Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-03-07

II assure you, Mrs. Morgan, that
every document was carefully reac
to Mr.. Pruitt."
what Of it? He wouldn't under.
stand. He was scared and numb
you can scare Tom to death with q
legal paper. You tricked him! He
would have killed all of you before
he'd give up his stock in this MILL"
II can believe that. Mr.. Pruitt' S
mania for homicide must be embar.
RAISING to you. But-we do not trick
people, Mrs. Morgan. We find il
unnecessary" The oily voice ran
like horrid fingers over her. so. il
you will read this order, please? You
will notice that you are directed by
Mr.. Pruitt, as the custodian of his
stocks and property, to deliver to
me fifty shares of Morgan mill stock,
to the amount of fifty thousand dol
lars par value"
II won't deliver it. I'll fight you
through every court in this coun-
try first!"
"Of course, you understand that
that attitude is quite futile. We can
compel you to deliver the stock, Mrs.
Morgan. We can bring an officer
here with a writ"
Bring a dozen officers-f you
can find one who'll serve a writ
against mel"
You exaggerate your importance
and your invulnerability, fear. The
stock will be taken to Mr.. Pruitt for
signature to transfer
Transfer to whom?"
"Mr. Withers has contracted to
purchase it, I understand"
Il thought so.'
Look here, Virgie, you're vast
ing your BREATH" Wallace put in.
"This is all settled. You can't do a
thing about it."
"I'll see about that"
81 reckon well have to fetch a
constable" Wallace mustered pious
patience with an obdurate woman.
'She's hard-headed. Talk won't be
any use. She keeps it in that safe"
How do you know where I keep
it," Virgie flashed at him. 81 sup
pose you've got some more spies on
my payroll? Your Mr.. Daniels has
done pretty well. l suppose you set
those fires yourself?"
"You are being very unreasona-
BILE, Mrs. Morgan" soothed the law
yer. 1--WE are being very lenient with
Mr.. Pruitt. My client has been per-
manently injured without justifica-
ton or excuse"
"You might as well hush," de-
clared Withers patiently. "Come
along and we'll fetch somebody she
will listen to-"
The door banged behind them.
Virgie stood still in the middle of
the room, still shaking with white
rage.
1.-The thieves!" she muttered.
They would be back presently,
with some country constable, who
would turn red when she looked at
him, but who would drag from an
unsavory pocket a paper with the
seal of a magistrate upon it, and
compel her to open the safe.
A sudden thought came to her.
Swiftly she bent and twirled the
combination of the safe. The heavy
door moved open slowly, and she
flung it back and unlocked the in
ner compartment. Flat, tapped bun
dies of paper slid out into her hand.
She sat on the floor, turning them
over rapidly. All the papers on the
Hazel Fork property-she knew
those well, she had had them out the
day before with Wills. Her own
stock in the mill tied in an envelope
she counted the shares. All there.
But-that was all!
Twice she turned over the entire
contents of the compartment. Then
in a panic furry she pulled every
thing out-old ledgers, old bills, con-
tracts, and leases. Papers that Da-
vid had fled, papers she herself had
put carefully away; tax receipts,
deeds to timber lands, insurance
policies, she unfolded each, shook
it, opened and shook every book,
searched frantically.
Toms stock-and Marian's-was
gone!
But-how-who-
No one but Lucy knew the COM
bination. Lucy and Tom. And Tom
was locked in Jail.
She was still sitting there, shak-
ing out papers, staring at the empty
spaces in the safe when the door
opened. She started, then saw that
it was Marian who stood there.
Mother! What has happened?"
Marian exclaimed.
Virgie tied tape with cold fingers
We've been robbed" she said.
"A lawyer came-Wallace was with
him. They tricked Tom into signing
away his stock last night. They're
coming back wiz. an officer to make
me give it up. Audit isn't here!
It's gone. And your stock-the stock
your father left for you-is eone,
tool"
Marian closed the door. slid the
bolt.