Show I j I Telegram Hostile Valley l br Ben BenI Fiction T J William I CHAPTER I Saladine hesitated Why much j I obliged he said He thought th the time to speak had come Mis 1 Pierce he said I 1 dunno as you'll youl I think I did the right thing but hut i it looked funny to me that Mis Mis' Ferrin Fer- Fer rin would just just fall fall of off that ledge 1 I think it was was she agreed sharply And there want no reason she should hould jump She Sho want the kind for that Sheriff Sheri Sohier is in Liberty to today today to- to to-I to day Saladino explained I 1 happened happened hap hap- to know that so I telephoned telephone 5 him bIns from Barts Bart's and told him he hed he'd d best come in here Silence was long Then she asked Is he coming Yes She nodded Well that's a to me she decided Im an old wom woman n but Ive I've got e eyes es in the front of my ray head and brains In the I inside of it I can see sec a hole in a ad d doughnut as far as th the next She here spoke to Bart Folks FoUts around with dont don't bother the sheriff much their troubles she said as though appealing to him for confirmation But I say its it's the fitten thing to todo do I dont don't sea ca as it Itcan can u d do a mite Ite of or harm She forgot the business of preparing supper And sh she she- looked at Saladine keenly You figure someone pushed her off of the ledge do you she asked Bart said earnestly Sure Gr Granny That ledge is as safe as your our floor h here re Nothing to trip She over nor nothing to slip sUp on couldn't fall tall off unless she sho did It a purpose and she Ask Bart Dart Who o Killed I Marm Mann Pierce nodded briskly That's the way it ft looks to me she agreed So it comes omes down to a question of someone did it Bart Bait who do you reckon it was He said plausibly Now Granny you know there might have been aplenty aplenty aplenty a- a plenty of them Huldy could get geta a man almighty riled wh when n she was wits a mind They seemed to like It just th the same lame she pointed out He shook book his head I 1 wouldn't wouldn t saYa Baya word he declared Ive took notice that just keeping your our mouth shut saves a peck of trouble some some- Urn times es She seemed to weigh this Iman Iman Im Iman an old woman with a a. limber timber tongue she confessed Nobody pays a any y heed to my chatter Im I'm thinking might have Bart Bait Aint you He might Bart Bait admitted But ButS S its it's not my busi business less and Tm rm not mixing in He looked toward Saladine Saladine Saladine Sala Sala- dine and grinned Saladine th there re he ho told the sheriff to check up on Win Vin and the steam mill me men n. n Theres four-five four men working I at the mill she said reflectively Likely they all mowed Huld Huldy Most every man inside five miles of here her if it come to find hono anywhere where that honey an it grows There was sudden mirth in her herOld herold old tones But it want Win Vin she said He might brag and blow and get big but it want him Bart EarL said Matter of fact I dont don't think it was Zeke either Hed He'd not hurt Huld Huldy He hesitated I dunno as Zeke is a good friend of mine but that's no cause for layIng laying lay lay- ing this on him If it come right down to someone killing her He hesitated then muttered hus- hus Icily Idly Well Vell if I was the sheriff Id I'd look for one that had bad reason to The kitchen was very still so still sUll that Saladine could hear the hiss of the lamp burning bright Marm Pierce made no comment on this su suggestion but she watched Bart with some displeasure in her sharp old eyes Presently she asked him You going home to supper Bart Lowed you might want me here he suggested She nodded in a surface hospi hospi- Certain Stay where you ou be Right now the more folks around the better I like it It wont won't be the first time Ive I've had someone laid out in this house but butI I dunno as Id I'd want to spend the night here with no one hut but mo me and Jenn Jenny and her in the other room She bustled briskly to and fro upon this business of supper grumbling about the danger t to her black bom born bazine Guess you'll have to cat salt pork and like it sho she decided Not a bit o of meat in the houseLess houseLess houseLess house Less you want some eggs Then suddenly she stood still and andner her ner head lifted Cars coming she said softly Saladine's cars were keen yet it was another minute before he was able to hear the approaching car He and Bart stepped out on the porch and saw savi the flicker of headlights headlights headlights head head- lights through the woods t toward ward the road The old woman drew a shawl over her shoulders and came cameto cameto cameto to join them and they watched to together to- to gether sether while a light truck with a along along along long body pulled into the yard ard Two men alighted and in the illumination illumination tion from the kitchen door Saladine saw the big form of the sheriff and another who carried a n black ba bag in his hand They came toward the house bouse and Saladine and the sheriff nodded to toone toone toone one another Joe Matthews j spoke poke to Marm Pierce stripping of off his coat The roads road's real bad maam ma'am he be said Sheriff Sohier Schier his overcoat but did not remove it H He Ha held his hat in his hand as though he were here hero only for a moment would presently depart Best to keep Mis' Mis here tonight if it possible t thc c undertaker undertaker undertaker under under- take her taker advised I 1 can home In the mot morning Marm Maim Pierce nodded She can stay