Evening star., 1941-09-21

turned flip-fop. Thirteen hundred dollars!
More money than had ever seen. Enough to
pay every cent we owed. and more. Dad could
take some treatments at good hospital -
Mother could have good coat. for once And
we could afford to hire hand; wouldn't
have to clear the north forty.
Dad was still talking. Il figure that
moneys ours. Hattie" he said. Jake gave
it to me; he knew what he was doing; he was
in his right mind. There isn't any reason why
l shouldn't keep it, is there"
Mother bit her lip Il suppose not -
But wonder why ="
ITO keep his son. Tom from getting it!'
Dad said sharply. You know how he always
hated Tom - from the day of his birth Jake
hated him because he took after his mother;
Jake hated any living thing that had speck
of decency about it." Dad stopped, and
began pacing the floor I've seen that kid
while he was still in diapers" he went on.
with his arms and legs completely black and
blue. Jake had done it - pinching the kid to
torture his wife He made life hell for her; and
when she finally died he was as much to
blame as if he had hit her in the head with an
ax!'
Dad stopped walking and looked at Mother
But that's no reason why this money isn't
mine"
NO" Mother said slowly. mo ="
sat down on the stair step. My head
was still whirling. was glad Dad was going
to keep the money. l thought again of all it
would do for us. And thought of one thing
more: at Whites Hardware there was little
dinger of gun, if ever had seen one! Once.
getting up my courage, asked Dad to get it
for me. He'd shook his head we couldn't
afford it. Well, we could afford it now.
l was still thinking of the gun when l
heard car drive up by the house. slipped
back down into the sitting room just as
someone knocked and Dad opened the door,
Sheriff Clint Brown walked into the room.
Hello, SAM the sheriff said. He was
quiet. pleasant man with shrewd gray eyes.
''How are you. Mrs. Kent? Sam, came to
talk to you and get some advice"
''Sit down, Clint" my dad said
SLlNI DkOWN tOOk tIlc IOCktI. IL pledScQ
me the way he had spoken to Dad. quietly and
respectfully, as if his advice would really
mean lot Sam" Sheriff Brown went on,
you were with old Jake when he died. You
know about that letter he sent me"
"Yes," Dad said.
'Well," Clint Brown took dirty envelope
from his pocket, here it is and l can't
figure out what the devil it means!'
Dad took the scrap of paper Clint Brown
drew from the yellow envelope. 1t was wrap
ping paper the kind that comes around meat
As Dad unfolded it stepped closer and
watched over his elbow. There was no writing,
only some lines and pictures and cross Then
suddenly it came to me that it was map,
Dad studied it long time Its Jake's
farm he said at last.
''Yes," the sheriff agreed. There's his
sheep pen, over on the east twenty. And that
waverng line must be the creek That tree is
the big willow on the bank by the old ford.
And that cross, marked twelve feet east and
seven south, marks spot somewhere in the
creek"
Twelve feet east and seven south" Dad
repeated. 1T would put it where the sheep
cross at the ford. I'd guess. But what do you
think the cross is for?"
The sheriff looked disappointed. Didn't
Continued on poge ~