OCR Text |
Show o ALAN Le I "All right," TtsE STORY THUS FAR: Melody Jones and George Fury rode into Payne-viller mind who I strangers, and mistaken (or the what Im here wanted outlaw , Monte Jarrad, were rushed ask one out to her ranch by Cherry, Montes of you Monte Jarrad? was after them Melody a As posse girl. Her hands were and Fury were taken to the Rowntree deserted cottage. He changed his saddle and the whole girl i Monte she watched the ridei (or Montes and started out. found Cherry and was told the latest de- for moments did velopments. Melody returned to Payne-vlllbreathe. "I suppose entered the bar and met Ira, who seen him about twi told him that he knew he was not she said at last, Monte. He kept Melody covered until years, I? Lee came In, covered them both while at Melody with a hard, Whos that youve got be marched Melody out. Lee Intended Lee Gledhill studied her to shoot it out with Melody wheu they for a long space. He was Were alone on the trail. at her squarely now, holding You m Fury in discount. CHAPTER X e, h e, o What goods the corpse man?" Lee Gledhill asked. of any No, dont want him. Leave him stay f where he lays. Where you got oil the trail, you d bazoop, Melody said, "is on this here idee I killed him, I never done so. Because he ain dald. Hes a hell of a sight more alive than one of us is going to be, if you keep on like you been. Blame it," he finished, I'm getting tired of this! Then how come you got his saddle? "I got it offn his girl, damn it. Lee Gledhill was beginning to glare with that look of outrage which comes to a man who is becoming bewildered., and bitterly resents it. "Im supposed to think she was wearin it? I put it on Harry on my pony as a favor. The idee was maybe it would fool some jackass like you, long enough for Monte to get away. But Im blamed if I'll go through with it no more. If Id of knowed the botheration this here was going to be, I wouldnt of tetched the whole thing with a prod-polLee was looking at Melody weirdHow well do you know ly, now. Monte Jarrad? Dont know him any. I never ' seen him, yet. So you aim to have me think Lee Gledhills voice was strange you want me to think you was damn fool enough to let some girl talk you into a thing like this here? You figure Ill believe that such a damn fool could ever have got his full growth? Melody thought he had him there, Here I be, he said, aint I? Lee Gledhill said, looking almost frightened, "I never listened to nothHe turned cadgy ing like this. again. "Whats the name of this girl? Montes girl? Cherry de Long-prbull-heade- tell me, he said slowly, qj you set there and tell me-- ', dont know you dont know who man is? Cherry de Longpre looked MeloJ Jones straight in the eyes, but he own eyes were blank. There was' no message in them, either, any .more than he could have found in couple of puddles of gray rain. I never saw him before in all my life. Melody Jones stared at Cherry de Longpre Cherry unbelievingly. looked sad and dreamy, showing no sign of tension. Yew befewzled numpus! George Fury shouted at Gledhill. "Has everybody gone crazy here but me? "Who the hell is this? Gledhill demanded of Cherry. He kept his gun on George Fury, and the comer of his eye upon Melody. Cherry looked at Gledhill with ostentatious significance, and tapped her forehead. "Different, she told him. Confused like, but helpless. "Never you mind her, George shouted at Gledhill. "Shes in it e. ) n Well? :o Lee Gledhill took a good look at George Fury, then reached over and took Melodys gun out of his chaps pocket. He stuck it into the loose top of his own boot. George stayed quiet, but his eyes were bright and awake, like a watching owl. "You again, huh? Melody said to George. George looked sheepish. "I come back, he grunted. Lee Gledhill went to the buck-boar- d wheel, backing his horse around in such a way that he could watch both Melody Jones and George Fury at the same time. Your name Cherry de Longpre? Might be, Cherry said sharply, Take off like the snap of fingers. your hat, if you want to talk to me! Lee Gledhill hesitated, annoyed that she should catch him up, and make a thing of it, when he was thinking about something else. Sulkily he obeyed, and started over. "You maybe heard of Lee GledUh huh I see you hill, he said. have. "Anybodys heard of him," said Theres Cherry noricommittally. handbills out, even offering a reward. A faint insolence came into pled-hill- s tone. "Been readin, huh? All right. Good. Because Im him. And seeins you study up every handbill you see, I reckon you know I side-rid- e Monte Jarrad. You might even be named Luke Packer, and work for the express company, Cherry said, with a lump of ice in every worn Sniff-snee- o r. Jt 4 :X roa Chei: V then V "W! Th the cc going V You jigger, She die