The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-02-22
CHAPTER IV-Continued


can inquest was held, on Don's story
a warrant was issued for McManus and
so it stands, after all these years"
He rubbed his face again.
"Now, that's that. The thing that's
stuck in the minds of some of us Is
this: that McManus, under no circum-
stances, ever showed a quarrelsome
streak, let alone giving evidence of be-
ing a killer. However, with
shrug-"hed been on long, long
drunk"
He paused and shook his head.
Then went on:
Brandon carried on the partnership
and his own interests, buying his own
logs in the name of the firm and saw
ing them in the mill. He bought right
and left, left and right. AS soon as
another man would plan to operate
here Brandon would try to buy him
out. If he couldn't buy at his own
figure things commenced to happen to
that man. Duval has figured in
a good many failures !"-nodding pro-
foundly. "The man seemed to be OBJ
sessed by the idea that he must own
all the timber in the locality.
"Finally it came down to this one
piece, owned by McManus, which was
the last which Brandon wanted and
that he didn't have. He commenced to
jockey so he could get title to it. Ho-
mer Campbell was judge of probate
then. Nick went to Homer with petit
ton to have McManus declared legal
ly dead so the estate could be pro-
bated and this timber disposed of.
Mac had been gone seven years and
such an arrangement could be brought
about according to law. you see.
However, Homer got the notion that
Brandon was mite too anxious, salts
fed himself that while Brandon was
getting rich personally the partner
ship was in a bad way, and decided
that he wouldn't be party to any
scheme to rob an estate
THAT ended Homer politically. Nick
put up another candidate and trimmed
us properly and we knew that when
the new judge came in he'd take orders
from Brandon. So Homer surprised
Brandon by reopening the McManus
matter, declaring him legally dead and
appointed me administrator for the
estate and guardian for Dawn"
His stomach shook with his chuck
ling at that.
mick was pretty mad, all right! I
commenced to pry into things, found
that the partnership books certainly
did look bad and decided to take a
licking there and sold out the Nc
Manus interest. We were stung, all
right, but there was no use squealing.
1 took the money, paid up the mort
gage on the Hoot Owl, sent Dawn off
to school in the East where she
wouldn't be known as the daughter of
a murderer cloud which was mis-
shaping her whole life-and tried to
make some money for her.
THAT'S how it stands to date. I've
failed. We're on the ragged edge; the
estate right now, considering the loca-
ton of this timber in Brandon's terri
tory as a liability, is insolvent. Dawn's
had to come back here to live where
she's unhappy and what's ahead of us
depends on you"
Ben gave wry smile.
"This killing thing, now. Did
anybody ever suspect Brandon?"
Able shook his head.
"Faxson and McManus were alone.
And McManus disappeared. / know
what's in your mind, Ben. But there
was nothing to support the suspicion"
He sat silent a moment and then
asked drily:
Haven't read old Don's letter YETI"
"Nor yet"
"A stitch In time, you know :.
And Brandon was afraid of Don on
account of something in the past"
Ben grinned "I'm superstitious.
don't like to use all I've got until
i have TO; don't even like to look at
my hole card"
"Well, it's your message, that let
ter; your property" Able said "And
the nuts going to get tougher fast. l
hate to think what'd happen If we had
to stop saving for two or three days
right now. A shutdown certainly
would put temper into the shell of the
nut. Ben, and"
He stopped short. Into the stiffness
of the room came muffled shout. Ben
started to his feet and Able turned a
bewildered face in the direction of the
sound.
"Fire!" a wailing voice cried. 9Th
mills on firel"
Butler could be heard bounding from
his bed in the next room. Able lurched
to the door to see Ben Elliott flying
toward the mill-yard. silhouetted
against the dull glow of angry flame
which showed through cracks in the
mill. Afaa
The wide doorways to the ground
floor were rectangles of dull orange.
The Ere was In there. beneath the
deck. under the carriage. eating into the
very vitals of the MILL
A water barrel stood beneath the
slide, its bucket dangling from stick