Show ir V PROD t cludges t T X HAri kasur SYNOPSIS i tfx the ane bt at the opening Pen lr ot of t te e tory story Is 1 laid in the library 0 of an 0 old ld worn out out plantation arlo known wn si an n the bar on wilra ony the I 1 pat place e e mits la t to be sold old and its history agnf that 1 0 t the owners owrie rs the li Is the ho or ct discussion by jonathan na ban crenshaw Crena liaw a business man a ir ranger tranger known ar an bladen and bob yancy ancy a farmer when hannibal wayne hazard a mysterious child of the old southern pu thern amaly family makes his appearance yancy talla how he ha adopted the boy nathaniel buys buy the barony but the Quin quintal tards do deny any knowledge of the bo boy y yancy to keep hannibal captain murreil Murr etl 1 a alund und of the Q t appears rind and asks quent questions ions ab nb about out the ilar har ony any trouble gt at scratch hill when lion han elbal la Is kidis aped by dave mount captain murrells Murrel ln agent yancy tancy overtakes overta kea kavel him a af find secures the boy yancy appears before squire salaam anil and li Is discharged with costs coats for the plain plaintiff hetty betty malroy a friend ot of the Fer rises has rina an encounter with cap tain murrell who forces forcer hla his attentions on her and to la rescued by bruce druco carrington betty sets ft out for her tennessee home carrington taken the same larne stage yancy and Il hannibal annibal disappear with murrell on their trall hannibal arrives at the home of it judge slocum price the tha judge occoa cizes in the boy tho the grandson brandon Kr andon of an old time frI friend erld murrell arrives at judges home cotna cavendish family on raft rescue yanc yancy who IR in apparently dead baad price 24 breaks jail betty and Carr carrington inKton arrive at vell plain cannibals Hanni bals rifle dl clae ome st artliner artlin ir things to tho the judge I 1 hannibal an and hetty betty meet again bhurrell BIu rrell or nr riven I 1 in delle plain la Is playing tor for big stakes yancy awakes from ions ong dream a fee acsa sleep on board the raft judge 1 ri ce I 1 make startling discoveries in looking look liiK up and t lies charley I 1 arley norton ft a young planter 1 who assists the judge Ju ilire Is mya e alfau cited norton informs cur ringlon to that betty etty has haa promised to marry him I 1 I 1 in norton orion lei Is mysteriously shot more mora light on an plot lla ile plans u apri 1 4 kiil of negro nc groMi judge price with ll 11 hannibal 1 visits hetty betty and she aha keeps heers the tha boy as a companion in a stroll hetty betty I 1 ake ken wl it It hannibal annibal they meet uba dean ill icks daughter of tho the overseer apo warns betty of danger and counsel U I 1 her to leave hahe plain at once hetty liecty terri fley wa way their carriage it a stopped t 0 p ed by SI aio 0 ason flold acts oil SIMS bess adv advice c end bind on their the ho tavern keeper and a confederate and betly and hannibal are maila made prisoners the fajr are ara balcon to hicks cabin in un an f imort inlove sible spot and there blur rell visits hetty and r reveals eala lila his part in the he plot and ills hla object hetty betty spurns hla his proffered love and the interview to 1 bonded by the lie arrival of 0 ware terrin td outcome of the crime judge price goaring of 0 the abduction plans plana action CHAPTER the judge takes charge all work on th the plantation had stopped und the tha hundreds ot of slaved nian women ind and wore were gathered about the house among those moved tho the members of tho the dominant race tho the judge would havo have attached himself to tho the first group but he heard a whispered question and tho the answer allen fil alroye lawyer clearly it was not for or him to mix wath these outsiders these curiosity curlo alty seekers Bee kera ilo ile crossed the lawn to the hauae and mounted the steps in the doo doorway iway was wag big stove while groups bof at men stood about in the bull ball the hum of 0 busy purposeless talk persad ing tho the place tho the judge frowned row nod this was all wrong has haa mr ware returned from mem alem uhla pals ho he naked asked ot of stove steve no sub not yet then T hen show me into the library sold cald tho the judge with bland authority his hat bat to tho the butler come along Maha Kyl he be added they entered the library and the judge motioned steve to close the door now boy kindly ask aak those people to withdraw you may say oay it la Is juige judge prices orders allow no a one to enter the house housa unless they have business with me or as I 1 send for them you understand after you have hato cleared the house you may bring me a decanter of 01 corn whisky stop a bu bit you may ask the sheriff herin fl to step here hare yes sah and steve withdrew the judge drew draw an easy caay chaar up to the gat topped desk deak that stood in the center ot of the room and seated him aim self felt are you going to make this the excuse for another drunks price it 11 so I 1 reel feel the greatest grea teat contempt for you said eald mahathy sternly the judge winced at this you have made a regrettable regretta ola haca ot of words solomon ho be urged gently cheroe Wh eroe your feeling for the boy boyr hero here said the judge with an do