Melody he decided "I alway was fourtee "And noi1 changed it, I dont said. "Who what he did, ai nothing to do witi population of'this out quick! Cherry stole a quit him; but there was no ness in his face than in his tone. She spoke in tone, not looking at him. Theres one other thing you to do. Not now sometime, er all this has blown over. I wan' you to come back here then, and turn up the express companys siV strongbox. I want you to give it watclit,. children back to the people it belongs to. our hat wSr ,, w, "Caint. ' btJhUi t V I cant make you do it, if you conround but erator space, Once $ove thetic man inside is rubber it for production will wont. every Taint that. I jest dont know himself and no accident or health tainers permit better circulation of be el the rate of a probably air than do square fbsbes set close insurance sold on the grounds.. where its at. million tons a year. This rectogether, Im going to show you. ord has been accomplished in THE JAP LEADERS He turned and looked at her, but When cleaning walls, broom covthree .years,' since the fail of TO THEIR EMPEROR she did not meet his eyes. "Monte er .wont slip oif if it is made to We offer our apologies. , told me where it is, she said. He Singapore. fit. Cut two pieces of cotton,' each As planes above you swarm, told me when he thought he was 11 16 inches long and inches wide, For putting you upon a spot going to die. Theres an old, old Since Pearl fnrbor, passenger cars and seam at bottom and one of the And making it so warm; cabin that near everybody has forsides. Hem top and other side and have carried 75 per cent of the Were sorry bombers do got. Montes used it before; but at small bias ties comers. attach Your royal dwelling skirt; hell never use it again. It has dobe countrys local essential transportaExcuse it, please, if ' it appears Slip over your broom and tie. Rewalls, four feet through. Theres a tion load and have been the means move cover for laundering.. ' That we have done you dirt! slab sill to the only window. Once of carrying four out of five War when Monte was hiding out, he dug a ' n abworkers to ond from their Jobs. lasts We are so very sorry that long, toweling cache in the wall, under that slab. and leaves sorbs moisture little You even smell the smoke. to a near hide Its man, big enough lint. Since present-da- y stocks are And that our busy firemen if a man could breathe in there. The royal grounds must soak; limited, dont hesitate to buy unAnd thats where the strongbox is, bleached when bleached cannot be We abjectly apologize with more money in it than you ever found. Linen and rayon mixture is And shed a bitter tear saw in your life. So I guess you best .substitute for either since the That war we planned so far away know I trust you, now. Should ever come so near? rayon .is processed k to , take up "Where did you say this cabin . . moisture. Im taking you there. It is know a in mile silence. The distressing justto They rode That "smoke gets in your , , slow dusk of the mountain country Odd Fishing Method eyes was closing in. I suppose," Melody And for each whiff of it we are said at last, youll be going back to Among the 15Q methods of fish Glad to apologize; , the Busted Nose, then, after you mg, the oddest employs a remora, Were sorry that you had to know h little s show me where its at. fish found in trop, The brutal facts of life; I dont know. And I dont care ical sets. Secured by a line We hoped to run this conflict as fastened to its tail, the remora much. Im sick of the whole forOur little private strife. cate hes sharks and other large fish saken thing. But Im going to see for its master by attaching ityou fetched out of this, before I do Again we do express our grief; self to them by means of a suckanything else. Were broken hearted, too, Whut? Why? ing disc on the top of its h&ad. When we see war so near at Because you dont know how to hand , of care or take whats yourself, Its right next door to YOU ' ' good for you thats why! We didnt plan our war that way I dont know why, Melody said, It fills us with remorse, you set yourself to all this trouble, So, once more, deep apologies now. To you and TO YOUR HORSE! There was bitterness in Cherrys voice, not his. President Trumans old home at I dont blame you for saying is being painted. All, Independence If said. ever a man that, Cherry had a right to get sarcastic, youre we hope is that, as President, .be will get a better paint job than most MT ' it." folks are getting these days. Ye ed iMKharw'' Guaranteed by I didnt mean it that way. Good Housekeeping Cherry angered unaccountably. had tbe barn painted twice in the .v You never mean anything," she last three years and the first heavy . or ,r omenvt OS rain washed it off. What are the You never comlashed