Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-03-16

Belknap, sort of upset his buggy
'He found out who this John Steele
was and you'd ought to We heard him
ravel He dictated that letter and l
had TO write ii TO Ellen Richards. When
you showed up here and went to work
1t knocked him for a loop He was
scared stiff. He laid off the Richards
job and started In, tryin' TO make her
again"-darkly. THE dirty double
crosseri"
She fumbled for a handkerchief and
blew her moss with vigor.
"Wellt" said John with his heart
rapping his ribs. well, and it's about
as | had 1t figured. out. He's played
his own game. using my fathers cards
and my fathers name -
That's it! But that amt the half
of 1t, John!" Again her hand was ON
his arm.
"The thing that got your father sus-
picious was how the lumber was grad
ing. 1t showed up an awful lot OF
low-grade stuff. The more we cut,
the worse 1t seemed to be. Well,
that's easy IL you're inside.
Every week, car after car of good
Number Two Common and better rolls
out of Kampfest, billed to the North
Star Lumber company In st Paul as
GULL Yes. sir You can check on
that ~l'-nodding. Her voice was a bit
hoarse now. And that North Star
company is Paul GorbeI. l don't know
where or how. But he owns It. I
know that and he doesn't know how
| found out.-0 oh, he'd kill me IL
he knew thisl But it's true"-desper-
ately. ITS true. John . He's double
crossing your father every day In the
week. and when your father tried to
check up on 1t by an inspection at
the other end, Gerbel fixed that, too.
some way. / think he switched cars
in st. Paul on the Inspector.
There's things in the bank. too.
How much | don't know. / do know
that he's accepting a lot of North Star
notes in payment for that good lum-
Der at Gull prices. In other words.
he's stealing Relknap < Gorbel blind r
She ended, breathing rapidly and
John stood there. so close to her, tri-
umphant emotions surging In his
heart.
He looked down at her face, so close
to his. I'm sorry" he said, and
meant that. Poor, light-headed
kid he thought. A gold-digger. yes:
coarse, vindictive, cruel. selfish. She
wanted him to kiss her now. She was
swaying closer to him.
He put his hands on her shoulders
gently.
THANK you. Marie" he said. May
be there are things III be asking OF
you laterl Just do your job and wait
If I have to see you. I'll write a note
and let you plan the meeting.
I'm awfully obliged. Good night.1
He went then, leaving her In the
finally turned into the house with a
sigh.
Gosh r she said. Gosh. AS
hard to make as a million dollars r
But as she climbed the stair her dis
appointment-a casual sort OF emo
tion-gave way to a hard Joy. She
| lighted her room and took of her coat
with quick, angered movements.
"You got gay with the wrong party,
YOU double-crosserf !" she muttered.
and her weak, pretty little face was
unlovely to behold Woman scorned |
In his room at the boarding house
John wrete a letter before he turned In.
1t was to Bradshaw, brief and TO the
point. And the concluding paragraph
read:
"And so send the following message
to r. A. Wolcott, st. Anthony's Trust
! Co, Minneapolis. He is an old friend /:
open his reply and follow any leads
he may give you
"tPlease find out at once all you
can about investors In and officers
of North Star Lumber Co, st. Paul,
also advise me of its local standing
stop Send reply to Nat Bradshaw,
this address-JOHN BELKNAP.'r
Paul Gorbel had not attended the
dance. He had had other matters to
occupy him. Neither had Baxter been
in the recreation hall. though on
other Saturday nights he had occu-
pied his place by the fire and made
his uncouth observations of women for
the benefit of boys and low-grade men.
Tonight he stood In the shadow OF
a lumber pile with Gorbel and took his
orders. but he took those orders,
snapped at HON coldly, with grace.
"But s'pose 1t kills him" the man
muttered.
$50 much the betteri"
"Good Cd, Gorbel, / don't want to
kill any Of old Tom ~Belknap'si"
I'm giving You your orders II you