clo quent gesture treating resting his hand on his heart it you lot let whisky alone ill believe you otherwise otho fAlBo what I 1 havo have said must stand tho the door opened and the sheriff slouched into the room ho was chow chew ing a wheat straw and bits appear atice was oua of troubled wea weak ness mass A torning he ha said briefly sit down sheriff and the tha judge indicated a meek mack seat goat for the official in a distant corner have you learned he be asked the sherlia sheriff klook hla his head bead what you turning all those these abiga ze tors tor out of ct doof for tara ha h questioned wo we dont want people tracking in arid out the house sheriff evidence may he be dest destroyed royad I 1 examining the slaves first cloea loes anat meet with aur approvato al etya talked with them they ofell bmw nothing said 1 N ona bont kao k biow ao w nothing 11 C please led god we may yet put our fingers on some villain who does said the judge outside it was noised about that judge price had taken matters in gandho hand ho was the old fellow who had been warned to keep his mouth shut and who had never stopped talking wince since A crowd collected beyond the library windows and toasted its ita eyes on the back of this heros bald head one by one the house servants were wera ushered into the judges presence first he interrogated little stove steve who had bad rone gone to miss bettys door that morning to rouse her as was his custom next he be examined bettys maid then the cook and various house berv tilts ants who had nothing especial tri tn tell but told it at considerable length and lastly big steve stop IL a bit the judge suddenly interrupted the butler in the midst of hla his narrative does the overseer al waya come up to the house the first thing in the morning why not exactly sah but he come up this monlong sab fish tie ile was talking to me at the back of tho the house bouse when the women run out with the word that missy was done gone away ile he joined in the search yes sah when was miss malroy seen last naked asked the judge fudge she and the young bemman you fetched heah were seen keen in the ho ayar don along about sundown I 1 seen them myself they had had supper yes sall sah who sleeps here just little steve and three ot of the women they sleeps at the tha back of tho the house sah bah no sounds wore were heard beard during the night no sah sab from the room and the judge dismissed the servants well what do you think price asked mahalay AIa haffy anxiously when they were alone I rubbish take my word for it solomon this blow la Is leveled at me 1 I 1 have been too forward in my attempts to suppress the carnival of that Is raging through west tennessee observe that alias matroy disappeared at at a moment when the public bublic Is disposed to think sho she has retained me as her legal ad she will bo be set at liberty agates to drop the matter of nortons Nor tons murder As for the boy use him to compel my silence silance and inaction 11 the judge took it u long breath yet there remains one point where the boy la Is concerned that completely baffles me it we knew just a little more of his antecedents it might cause me to make a startling and radical move was waa clearly not impressed by the vague generalities in which the judge was waa dealing there you go price as usual trying to convince yourself that you aro are the center of he maid in a tone of oc much exasperation L lets ets get down to buBl busi what does this man hicks mean by hinting at suicide you saw miss malroy yesterday you have put your finger on a point of some said the judie judge she bore evidence ot of the shock and loss she had bad sustained aside from that she was quite as sh she a has always been well what do you want to see hicks for what do you expect to learn from him 1 I dont like his insistence on the idea that Miss Bliss Malroy Is mentally unbalanced we its fk a quest question ign of some k I 1 az J nicka says miss malroit Mal royt roys been acting queer since charley norton was wa shot ill see the overseer tits hla name anine alicks suppose you go for him said the judge addressing tho the sheriff the sheriff was gone from trio the room only a tow low moments and returned with the information that flicks was down at tho the bayou which was waa to bo be dragged why inquired the judge lucks hicks says saya miss Mil roys been acting mighty queer over since charley norton shot distracted likel he says bays he noticed it and that TOM ware noticed it alow how does he explain the hoya boys disappearance ile he reckons the she thrower herself in and the boy tried tred to drag her out like tie ha naturally would aud got draped la in humph rit ill trouble mr hicks to step here said bald the judge quietly theres rh eres mr carrington and a couple of strangers outside choye lyet been asking about ana alts malroy ind and the boy beems like the th strangers angern j knowel her and him back yonder in lotfi io afi carolina ad d the sheriff na As he ha t turned away ill see sea them theirl the ta gaberlik went delicacy tho the taw law spir clr fully lecog cizes that it seems to me ino lie he la Is over to account for cor her disappearance in a manner that can compromise no one CHAPTER the judge finds allies they were