The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-08
y PAUL
CAST OF

S1AAeASAG LIAM L-du cdSIcFu cir
who came into the frontier west
to find a home.
MARK DEUEL. homesteader
who keeps his business to himself
ASHTON OAKS-a land agent
with town lots to sell.
YESTERDAY: Mark finds Car
rie and Mrs. Taylor unframed in
a cellar. Rain comes in time to
save the homesteads. The next
day, riding back to town, Mark
meets Oaks. without warning,
Oaks shoots. Mark returns the
fire, kills Oaks horse before he
falls. Oaks, believing him dead,
takes his horse. As he leaves he
sees Mark stirring.
CHAPTER XII
They sent for Carrie right after
they brought Mark back to town;
that is, Ma Parmley sent Newt
Gale for her, and Newt drove Car
RE in from Rock Creek himself.
Newt used the same high buggy
in which he had brought her over
from the stageline only a few days
before and the same curious
crowd was or hand to greet them;
only the throng was bigger,
quieter. Carrie noticed this time.
Pale, and obviously nervous,
she stepped down from the buggy
and swished through the path that
opened for her. At the door OF
Sioux Springs House, Ma vas wait
ing to greet her. With a low little
cry, Carrie rushed to Mas gener.
Gus arms and a second later was
sobbing on her shoulder.
"Is-is he hurt badly" Carrie
managed to choke out at last. 1t
was good to cry on someone's
shoulder after the events of the
past week. Ma had taken Carrie
to the privacy" of the hotel sit
ting room, and there had let her
have her cry out before seeing
Mark.
well, he can't take in no dance
this Saturday night" Ma said at
last, "but he can stand visitors.
She laughed, released Carrie.
Matter of fact, 1 think he could
see one now-the right one"
She winked broadly in her
warm, hearty manner, led Carrie,
still shifting from the room and
down the hall. At the first open
door, Ma paused, whispered,
Now, you're the DOCTOR a d
pushed Carrie gently but firmly
inside.
MARK" Carrie cried, and
rushed to the bedside.
Newt Gale Gained the curious
crowd, told everyone the whole
story. When Ed Taylor drove into
town an hour after Carrie, Newt
was still holding forth at the livery
stable. Minus Nevis cuss words,
and unrepeatable designations OF
Ashton Oaks, and condensed to
mere essentials, the story vent
something like this:
The morning after Mark deuel.
had passed Sioux Springs House
and saw Ashton Oaks helping a
girl in white from a buggy, he
received a message. 1t was mailed
from the nearest telegraph point
and brought in by stage, so it's con-
tents were two days old. But it
brought the news Mark had want
ed.
Emory Ashton man you de-
SCRIBE" read the wire, and Gov
eminent Agent Mark Deuel. knew
at last he was on the trail Of a
land swindler sought in seven
states. Mark had been ordered to
find Ashton, alias Oaks, six months
earlier, had picked up the trail,
lost it. Now, finally, he had found
his man again and Washington had
confirmed his Identification.
With decisveness, he showed
the scrubbed message in his peck
ct, walked down to Newt Gales
livery stable. There Newt had told
him "a gentleman by the name of
Ashton Oaks" had rented a buggy,
all right, the night before, was
renting it again today.
Events moved fast, unexpected
ly after that. At the land office
Mark learned ashton Oaks" or
Emery Ashton" was booming tic