Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-03-08
VII


has led her to think that he is an
other, can he2 About such a stu.
alton, under the circumstances,
was something uncleani A man
does not want to tell a girl he loves
only part of what there Is to tell.
He wants to tell 1t all, every sen
tence, word and syllable.
he had written the sheriff at
length the night after DeYoung the
Belknap Il Gorbel filler, had told his
story, not trusting a word of that
to script, but setting down a theory
as he had evolved 1t and outlining
a program for the well-intentioned.
likable but slow thinking officer to
follow. This afternoon Bradshaw
had telephoned that certain investi-
cations had been made and John
rode In with the logs to determine
what he had learned.
"Been waitin' for you," the
sheriff said. scratching his head.
"Sit, Steele. | done what you told
me but II didn't seem to get us any
where. Everything looks straight
as a string"
"Sof just what'd you hnd2"
swell, | did just what you sug.
gested in your letter might be done.
i went to K%ampfest yesterday and
made the point that the county
didn't want to bury this lad and
tried to locate his relatives.
"Was careful to ask around In
other places and, just as you fig
ured, nobody could help. Then |
went to Gorbel. like II was kind of
a last resort. and apologized for
tr0ublin' him On ii and he tells the
straightest story you ever heard
If he's crooked he's too smart for
us. And maybe we're guessin'
wrong all along the line"
"What did he offer?"
"H-l, he told me everything He
told the sfraightest story q man'd
V e listened TO. He'd fired this
man himself, he said. because he
vas full Of moon. Said II again
and again. that the man'd been
drunk as a lordi If he's lying, he
sur is a good hand at It'll"
"What do you suppose he'd say
II he knew we had a witness to his
handing over a jug to this man?
And If the witness was pretty GER
tain the jug was filled with gaso-
liner"
"Huh?" Bradshaw gauped. "Wit-
nessf You mean
John nodded. witness r. he
whispered sharply. 1--WE got him,
NAT"
Rapidly he recounted what De-
Young had told him and the sher-
IFS eyes grew round with excite
msnt.
SNOW" John went on, @the next
move Is to upset GOrbel's own
story. He told you again and again
that the man was drunk. DeYoung
doesn't think so. but If that stom-
ach hasn't alcohol In 1t, then Paul
Gorbel's well on his way towards
being suspected of arson, and ar
son isn't q mild charge In this state,
Nat |"
"Ill sayl I'll say 1t ANTI On
me. Well have a deburyin'
In a day or two now, and wen see
what Wen seer
They talked until late and John
went to his bed with a finer
of well-being than he had had for
a long time. He would not have
been 80 cOmplacent. so certain that
his problem would come to an easy
and early solution had he known
what went on In the Belknap 4
Gorbel offices that same evening.
Paul Gorbel had driven his team
relentlessly into Kampfesi that iay,
his dark eyes glittering. Fear and
hate and jealousy rode with him.
When he entered his office. how
ever he was controlled. apparently
at pence with the world. lie went
to the Bank of Kampfest. gave or.
ders TO the cashier. visited a mo-
ment. and a In his office when
the mill closed.
He stood In the doorway as the
men streamed by and when Tucker
approached he called the man to
him. A girl came out. modlshly
dressed in q fur coat. q different
sort of figure than those you will
see on the streets OF a northern min
town. Gorbel broke his talk to
Tucker.
"Oh, Marie" The girl turned,
showing a white face under the
light, lips heavy with make up.
even. cleaning teeth. "TD have
some letters this evening. About
eight I"
IAN right" she said, and went
on and Gorbel turned again to
Tucker.
When he had finished the man
nodded.
HI, yesi You know. she's nev-
= been Z hand to say much against
folks. But I've heard her burn up
ID Belknap worse n II she'd cussed
Atm Quit"