interrupted by the opening of the door and big stevo steve admitted carrington and the tha two men glen or of whom the had spoken A shocking condition or of affairs mr Carringto nf said the tha judge by way of greeting yes sald bald carrington shortly you lett left these parts come time ago I 1 believe continued the tha judge the day before norton was waa shot ahot ahad I 1 had started home for kentucky I 1 heard of his death when I 1 reached randolph on the second bluff ex plaines carrington from whose cheeks the weather beaten bloom had bad faded ile he rested hla bli hand on the edge or of the desk find turned to the men inen who had followed him into the room this athla la is tho the gentleman gent lemau you wish to see cee tie he ania and one of the win dews it overlook eJ the terr terraces acell where he be had said goodby good by to betty scarcely a week before the two men had paused by the door they now advanced one was gaunt and haggard his face ace by a great red sear scar the other was a shock headed individual who moved with a shambling gait doth both carried rifles and both were dressed in course coarse homespun morning air said eald the man with the sear scar jancys Yanc Yan cys ya my name and this gentleman iowa hed rather be known now as mr air cavendish the judge started to hla his teet feet dob bob yancy he cried yes sir air me the judge passed nimbly around the desk and shook the scratch hiller warmly by the hand band wheres my n evvy sir all this about him ana and miss 13 dotty etty jancys soft drawl draw was suddenly eager please god well recover him soon said the judge gy by the window carrington moved impatiently no harm barm could come t to the boy but betty a shudder wen went t through him stolen him yancy spoke with conviction 1 I reckon started back to noth carolina with him only that dont explain come of miss allis betty does it and he dropped rather helplessly into a chair dob deb are just getting off a sick bed iles been powerful borely in consequence ot of having his head laid open and cheik aber being thrower into the elk river where I 1 flailed fished him out explained cavendish who still continued to regard the judge with tia mixed astonishment first cocking his shaggy head on one side and then on the other hla his bleached eyes narrowed to a a silt lit now and then he favored the austere mahach with a fleeting glance ile he seemed intuitively to understand der stand the comradeship or of their degradation mr air cavendish fetched m me here eai oaf his bis raft wo we tied up to the sho this it was there wo we met mr air carrington id knowel him slightly back yonder in noth carolina continued yancy he said id find hannibal with you I 1 was waa counting a heap on seeing my levvy carrington no longer able to control himself swung about on his heel been done he asked with fierce arce repression going to be done dont you know that every second Is precious pre cloua I 1 1 I am about to conclude my anve sir said tho the judge dignity carrington stepped to the door after all what was there to expect or of these men ment whatever their interest it was plainly centered in the boy tie ho passed out into the hall As the door closed on him the judge turned again to the scratch hitler hiller mr yancy mr mahaffy Ala haffy and I 1 hold your nephew in the kenderest ten derest regard he be has been our constant companion ever since you were wera lost to him in this crisis you may rely upon us wo we are commil committed ted to his recovery so no matter what it involves the judges tone was one ot of unalterable resolution 1 I reckon you alt all have been mighty I 1 good and kind to him said yancy huskily we have endeavored to be mr air yancy indeed I 1 had formed the reso lution legally to adopt him should you not corno to claim him I 1 should have given him my name and made him my heir ills education has haa already begun under my supervision and the judge remembering the high use to which he had dedicated one of peg flog loos ices trade labels fairly glowed with philanthropic fervor think of at that murmured yancy softly ile he was deeply moved so was mr cavendish who was gifted with a wealth of ready sympathy tie ile thrust out a hardened hand band to the judge shake 1 he said youre albena better than you look A thin apple at 0 laughter escaped mahaffy b aji ta the judge accepted chills and fevers proffered hand ile he understood that here was a simple genuine soul price otrice it important for us to know why mr ir yancy thinks the boy has ha been taken back to north carolina said maharty Ma hatty just whit what kin Is hannibal to you mr yancy asked the judge resuming his seat strictly speaking he aint none that he come to live with me Is a 11 owing to mr Croas cromshaw haw chos a good man when left to himself but hes got a wife so a body may bay aay he never la Is loft left to himself began yancy aind then briefly he told the story or of the woman and tho child much as he had told it to aladen at the tb the day of general QuI ritalA it I 1 the judge his back to abl tl nd his face in shadow risto bla lett left el eli i bow on the desk and alt hla his coln I 1 sunk bunk in his palm follow follows 4 abw scratch hillers narrative with me e cloea closer 1 1 at I 1 j TO cro BK BE j |