The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-04-08

ing smile, Denison looked confused.
"Say!" exclaimed Carpy suspicious
ly, whats been going on here?
What have you two been up to?
Bill" he said suddenly, you've been
moving that bandage!"
"Why, I did lift the bandage for
few seconds" confessed Denison.
what for?"
''To look at the roses"
BILL, you're blamed liar. You
lifted it to look at this girl-didn't
he, Jane?" Carpy Numbered the
question in his most aggressive
manner.
''How do I know, doctor?" asked
Jane demurely.
"Bill," he said, sitting down by his
patient, tell me just what and how
much did you see when you lifted
that bandage.
doc, I'll confess, I couldn't see
much-just a blur"
"And your eyes ache and sting
now, don't they?"
''They burn little, Doc"
ell say they burn little! How
many mornings has this been going
on?"
Denison was silent. ''Only yester-
day and today, DOCTOR" confessed
Jane, hesitatingly.
"Well, don't try it any more" said
Carpy to Denison. eff you do, I'll
put you back in dark room. only
let you out here on the theory you'd
behave yourself"
Carpy picked up his bag. He was
part way down the corridor when he
was waylaid by Lefever.
Come into Sawdy's room a min
ute, Doc" pleaded Lefever, He'd
like to talk this thing over with
YOU"
Sawdy, propped up in bed, led the
talk. But the talk was not to DR..
Carpy's liking. eyes," he muttered
scornfully, II expected that's the
way it would work out. If there's a
mean job to be done in this town,
put it on me-
But the pair now working on the
doctors sympathies knew their vic
i'm pretty we'll and, having once
brought him to refuse their request,
needed only to persevere in order to
make him grant it. This brought
Carpy back that afternoon to Deni-
son, alone.
Doctor said the injured man, Il
couldn't be sure this morning when
Jane was here whether you were
talking to encourage her and me, or
whether you really think you can
save my sight"
Bill, I was honest in what I said"
,eturned Carpy. Il believe and hope
I can save your eyes. But it's not all
IN my hands; I told you that, too. If
Natures willing, we're going to get
through all right-does that satisfy
your"
'"That's all I can ask, Doc"
pill" said the doctor suddenly,
'Sawdy and Lefever have found out
who burned the ranch house-and
why it was set afire.''
"Who was it," asked Denison vio-
lently.
keep cool, Bill; keep cool. It's a
mean mess"
Denison was on fire. ''Why don't
you tell the story?" he demanded
angrily. 'What did they do?"
First" responded Carpy, deter
mined not to be rushed, "they found
that Barney Rebstock had pocket
full of money since the fire. They
lured him down to McAlpin's barn.
When SAVOY began to question him,
he showed fight. The upshot of it
was, the two went at it hammer and
longs in box stall. Barney had
knife-he drove it through Sawdy's
leg, and Sawdy was choking him to
death when McAlpin and the boys
heard the noise and stepped in to
ave the thief. Then they took him
,ut behind the barn till he told his
story.
mind you, this now is Barney's
;tory-might or might not be the
facts. He claimed he was paid two
hundred dollars to set the house
afire, with promise of two hun
dred more after he'd burned it."
Carpy paused. He thought the
sickening truth must have already
begun to penetrate Denison's mind;
it had not.
"Who," asked Denison, with fell
epithet, paid him to burn me up?"
GAS Barney tells it," continued
Carpy deliberately, lit was between
McCrossen and Gus Van Tambel."
Denison sprang from his chair.
He tore the bandage from his sight
less eyes. From his disfigured lips
there poured stream of bitter
words.
'Not too fast, Bill-not too fast.
Remember there'll be another to
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