Glacier County chief., 1939-10-27
CHILD OF EVIL
.os;.s $:: :ss s:'-- By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN

You here alone, Mr.. Butler?"
| "YeS'm :" jeff was neither
cordial nor hostile. He simply stood
there, rocking slightly on the balls
of his overlarge feet.
This is very important" said
Babe. Il want to be sure nobody
| can overhear u.s."
JEFF shrugged. There amt no
body heahabouts."
"GoodI" Babe lowered her voice.
She felt that she understood this
man and knew how to handle him.
But there was one thing that Babe
Henkel did not know. One vitality
important thing.
was seeking help from the man who
had killed Kirk Reynolds!
jeff dragged out three can-bot-
toned chairs, and they seated them
selves. Then jeff asked, what you
all cravin' to see me about?"
Babe hesitated, but only briefly.
Its about Barney Hamilton"
"Yes'm." JEFF was noncommittal.
He killed Kirk Reynolds"
JEFF swallowed, so that his Ad-
ans apple bobbed up and down
alarmingly. His shrewd, weak eyes
narrowed and focused speculatively
upon the orchidaceous woman oppo-
site. But he betrayed no emotion.
He merely said, "You reckon"
I'm sure of it."
A warm glow Suffused jeff. He
had been considerably perturbed
since the night he had killed Kirk,
and it was pleasing to hear someone
declare suspicion of another's guilt.
So jeff merely said, He could Of"
and waited.
Babe talked straight. "You hate
Barney Hamilton, don't your"
"Yesm. reckon l do"
HE beat you up, didn't he?"
"Yes'm. He never give me no
chance. Just hit me when l wasn't
lookin'."
And you'd like to see him get
what's coming to him for killing Mr..
Reynolds, wouldn't your"
Maybe"
"Then," said Babe, "you can help
If you will"
jeff Butler produced dirty sack
of tobacco and a malodorous pipe.
With fingers that were not altogether
steady, he tamped the tobacco into
the bowl and held match to it.
He was thinking as swiftly and
efficiently as it was possible for him
to think. He was wondering whether
they suspected the truth, whether
they had come out here to trick him
lingo damaging admissions. But
Babe was tense and eager. Her
eyes were wells of black fire. She
spoke the name of Barney Hamilton
with venom. Jeff said, "How come
you'a to look me up?"
Because we hate Barney Hamil-
ton and we figure you do, too. May
be we can work together"
jeff grunted and nodded. His face
was impassive: stodgily inscrutable.
But he was pleased. ..
Fragments of unpleasant recollec-
ton came to him: the fight with
Barney Hamilton, his own ignomin-
ious beating, the drunken stupor
from which he had reused himself
the following day with head splitting
and pride irreparably injured.
He had turned back to his jug of
raw corn liquor and sought the soil
tude of Big Moccasin Swamp to re-
fleet upon the indignity which had
been put upon him. He had brooded
for hours, tanning himself into an
unreasoning anger against Barney
Hamilton. His meager brain-be-
logged by alcohol-had concentrated
upon this single idea: that his honor
had been dragged through the muck.
He convinced himself that Cathe-
dral Gardens was cesspool of iniq-
uity, and that any man who de-
stroyed portion of it would be do
ing fine community service And
so he had cut himself a Gghtwood
! knot and had lurched through the
swamp that night with the idea of
burning the Hamilton home. OF COM
hitting arson. OF jeopardizing hui
man life. OF exacting revenge for
the beating he had so justifiably suf-
fered the previous day.
Half stupefied with corn liquor,
and finding therein a courage which
was not natural, keyed to high pitch
| by the magnitude of the thing he
planned, jeff Butler had skirted the
Gardens and approached the house
from the rear. He knew that the
family would be in the front of the
house, that the Negro servants had
left, that the Gardens were not then
open to tourists at night.
Walking stealthily, carrying his
lightwood knot, making a stern eff
fort to control jagged nerves, reflect
ing upon the nobility Of his enter
prise :. (. and thoroughly terrified,
JEFF Butter had come closer and
| closer to the house. And suddenly,
in the darkness, he had collided with
| man.
| Instinctiveiy he struck at the mas
culine figure before him. There was
the bruising impact of fist on flesh;
| thor, . SNAIL froyr, The rnar r.,Lr