The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-04-15
GUNLOCK
RANCH
By
FRANK H.
SPEARMAN
Copyright Frank II. spearmaA
WNU Service
Copyright Frank n. SpeafmAA
WNU Service

why, Jd1lc! nc GAC1d1II1eU. WHAT
brings you here so early?"
She looked around at him in ST.
lence. The doctor walked over to
her and laid his hands on her shout
ders. "Jane," he asked, what has
happened, girl?"
The grief in her sunken eyes was
too apparent.
ooh, doctor!" The exclamation
came like a burst of suffering long
pent. 81 know everything"
He saw the fat was fatty in the
fire. Indeed he had long had only
faint hope of keeping the facts from
Jane. His real hope had been that
she might not hear the truth till he
could save Denison's eyes and thus
cushion the horrid shock that the
facts must bring to an innocent suf-
ferer.
She had thrown her arms on the
table in front of her. Her head sank
between them.
DR.. Carpy rose, walked around to
the other side, lifted her head and,
standing beside her, supported it in
his arms. "Jane," he said slowly,
booking down into her pitiful eyes,
sfrom what you tell me, see that
you have heard loose stories float
ing around"
''You, too, have heard them, Doc
tor. Why, oh, why didn't you tell
me?"
"Jane" exclaimed the doctor,
driven from his last stronghold of
reserve by the poignancy of her
grief. 'How the hell could tell you
a story involving those it did in such
an affair? Actually, nobody knows
just what the facts are. Now we
must get started right. First you tell
me all you heard. Then Eli tell you
all I've heard-is that fair?"
Brokenly, and pausing at intervals
to control her voice, Jane gave him
the train story.
Carpy had bowed his head.
"Well," he commented as she
looked soberly up, "that's not far
from what I've been told myself.
But, Jane, I'm not bit sure we
have the facts in these stores. They
all depend on the word of one of the
worst characters in this country.
Barney Rebstock wouldn't hesitate
at anything low down in the whole
range of crime-anybody in town
will tell you that. He's not only an
ex-convict but the biggest liar in
this whole country"
Doctor" she said solemnly, "does
Bill know all that you and know?'
"Jane," he answered in lgie, BILL
knows all that you and I know"
ooh, knew it. I knew it. To think
that poor I should have brought this
horror into his life!"
"Jane, that's not so. This might all
have happened if you never had
seen this country
81 want you to do one last favor
for me, Doctor. Will your" asked
Jane.
"What is it, Jane?"
'T want you to say to Bill that I
freely release him from his promise
of marriage; that I beg him to for
give me all I have innocently caused
him to sutherland that I will leave
here forever"
"Jane!" exclaimed her listener.
She raised her hand, give not fin
ished YETI
"Go on!" he snapped, bluntly.
"My father has made me his heir
to Gunlock ranch; he has no other
heir. This morning I will make my
will and bequeath whatever inher-
it from my father to William Deni-
son, to atone as far as can for the
wrongs my father has done him."
"Well?" remarked Carpy coldly.
"That is all"
'And that is what you want me to
tell Bill?"
'That, Doctor, is what want Bill
to know. Oh, if had another to do
it for me, dear Doctor, I wouldn't
put it on you"
Carpy rose to his feet.
"Jane, you're sending me on
fools errand. But seeing I'm nothing
but an old fool, I expect I'm just the
man for the job. can tell you now
what he'll say as well as if I'd seen
him and given him your message.
But know, of course, that wouldn't
satisfy you. So I'll go-and 60 now.
'sNow promise" he repeated, in
parting, "you will stay right here in
this office till I get back"
But she was i'll prepared for what
she saw when the office door was
opened half an hour later and DR..
Carpy pushed Denison ahead Of him
into the office. Bills eyes were ban
daged. He CROPPED little with his
hands, while the doctor guided him