk into a chair.
She was pressing a hand against her
flat breast. "Oughtn't we to be
doing something? He mustn't 20
around alone like that
We've done what we can said
Stella. "The truth is, it's hard tc
know just what you CAN do. Grim
inals seem to be able to get away
with 0 ey@ything they like, these
days She sat musing. Spoke
again. ut was a queer voice. Some
sort Of foreigner. Had trouble pro-
nouncing his ks and hard g's."
I'm beginning to wonder il we're
any of us SAFE" remarked the asth-
matte one.
"Oh, you're safe enough" said
Stella Stung by her manner even
more than by her words, he sub
sided.
The telephone rang again. She
snatched il up. Listened. Turned
swiftly 70 the others. "A police call
has come in from the Pew house"
he said. THAT was Miss Page, at
Central"