she said His His' eyes eyes were a question and she opened the door Into the dining room They went in together and she closed the door The sheriff looked at Saladine and rind at Bart Ho He said to Saladine Jim Evening This is Bart Care Carey Jim ex ex- pl ned Likely you OU know each other I dont don't get out this wa way much Sohier confessed and Bart Dart grinned and said Dunno as 1 I ever did meet a sherif sheriff sheriff sher sher- if iff re Saladine said readily Dart Bart here he 10 found her sheriff Sohier looked inquiringly at the theother theother other man and Bart Bait explained I Iwas Iwas Iwas was fishing down brook Down back backof of Wills Will's barn theres there's a ledge and anda a steep drop below ft it I h heard ard a screech and a a. sort of thump like a when you nail him Climbed up there thele and found her Fetched her here 1 the tho sheri sheriff suggested Marm Pierce Fierce is good at doctor doctor- doctoring I ing ng Dart explained I lowed Jawed maybe she could do something Want Vant dead 1 As As' good as it turned out Bart replied She never come to at all Sohier nodded and Saladine said slowly I see her this morning sheriff sherif I left lert my car at Wills Will's and she showed me mo the path down to the he brook come as far as the ledge with me Theres There's nothing slippery there here no w way y she could trip and and and- she he want the kind to kill herself He added I fished down brook and arid then struck up to the road and headed for Careys Carey's and I was here when hen Bart Dart brought her Eliminates Win in Haven as Suspect The sheriff sherif nodded I telephoned in n to the steam mill Jim ho Io re re- re- re ported The crew had been there all 11 da day He added And old Win Haven was as in Liberty Libert at the store He Ic told me that when he left Barts Bart's Bartshe he ic went tl up the road past Wills Will's and across Wills Will's upper pasture anc and along the high land till he be hit the Macs Mac's Corner road I told you I lace sea his tracks by the brook Saladino Saladine protested Or Or someone's tracks he added fairly I took it they was his I 1 bore boro down on him Sohier Insisted in In In- Id sa say he was sas telling the truth x Saladine nodded He said Will Willand Willand Willand and Jenn Jenny Pierce she Pierce sho lives here the old womans woman's granddaughter granddaughter- have gone up to Wills Will's farm now to todo todo todo do tho the chores They're coming back Sohier reflected slowly Them tracks you ou saw along the tho brook they might have been old ones Rained hard last night Bart Bait reminded him They was fresh today I see them m myself sel when I fished down Saladine Saladino asked cd Sheriff what time timo did Haven get to Liberty They said he ho c was vas there before it begun to rain Saladine thought aloud It started to rain just as I got here to the house ho he said and he be looked at Bart remembering Carey your overalls were dry across the front of you OU where you'd carried her It must have started to rain after you ou picked her up or you'd oud have lave been wet before Bart nodded right he be declared I mind it come down hard lard just about the time I got to her If Ie that's tho the case then it want Win In Haven Saladine concluded The Tho sheriff sherif asked Carey you got any idea who'd want to to hurt hurt Mis' Mis Ferrin 1 Bart hesitated I wouldn't go so goto goto soto to say he said He added with a adeep adeep adeep deep reluctance Not unless it was Zeke Zeke Dace works for Will Why Vh would he Sohier urged Well Ve 11 Zeke was kind of crazy I about her and jealous and jealous of her Bart Dart explained Hed trail her around and want to lick anyone anyone that come come near her He might have got mad at her Yet he added honestly But Will dont don't low that Zeke would touch her Where There here is Zeke the sheriff asked Bart Dart shook his head Dunno Nobody's Nobody seen him sence Marm Pierce came out of ot the dining Guess he dont don't need me she said with some relief In her tones and nd she se told the sheriff sherlf she was glad to have him here He Hc nodded and he asked slowly Was as Mis' Mis Ferrin dead when she got here hero maam ma'am 1 As good as the old woman assured assured assured as as- him She was bleeding bad from a n cut place in her neck I stopped that with a n handful of flour and got ready to rub her chest with witha a hot steep But she was all broke to pieces and bled white and she died b before fore I got around to It come to No Marm Mars Pierce told him No You look her over did you 1 the sheriff sheri urged He explained I Iguess Iguess 1 guess likely Ill I'll want a doctor to see her but you might have noticed some special hurt burt on her ber The old woman told him Why Vh she was hurt cruel sheriff sherif Looked like shed she'd fell on her head and side There was scratches and cuts all allover allover allover over her and this deep bad cut cuton cuton i ion on her neck And her face was I banged where shed she'd d hit a tree or a arock arock arock rock or the like I r mean menn to sn say he persisted I to show nothing The Tho old woman shook her head bead Nothing that she couldn't have got from falling the way she did The sheriff sl sighed hed as though discouraged dis dis- and Marm Pierce asked You didn't know Huldy did you sheriff 1 Ive heard tell of her ber he answered Guess the whole country has hast if it it comes to that thi the old woman I as assented But you can see for yourself a lot of things ml might ht have happened to a woman like her To Be Continued Tomorrow |