Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-03-17
CHAPTER XIII

ton spoke Just to him. ii seemed.
"And now. friends of the air lanes.
in closing our little circus program.
Dayton brothers wishes you every
| happiness We want to thank those
of yon who have been good enough
to visit us at the festival, for your
| patronage and for the nice things You
| have said about the show. especially
about my riding act. But | must tell
| you that ii was not my idea. Ii was
originated by Mr. Joseph Bradley, who
| first made my song and our air sigma
ture. Queen OF the Sawdust Ring. a
success Mr. Bradley Is no longer
with our circus. hut we will always
remember him for what he did and
what he was to US. fine Snowman, a
dear friend and one who will afwHvs
have our faith, our good wishes-and
our love. This is Sue Dayton speak
Ing for the Dayton Brothers circus.
Good night. friends"
She was gone: out Of the cone
speaker n new voice was sounding.
Before the radio a haggard man
| rocked for a long moment, neither
knowing nor caring what nov came
over the air. There was stare in
his eyes, an expression, horeyer,
swiftly changing. Suddenly he yhirled.
clubhouse !" he shouted You
Fullhouse!"
There was no answer He. swung
about, to half-crouched position fac
Ing the door.
clubhouse = There was DOM
inant quality to his voice You hear
me! Come in here. I've got something
to say to you!"
But there was only silence. save for
the creaking OF the frogs rustling
Of the foliage outside the window.
'sYou heard me, Fullhouse II you
want this drilling done. You come and
do 1t Yourself I'm through with this
sort Of thingl'
The silence had struck him as
| strange. He rose and walked swiftly
across the room, hating at last In the
doorway.
clubhouse
| In the silence that followed, Joe
| Barry heard the slightest OF sounds
| behind him. 1t was merely click
| ing, the faintest of clicking, as metal
| struck metal, something heavy coming
In easiest possible touch with the cop
per weather stripping of the open win
/ fC hoe n t,trn nd Nil In.
an instant he glimnsed it. the long,
blue steel barrel. striving desperately
| to center on him. the gaping hole at
| Its end. the shadow of face beyond,
| and hands clamped behind metal
| drum. Joe Barry waited for no more.
The light switch was at his very fin
! ger tips, where his hand was braced
| against the wall A spasmodic Jerk
and he had struck ii, driving it home;
| at the same instant. he diyed for the
| floor. The room was in darkness,
save for the squirting OF yellow flame
| from the window, continuous squirting,
| accompanied by the rattle Of machine
| gun fire as bullets sought desperately,
viclously. to find an equally desperate
| target In the darkness.
CHASTITY calm came to the man on
| the floor. He doubled his arms be-
| meath him and rolled swiftly, far to
| one side. while above him the plaster
| Clipped, sprinkling its dust upon him.
A tinkling sound came from the hall
behind, followed by the crash of glass
| on the floor Now the yellowish-red
| spurts began to search downward, but
| Joe had crossed the room, he was
| against the back wall, at the RADIO 1t
had come to him swiftly that 1t was
| this position which had held him safe
| for the long moments In which he had
| listened to a girls voice from far
away. This was on bad angle from
the window. it could not be reached.
| Again and again and again and again
the ugly clatter echoed through the
room; acrid odors came to his nos
trils. Then silence. With that, STUN
bling. getting his direction only by in
stinct, Joe Barry was on his feet and
running for the front OF the house.
He reached the highway and turned
for town, driving madly Miles passed
He was driving slower now, holding
the car to legal limits by sheer force
Of will. Ceaselessly there pounded
| through his mind the thought OF Full
house There was one chance in a
thousand that he had gotten away;
frightened into such desperate haste
that he could give no warning. And
| II he had. there was but one more
chance that Joe could learn Of ii. The
light Of drug store showed on
far corner beyond the park Joe sent
the car to the curb. and forcing an
appearance Of nonchalance, went with
in the store to the telephone BOOTH
regis 942." he called.
There is no such exchange. I'll
| give you chief operator"
A few moments later. Joe Barry
walked slowly from the telephone
booth. to the drug store door, then
halted.
"That operator says there's no such
telephone exchange as Regis in Wash
ington"
There isn't" answered the drug
| gist.