| Show 0 I AC ACE IOLE M A GREGORY JACKSON GREGORY RELEASE V TIlE THE STORY SO FAR FAil Ann Lee and anel Cole Colo Cody beneficiaries under uDder two Identical cal wills made mide by Early Dill fiB Cole Cote ar are arrived rived In Bald Eagle Eacle Ea le by stage coach only to learn of ot Bill Coles Cole's death duth a few lew days day previously Ann accompanied d by Aunt Jenifer went out to Old Bills Bill's ranch the following day and was greeted by Ranee Rance Waldron who posing as Old Bills Bill's neph neph- nephew ew SW made It evident they were not wel wel- welcome welcome come at the Ranch While Ann Lee was making It ft Just Jast as plain she bad bid no mIen Intention don tion of 01 leaving Cole Cody arrived Ann Annand Annand Annand and Cole had bd a misunderstanding during the Uie journey to Bald Eagle Eacle and lId she was not pleased to see him at the Ranch In Intact fact tact she ordered him out Now continue with the story When 1 I was a very little girl she told him sweetly I used to say that I 1 hated bated things Castor oil was one and there were others But dear me I didn't know what 1 was talking about For only now Mr Cody I 1 do know now what the word hate means Need I go fur further ther Of course not Now suppose you tell me what if U anything at all you are arc driving at Someone has told you no doubt that Mr Early Bill Cole willed everything he had to me Cole Cody had a way of exhaling cigarette smoke that she was dead sure could infuriate anyone on earth He did some exhaling Her nails bit into her pink palms But she clenched her teeth and waited Outside in the patio Rance Ranee Wal Vial Waldron Waldron dron had stopped at the side of t a window listening one would have I Judged so still and attentive had he become that he was far and away more than merely casually interest interest- ed At least so deemed Aunt Jeni Jenifer fer spying on him from rom a kitchen corner At last Ann spoke sp ke up and very quietly considering who it was speaking Mr Early Bill Cole she said spacing her words nicely was a gentleman and a very fine man He was a friend of my fathers father's He knew that he bad had to die So he made his wilL Its It's quite too bad I f rr J With Ann watching his slightest move be he shot the key home Mr Cody to disappoint you but Mr Cole left everything he had had to to me Yes that's what I 1 said He made a will to that effect and and and-and and Ive I've got that will willi Now Now Will Will you get well and go gol He moved over to the table feel feel- feeling feeling ing lag a trifle unsteady and blurry in inthe inthe inthe the head and sat on the tables table's edge one foot swinging all Well soon find out about this he said Ive got a key key key-a a akey key old Early Bill sent me me- me mcA meA A key keyl Youve You've got a key keyl Wh Vh SYb- what sort of key A key that's made to unlock something he snorted at her What do you suppose asking what sort of key Now when I find what its it's to unlock unlock unlock-There's There's Theres an old devil In town they call the Judge Judge Judge-He's He's Hes crazy as a bug bed no question But he knows a lot of things Be Be- Between Between Between tween him and another crazy old coot name of Doc Doe Joe Joe Joe- Doc Doe Joe isn't a crazy old coot Hes He's a dear dearl But Where But but Where did you say you got your key Forget that Ive I've told you as much as I have Are you and I old friends who tell each other all allour allour allour our hearts heart's secrets Are we we- we Shut up You talk so darned much and say so little you little you make me mad madl Tell TeD me about your key Did Early Bill You Bill You say that he sent It to you Well what 11 It 1 he be did Maybe youve you've got the lock it fits Lets Let's laugh laughl Maybe I have havel I And if It youve you've got the other key Ill I'll show you youl Ill I'll show you who owns the King Cole Ranch and all aD that goes with it Wheres Where's your precious key Mr Cole Cody Wheres your lock for it to fit he shot back at her and grinned his most malicious grin Suddenly they were aware of Aunt Jenifer in the doorway clearing her throat to a warning Ahem Her eyes drifted sidewise toward the window and managed to jerk their attention In that direction where where- whereupon whereupon upon Rance Ranee Waldron made the best of the situation tapping on the pane calling to them going on In irs there I I thought you two after the lady had popped a bullet into the gent would have had enough of each other Mind If It I drop in and join in the pow powwow wow He moved away from his vantage point and a moment later the doorway door way framed him He Hc stopped there studying them themI I dont don't think I know you very well said Cody Do you happen to be one of my guests We Ve met just now Rance Ranee re re- reminded reminded re- re reminded minded him cool and Insolent as was his fashion He pinched his chin looking reflective Guests you said didn't you Whose Those