Evening star., 1928-05-06

into some sort of explanation, while the
faces of Sutton, square -hevn, grizzle-
thatched and grim, and Mrs. Sutton,
round and homely and dependable, and
the slightly wizened young-old face of
Henry Pennock. fioated before her like
the faces of bodileSs cherubs And
then. sleep-black, negative, complete;
oblivion
The voices of the Suttons murmured
on IN the dining room: the hard dry
snow picked at the clapboards; the
beams OF the little house cracked.
But Henry Pennock was outside In
the bitter night. With his overcoat
collar turned up around his wrinkled
neck and the flaps OF his cap pulled
over his big ears, and his breath going
out before him like a flag. he hurried
along In pattering trot. and. as he
went, he talked TO himself In time to
his steps
Henry Pennock wasn't quite right nor
quite grown up. In spite Of his graying
hair The Suttons looked out for him
and he did their chores when he re-
membered 10. If 1t hadn't been for the
Suttons he'd have had nowhere TO go.
Ralph Holt. as long as he lived in SUIT
ton Springs had kept the boys off him,
and the men. too, for that matter, Un-
der Raiph's prompt and heavy hand,
! batting Henry Pennock had lost its zest.
And since. also, Ralph could ride any
thing that could carry him, and clip a
flying dollar with his forty-four. and
wasn't afraid even OF Matt Farr or any
OF Mats friends, II was no wonder that
he had grown up In HenryS mind TO
proportions somewhat more than hu-
man.
AS he went up the steps of the little
building that housed the telephone COM
pany, Ralph can do anything!l" Henry
said to himself. with the fervor OF a
| fanatic, his faded blue-gray eyes
agleam. And went inside and got him
on the telephone.
Now, there were ways by which every
telephoned thing In Sutton Springs
that might interest him was communi-
Gated 10 Matthew Farr with the mini
mum Of delay. and one OF them TN cloak
and arctics left the back door OF the
building as Henry went out OF the front.
/ When Farr reached home at last on n
4 very weary horse her report was under
/ his door,
/ He read 1t and went out again.
! Matt Farr went up there" Henry
/ Pennock had said 10 Ralph over the
/ telephone, AN scared her so bad she
/ tried 10 shoot him. An'~~an' she got
/ away MI come GOWN TIA fSulhW MUun"
/ tain one skis. No, she wasn't hurt
! just tired. She's down to Suttons an
an they don't any OF 'em know what TO
do, an'-~an' Farr's showed In up 10 the
| pass
| MOLLY hadn't said that, but Henry
- had inferred II. II he hadn't be-
lieVed II was true he wouldn't have
telephoned For he had been present
/ that day In the post once when Joe
| Harper, the carrier who delivered mail
through ice-BOx Canyon. had brought
| IN word of the murder of old man Back.
master. who had been fighting Farr so
| long OH the question OF damning the
| Little Susie River, and suddenly. In the
midst ot the frightened quiet that fol-
lowed Harners words, Ralph had sale.
Gentlemen, I'm running for county
attorney. and II I'm elected I'm going
| 10 clean up Sutton Springa."
Ralph had moved over 10 Huena
Monte and begun his campaign the next
day and hadn't been back since, Henry
knew that anything might happen the
| first time he met Farf, and after the
events 0f yesterday wouldn't have
| brought them together for the world
with a little gold fence around IL, But
| with Fsrf away ~~@
/ Henry was pattefing along toward the
station 10 meet ftalphs train, when
| he approached the place where his