The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-13
- = U sCaNg1cC
cHAPTER 1


u.fgfIen which Included twelve
yrareld snarc-drumuer and bass
drummer % si1ly played. % a
sumuer night -Illli Hail. The
Gangs All Here and proceeded
with proper saIemul,y into My
Country. It's sf Thee" old stad
Fa-ry looked az oid Nils Clevik
art said -Wa.al she's finished
mafe We bcucr gct along" And
N..s serklue ou bis pipe would nod
b.s bead ln grave accord.
Eat this was no ordinary band
coaceFt night Ia July. The icle-
zyaph operator. Albert Symes. had
irt faU thc Information that the ex-
press was going 90 stop M the
Heron River depot this evening. II
was uot only going 10 slow down as
was Us auni. 20 drop oT the incom-
e- ua.l and O. snatch up the out.
lu.r=. bu; it was going 10 come 20
definite siandsilll To lei or !
passenger And who hadn't read
in isslays Maynard Times about tlic
shooting. over a gambling table In
chicago. ~ Gentleman Jim Gvno.
hre - Gentleman Jim who silil
ugue1 baif % the Grvuohle farm.
fanrily called YgdrasI by a fancy
v.fe raw long dead and who bad
g. daughter uho mu- now De Mite
frru or fwcuiy7 Albert Symcs D.
In. nan of honor in bis profes
sion. hadn't said that there had
ls-rn = wlrc 60 Sophronla Willard.
1lm's married sister. about Jims
dauEh,cr. stating that she would
arrive on the evening train. Hui
TlUle Pink. - the telephone office
had conscicniiousiy listened in while
Albert had conveyed the message
20 phrouie Willard NJ eight o'clock
that morning. So that IL had been
unnecessary Tor Albert Symes to
be'ray bis trust.
Another Interesting angle In the
Situation Was that HoJdy willard
sier son ~ Sophrunla. had mysierl.
ousiy disappeared 10 his car yesier.
Gav. just n little "trip foidy had
said lu yiew of the fact that Els
bath Fink. the posimisgress and SIS.
DER % TIUie. knew that four letters
had been placed IN Hoddy's rural
rail box during the past ten days.
an ln the same feminine handwrlt.
lns. tbe circumstances were lntr.gu.
inr indeed
All IN an. conditions certainly
warranted a change ~ procedure
on the part % those two old cronies.
Shad Fiuney and Nils Uleylk. They
siAmped heartily enough upon the
solvent % Hall. Han but after
that they glanced st their watches.
And Immediately those others who
possessed watches drew them out
from snug pockets. looked AZ them.
gave a thoughtful wind TO the
stems and replaced them.
There was a general movement
toward the depot. n block away.
across from the lumber yard. Eight
een or twenty grown persons and a
scattering 90 children.
~p'you spoSe Phronie1i be hereT"
Shad whispered 10 Nils "Tralni
likely she'll send Jason 90 meet her.
The looks o. hlm's enough 10 scare
the old Nick hluself.-
Mis- shrugged "She could do
worse" he remarked. Vase yust
90 good So his brudder Roderlek--
Shad spled Duke Meibank stand
Ing amid four OF Eve men on the
depot platform. Duke-whose real
name was Earl-was bareheaded as
usual. and his flaming red hair.
shayen close about the ears and
neck, could have been seen a quar-
ter mile away.
Duke was tall. narrow-shouldered.
tubular His body suggested
length OF sponge. lie had a loud.
slm0s; IncesSant laugh which was
yeculiarly devoid OF mlrth and
r.eanins. He was an only son. and
gIved with his mother on a shamhles
81 a farm fringlng Heron River
since farming had become unprOfii-
able. Jess Meibank and her son sup
plled homebrew TO the nelghborhood
and 20 the campers on the lakes to
the north at twenty-five cents a
quart. Jess. in eolorIng. appeared 10
have been the inspiration OF Duke
She was as broad. however. as she
was long.
soon after Shad Finney and Nils
Ulevlk had gained the steps OF the
platform. Jesse Melbank could be
seen waddlIns forward from the
shadowed extreme end Of II. The
evening being oppressive. Jess Sani
with audible relief down upon
bench against the depot wall. still
some distance from the group OF
oilers who surrounded her son
puke. Shad and Nils with a GER
tain feeling Of distaste. Il must be
admitted. edged nearer the group.
The two old men may not have
been listening to the utterances OF
Duke Melbank-those utterances so
punctuated by bis own snickers and