guests I 1 cant can't but ask You mean Im I'm your guest or youre you're my guest or Just or-Just Just what did you have in mind Cole Cody drained of his strength as he was felt a strong urge to batter all the smug Insolence off ocr the theman's theman's theman's mans man's handsome face As a mat matS matter matter ter of fact he experienced an all but overwhelming desire to spoil Mr Rance Ranee Waldron's manly profile for all time Its like this said Cole Cody very very- slow When he spoke that way he was generally saying one thing and thinking far afield right now he was regarding Rance Ranee Waldron's empurpled nose and dal dallying lying with the thought of taking even more painstaking care of that nose when opportunity afforded You heard part of what was said I guess out there at the window you didn't miss a word So suppose we wego wego wego go on from there I 1 dont don't know who you are are are- Why not get straightened out at atthe atthe atthe the start said Ranee Rance Waldron rea rea- Me Im I'm Rance Ranee Waldron and just blew In ID here a few days ago As far as I 1 know or anyone else seems to know Im I'm next of kin kinto kinto kinto to that rare old bird Early Bill BIU Bi Cole I had me a hunch that he kicked ofT off of without making any will at all and in spite of the several mentions of wills that Ive I've heard I since Im I'm still of that notion If U I happen to be right Well right Well then this outfit lock stock and barrel be be- belongs belongs longs to me mel Got all that Mr Cody quite a speech conceded Cody nodding approvingly Yep I got it Only Its It's my bet youre you're out outon outon outon on a limb Here are the three of ofus ofus us us you and Miss Lee and me all putting In our claims calms He made a awry awry awry wry face then wiped it away with the heel of his hand Like so many turkey buzzards sitting on a fence fencel It makes me sort of sick at my stomach I 1 got a notion to high high- hightail hightail tail out of here and let you folks fight over a dead mans man's boots Scat cried Ann Lee Youre I overdue some other place No Im I'm sticking until I get things straight Why old Early Bill Cole should make me his heir I dont don't know and cant can't guess But he might have had his reasons I never knew him I never even saw him But Butone Butone Butone one thing sticks out like a sore thumb His name was Cole and Im I'm Cole Cody Hows How's that happen Must be that were we're related or some some- something something something thing thing- He reached into his pocket groped a minute and dug up a small flat key key and and did little Ann Lees Lee's eyes all but start from their sockets There said young Cody Theres the key to the mystery as the feller says says Maybe Maybe I Who'll bring me a lock for my key Ann Lee had a way all her own of getting from the place where she was to the place where she wished to be that was like nothing else on earth And with her cherished carpet carpet- carpetbag bag clutched tight She got it open she ran a hurrying hand down Into it she plucked out an old black iron box An iron box with two locks as anyone might see If your key fits one of these locks This locks This one onel Try it IU Cole Cody chose to drive her wild He tossed his key caught it and played with it and he laughed at her So that's it is it it he Jeered at her A strong box with two locks and youve you've got a key for one one and andare andare andare are going clean crazy like Pandora and Blue Beards Beard's wife trying to burglarize it iU And no can do do with with without out the other key keyl Mine Well and he never spoke more drawling drawling- ly theres no hurry is there How about waiting until tomorrow May Maybe be it might be best to wait until my wound heals over That's an anI I Idea And he tossed his key again caught it and shoved it back into his pocket And he could have sworn that he heard Aunt Jenifer giggle I IAnn Ann Lee opened her hand and showed him bim a key very much like his own She tossed it ft up just as ashe ashe ashe he had done and caught it she held it between her thumb and finger finger- and sneered at him And how little Ann Lee when she put her mind to It it could sneer Ann set the box down hastily and shot her ber key Into the proper lock W When cn the mechanism gave its satis satis- satisfied satisfied fied fled responsive click she looked up at him triumphantly Little Ann Ana Lee could crowd a lot of things Into one swift glance Ive I've done it it Mister How about you Just four flushing four Cole Cody wondered himself Well here was the time tune to find out about things With Ann watching his bis slightest move as though she suspected him of being able to ac ac- accomplish accomplish ac- ac any anT weird sort of sleight sleight- of hand not trusting him bim with both the lively Aunt Jenifer and the sar ear sardonic sardonic donic Rance Ranee Waldron pressing close he shot the key home It fitted the lock TO BE liE CONTINUED |
