Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-01-03
CHAPTER I-Continued

PitAiohf win Ct ddih biuC 0eNo aiN
rich. shiny, Jet black hair. She was
unusually intelligent and affectionate,
of quick sympathy and winning, gra.
cious ways. She was the apple of Mr..
Gatlin's eye, and by the time she was
ten years old he no longer cared a
snap of his finger for his wife.
If Penelope was Mr.. Gatlin's refuge,
he also was hers. She never com
plained to hlm-doubtless because she
feared her foster mother, who had sue
ceeded In intoxicating In the child a
duty complex quite out of proportion
to the lady's deserts. Nevertheless II
was understood between them that they
were q pair Of outlaws; mutual sym
patty drew them closer together each
day their mutual love was a sweet
and holy sentiment.
Mr.. Gatlin's nerves did not improve
through the years, although when
Penelope was ten years old, a wander
Ing evangelist came to town and com
menced a furious campaign of CONVEX.
sion and curing by prayer every dis
ease that flesh Is heir to; and Mrs.
Gatlin became converted" There
after, life for Mr.. Gatlin and Penelope
became almost unbearable.
In a moment of insane fury. Mr.. Cat
lin performed what he considered a
long neglected duty. He took Mrs. Cat
Inns classical countenance In both
hands. bumped her head repeatedly
against the wall and told her that If
she ever opened her mouth again In
his presence without his permission
he'd just about kill her. She didn't.
She sued him for divorce and had
Penelope on the witness stand to prove
that Mr.. GatliD had beaten her; that
he had remained away from hoIne until
late at night and refused to reveal his
rendezvous. Mr.. Gatlin entered a cross
complaint and p%etitioned to have Pene.
lope allocated to him.
Unfortunately the Judge was a pud-
ding-head. He refused to accept Mr..
Gatlin's explanation that he had laid
hands on Mrs. Gatlin but once, and
that only in a moment Of frenzy. But
he did not state where he had been In
the habit of spending his evenings so
susplciously. He couldn't afford to. He
was a prominent business man. How
ever, the judge should have known.
Probably he did, but even so he was
unsympathetic. He granted Mrs. Cat.
lin the divorce, liberal alimony and the
custody of Penelope; whereupon the
honorable court was treated to the
spectacle of Mr.. Gatlin and Penelope
weeping In each others arms. How
ever, Mr.. Gatlin was permitted to have
Penelope to himself two Sunday after
moons In each month and one-half of
each school vacation.
The first Sunday afternoon Mr.. Cat
Tin availed himself of this privilege, his
quondam spouse had Mysteries, for with
the malevolence of a devil Mr.. Gatlin
announced he was taking Penelope to
ball game. He took her, too, and
they had a gorgeous time together I'M
til a home run sailed into the bleach
ers and struck Penelope violently on
her pretty little nose. Mr.. Gatlin. with
the unconscious form In his arms, fled
TO a hospital, where he was foolish
enough to telephone Mrs. Gatlin what
had occurred. She appeared on the
scene and carried Penelope home al
once.
Mr.. Gatlin knew what she was uI
to. She was going to cure Penelope's
fractured lose by falkland he had
40 faith in such therapy. He followed
with d doctor, demanding at the front
door to be admitted-a request which
was ignored. So he kicked In the
panels of the front door, which he had
no business to do because ii was nc
longer his. Mrs. Gatlin having acquired
II in the property settlement. There
upon she summoned the police by tele
phone and had him arrested. and the
next morning he was tried. found guilty
and placed under bond Of a Thousand
dollars 10 remain away from the place
for one year.
He didn't do 1t. because he knew
what would happen to Penelope If he
did. And he could afford a Thousand
dollars-fifty thousand dollars II need
be-to prevent that! He attacked
within twenty-four honrs-at nlgls. bu1
he was quiet about 1t. He remembered
he had never surrendered his latch
key, so he entered quietly and kid
naped Penelope.
Within two hours he was arrested
en- route to a San Francisco hospita
In a motor car with Penelope. For dis
obeylng the magistrate, he was ad
judged guilty of contempt of court, hi.
bond of a thousand dollars forfeited
and he was sentenced to thirty days Ii
tive county Jail. Mrs. Gatlin preferred
q charge OF kidnapping against him
which Is a felony, and since Mr.. Gatlir
k.~u ~ -.x,,yl 10 tuyn1 on tk~4 49,