The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-31

breakfast loomed as an ordeal un
told.
i wish | knew Campo began
be was ladling fresh coffee into 4
big pot with an enormous spoon
Wish knew" Suddenly b.
stopped. and stood staring. whlls
from the poised spoon a thin irickl,
% dry coffee drlbbled 70 the floor
Jean Ragland had returned. ans
was standing In the broad doorway
She siill carried the lamp. and 10
sharp near light. lllumlulng her fac,
remorselessly. showed that her fea
lures we're drawn by n hard and un
1 accustomed emotion. II took n mo
meni or two for Kentucky Jones to
realize that what he saw In the
girls face was fear.
For a moment no one spoke
Then Ragiand said. very low. bis
coffee spoon still motlonless. ''whal
Is Il. JeanT'
Jean Ragland's voice could hard.
~ be heard. some ones been
through the house"
~Been through the houseY-
"Rausacked II - through and
through Z"
Her father LET the big spoon
splash into the coffee pot Jean
turned. throwing the hight into the
room beyond. and for n moment IA
Their and daughter stood together IN
the doorway. staring al what the
others could not see. Then. slow.
Is. with n curious uncertainty. Cam
DO RaEland moved out of their
sight Jean followed him with the
lamp.
Kentucky Jones. with the others.
went to the door through which
Campo had disappeared.
The room was long and broad. In
one end a huge fireplace with a six
foot opening was huilt % rugged
chunks of the native rock. and near
this Campo stood. holding up q sec
oud lamp.
They heard him say. You're
right: there's 90 question about IT.
Jim Humphreys said. lis there
anything we can"
Ragland shot them quick
glance. as II momentarlly he had
forgotten that he was not alone.
"ft's nothing much. guess be said
IN a rocky voice. This dump has
been searched. all right That's
all. Wait back. you"
Jim Humphreys and Billy Peter.
sen returned 10 the kitchen. AZ the
doorway Kentucky Jones turned
and stood FOR a moment In a flnal
survey of the main room. He saw
Ragland pass on into the next room.
Jean moved TO follow him.
Then suddenly the girl stopped
and stood rigid. Following her eye.
Kentucky Jones saw at once what
she was looking at
ON the wall hung n cheap pic
ture frame. perhaps ten inches I'm
It's longer dimension. made OF mar
row dark wood And Il was dIstin-
gulshed from other picture frames
by the fact that there was no pic
ture In II.
Jean Raglana set her lamp down.
stepped forward snd erked the
empty frame from the wall. For a
moment she stood lrresolute. glanc-
Ing quickly about her.
"Do you want me 20 wrangle that
for you. toof" said Kentucky from
the doorway
For an instant she stared AT him.
her eyes wide and hostile II was
surprising 10 him-a little. That
afternoon. at the Inquest. she had
pressed into his keeping the bullet
she had taken from the evidence.
But now he knew that she had not
elected him as her ally. nor wanted
more than momentary aid.
Her fathers step sounded close
M hand beyond the other door.
Jean dropped the picture frame be-
hind a wooden chest that stood
against the wall. and picked up her
lamp again as her father re-entered.
They went back into the kitchen.
Campo Ragland paused in the main
room a moment 10 exchange the
brlefest sort OF word with Jean.
But his announcement was TO all
OF them. al once.
Somebody's ransacked this
dump" he told them slowly. Some
body's ransacked It good. There's
a rifle gone"
I'VE can spare a rife. 1 guess"
Jean said sharply. Except for a
certain soberness, Kentucky was
unable TO make out In Jeans face
any sign OF the cold still terror he
had seen In 1t a little while before.
But he saw now that a change had
come over Campo Ragland. Campo's
face was stifTly expressionless but
the eyes were those OF a man lost
in uncertainty.
Kentucky Jones knew Campo TO
be typical Of the Wolf Bench breed
Of owners, a man as durable as the