at him. plain about anything, or demand painters using for paint today? And "We give this seal to fio one the product has to earn ff," , anything, or let out a holler butter if so why perpetuate the custom of wouldnt melt in your teeth! But I thinning it out? Good luck, Harryj say i Good Housekeeping Magazine regarding this know what you're thinking, just the youll need it! ' faitipus sea!. Look for if on every Clobber Girl package. same! not be will "Hotels permitted to I carved his name on a tombshe whimpered, stone, and collect service charges on long dis4 D D S. Supreme dropped it square' on top of you! tance phone calls, the U. News m item. How was I to know you wouldn't court announced. . run? You spoiled everything just bebet? Wanna' cause you wouldnt run. But I should have told you. I should have told ' Can You Remember you what I was trying to do, so you could have had open eyes Au ay bark when at butchers uife Her voice sounded so queer that thought nothing of asking him to bring he leaned forward over his saddle home a steak? And when the navy uas thought to horn to peer into her face; and he be the less dangerous branch of the saw that she was crying. service in wartime? You'd of been wrong, Melody said gravely, to of so done. BeThe Federal Reserve board is cause I'd of told you to go chase a against lifting restrictions against and Id of rode on. sting-bee- , Joints Tired Muscles Sprains Strain I wish I was dead! Cherry burst time payments in buying new auto"sanr' mobiles. It realizes that never in out hysterically. 'AM 1 1 litso Don't feel that way, Melody history have Americans been I j f M f consoled her. I wouldnt of missed tle apprehensive about going ind , hock permanent it ?T,'rrt, e. Thats her name, all right, Gledhill admitted, worse bothered than Monte spoke it frequent. before. He stared hard at Melody as if looking at an incredible, perhaps danI dont begerous monstrosity. he said. "It lieve you, natcherly, aint in human reach to swaller no such a lie as that lie is. But you never killed him. That I know, now. They did not have to ride far, as It worked out. Cherry de Longpre was already nearing Payneville, powdering the road. As Melody and his captor topped a long rise, a tower of dust was boiling toward them. Lee Gledhill drew Melody off the road into the brush; but Melody almost immediately recognized the de Longpre buckboard, with Cherry driving, and George Fury beside her on the seat. Georges horse was tied on behind. Melody was able to apprise Lee Gledhill in time for Lee to flag the buckboard. Cherry had a hard time team, but pulling down the hard-rugot them stopped a hundred yards beyond. Her hands kept tensing and slackening the lines, to hold the rebellious horses, and she looked at Melody and Lee with poker-face- d questioning as they came up. o t , All-line- Cherry had a hard time pulling down the hard-ru- n team. with the rest. Monte Jarrad is alive and kicking, whats left of him! Hes nursin a layin low in a hide-ou- t, wownd and I can show you where he be! It stirred up Lee Gledhill. "How far away? Taint so fur but what we can make it in time to eat! Melody started to say, Dont pay any attention to the old "Shut up! Lee stopped him. To George he said, "Take the lines. Mister. Youre on your way. . . . Lee Gledhill kept them herded together when they dismounted at the Busted Nose. Once and for all, George said to Melody, "I want you to take note who does the thinking here. I figured out where Monte is by using my head. I know where hes hid, and even how to git in it. Hes been here the hull time, while you was messing around blind. And Ive knowed thet sence we first rode in! Shut' up, Lee told him. "Youre all going to be in trouble in about two jerks! George looked him over with slow dispraise; then led the way to the bam. Cherry de Longpre stood in the broad doorway, silhouetted against the sunlight. She spoke directly to Lee Gledhill, ignoring the others. Theres coffee on the back of the she told him. Her words stove, Ill sounded tired and subdued. show you the last word I got from Monte, if that will be any help. Lee Gledhill considered for a long from one time, looking poker-faceAll right, he to another of them. said at last. Come on in the house, Cherry said, and led the way. On the gallery she held the broken screen door open for them while Gledhill made Melody Jones and George Fury precede him into the kitchen, and the chained bear cub scrabbled at her boots, unnoticed. Cherry stepped through the doorway after Lee' Gledhill; and for a moment, because he was watching the others, his back was turned. Cherrys right hand reached into the corner by the door where her d i k .aj 12-in- y r' nusfifluiiuc - V 0 f i ! :? -- i-- i 31i V Jr 1 TO BE CONTINUED) --" f ) I ft ,3s |