The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-17

hack o. the room. The sheriff
s.5rei fa'fered. and stopped \ tall
deputy lcft Jean Baeland's side 90
su pushing back through The crowd
Watching the disturbance al the
hack. Kentucky did nor see that
Jean Ea-laul had iegi her chair
until she stumbled almost against
hlm. Her Handkerchief was at her
mouth. aud she seemed even paler
ihan before. as Il turned suddenly
faint by the stIGe - the close mir.
Campo BaEland. her father. spraug
up md Vas beside her Ia a stride,
supporting her I'm bis arms. For a
moment the press of the crowd was
too much and they could not get
through. Her shoulder pressed hard
against Kentucky. but although he
spoke to her by name she did not
appear to hear.
Then unexpectedly. IN the smoth-
er of the crowd. her fingers closed
upon his In a quick hard grip. She
had pressed small heavy object
into his hand
Turning Il over in the pocket of
bis coat Kentucky Jones discovered
wi,h n queer slow stir - the blood
that the thing she had left IN his
hand could be- nothing else bat n
used bullet lie knew az once that
this vas the slug which bad killed
man.
Campo Ragland said through his
teeth. "Will you let Us out. or not1"
and the standing catilemen flattcned
against the wall 20 let Campo and
his daughter by. Kentucky Jones
lost sight Of Jean as the crowd
closed behind them.
But for Kentucky Jones the at
mosphere ~ that packed room bad
changed. lie was no longer simply
a caitleman interested In n death
which threatened 20 shift the eco
nofulcs of n range The thing that
had pulled blm over four hundred
miles Of suow-clnrrcd ruts In the
last eighteen hours suddenly took
on = ncw aspect. as acutely person.
al ard definitely sinister ns n he
had himself been accused Of mur-
dcring the man who was dead
And now the luovliahle sequel
broke A deputy who had stood by
the cluttered ledge where the ex-
hlhifs were sung oui sharply. inter
rup;ing the sheriff
await a mlnufe' Hold every
thing There's something missing
here 80
In the rnomenfnry silence n lower
voice said: Maybe it's fen on the
floor
what IS HT~ the coroner de
mandci What's Tonct"
This here bullets gone. that we
had on the window slll with The
other things"
"nulletl What bulletf You
mean
THE slug thst killed Mason -
There was a sudden moment of
struck silence all over the crowded
room. This was followed lmmedI.
ately BY rising huxx. a. almost
every man of all the great number
IN that room turned e. spcak low.
toned % bis nelghbor.
Watching the stir about the cor
oner's table. Kentucky saw that Bob
Elliot. owner Of the S.. was look
ing at him curiously. Kentucky
grinued family az Elliot as be
worked n hole In the seam of his
pocket with thumbnail. and
pressed the bullet through. SO that
Il ZEN deep into the lining of his
coat.
over the buzz Of confusion he
heard the coroner almost shouting.
"You sure II Was there5-
Its been here all the time. but
Just now reached back. and"
The sheriff jumped 20 bis feet.
and his chair claitered over back.
ward. His voice rose In an angry
below. lock that door" be or.
dered by Cd. I'm not going 10
have IT," An abrupt silence fell at
the impact OF his voice. "Some Of
you fellows are no better than chill
dren suppose you'd steal the
shirt OF your own back II you dg-
ured II was a souvenir I"
"walt n minute. Floyd" The cor
oner caught the sherif-s arm. and
pulled him down 20 whisper In his
ear; and there followed an maud.
BILE but apparently a heated discus
sion. IL seemed TO take effect upon
the sherif's plans. for he sat down
abruptly. his square face flushed
with evaporation. IAN right. let
II 20. for now. But somebody hasn't