Evening star., 1940-04-29
Trails ENp sM \
k&m>I " WuAh M.sI EopRAM A&1
es WILLIAM M@L,EoD DRANE

eAMM
his butcher shop" Phil put down
on the table the packages he was
carrying. II got you pork chops,
sweet potatoes and corn. Just what
you like"
limp! Did you hear any talk
up town."
Phil knew what he meant. Were
people jeering at him for the quirt-
ing Prentiss had inflicted? To take
his mind from its brooding, Phil
told him, Anne Eliot is in town."
"What?" Jesse raised himself
painfully on an elbow.
Il haven't seen her, but she came
IN on the stage last night. She
was the woman who was with Silcott
and Jelks when the Hat T men at
tackled the Sentinel ofice."
Jesse Engaged To Anne.
whats she doing here?" Jesse
asked irritably. why didn't she
write and tell me she was coming?"
The younger brother could have
given a good answer, but he didn't
want to annoy Jesse. The good for
nothing Jesse had been engaged to
Anne at the time he left Massillon
for the West. He had ceased reply
ing to her letters, and after a time
she stopped writing.
"They say she is going to run the
Sentinel The story is all over
town."
"she always was crazy" Jesse
snapped.
"She always was a dandy girl"
the boy differed. He was busy light
ing the stove on which to cook
dinner.
"She would pull some fool play like
that. What was she doing with Sill
colt and Jelks last night?"
Ma Russell says she got Jelks to
take her down to have a look at
the Sentinel building"
"Just like her. Where's she stay
ing-at Ma Russell's?"
Eyes, I'll have to 60 see her this
evening and find out If there's any
thing we can do for her"
Il reckon So" Jesse gloomed over
her arrival with surly resentment.
This was HI Of a time for her
to come, with me laid up In bed"
Phil Is Fed Up.
Phil was about fed up. why
shouldn't she come If she wants to
look things over?"
The man on the bed detected the
conversation for a moment to him.
self. What they saying about j..
about the way Jud treated me?"
Il haven't heard thing. All the
talk is about the killing of Sneve
and the rumpus down at the
Sentinel last night, and about
Anne's going to run the paper. The
general opinion is Sneve got what
was coming to him.
II wish to HI it had been Prem
tiss as well as Sneve-and Silcott,
too, for that matter. He didn't lift
hand for me when the big bully
jumped me unexpected"
Very likely we would all have
been killed If he had. BY the way,
Russ Mosely is in town. Saw him
going into the Jumbo"
Jesse sat up, startled look on
his face. Whats he here for?"
Don't know. He called on Anne
They say he isn't backing Jud for
cutting loose his wolf. guess there's
nothing to worry about"
Easy for you to say that" the
man on the bed snarled unhappily.
you're not the man he's after"
Bigger Fish To Fry.
Russ isn't going to bother with
you now, jesse" the younger
brother said, filing the kettle from
bucket of water. II don't suppose
he is very well pleased with you,
but after what happened last night
he has bigger fish to fry. This is
how l size it up from what folks
are saying. Jud had no orders to go
as far as he did. His boss doesn't
like to play his hand out in the
open. But the milk is split now.
He'll not forget that Jim Silcott
killed Sneve. One of these days Jim
will be put out of the way without
any witnesses present-very likely
drygulched and his body never
found. That's the talk anyhow
Well, Russ is no fool. He won't
want to everyday his hand. Best
thing for you that could have hap
pened is this killing Of Sneve. You
get lost and forgotten in the shuttle" :"
When Phil had dinner ready Jesse
limped to the table.
"Ill have to get out to the ranch
tonight to look after the stock"
the boy said, pouring coffee. You
can look after yourself now all right.
If you were you. soon as I could
ride, I'd get out to the ranch, too."
''Of course, I will. Think I'm q
fool, to stick around here and take
everybody's grin when they see me" :"
He swore a weak furious oath.
"Someday I'm going to settle with
Jud Prentiss in full for what he did
to me-"
II wouldn't think too much about
that, JESSE" his brother advised.
BEST thing is for you to forget it
all soon as you can"
Not till I've fixed that d-n
bully"
Jud Sneers at Phil.
After Phil had washed the dishes
he tied a silk bandanna round his
neck. AS he was knotting 1t Jesse
flung a sneer at him.
80 you're going to make a play
for Anne. Don't fool yourself, kid.
She won't 60 in for cradle snatch
ing"
Phil flushed. He had always ad-