Show mo ven 01 01 1 5 2 is SYNOPSIS the scene acme at the opening ot of the story la laid tn in the library of an old worn out southern plantation known as the barony 0 n the place la is to be ba sold gold and its 1 history h as bic r y a and nd that of the tha owners the s la is the subject of 0 discussion by jonathan crenshaw a business man an a sm stranger known as bladen and nd bob yancy a larmer farmer when hannibal wayne hazard a mysterious child of 0 the old bouthern tou rou thern family makes his appearance yancy tells how lie be adopted the boy nathaniel ferris buys the barony but the Quin tards deny any knowledge knowledge ot of the boy yancy ya ncy to keep hannibal captain murrell rl a friend r tend of 0 the al ap roars rears and asks questions about the barony trouble at scratch h mil when han hall ni balIs by dave mount blount captain caplain murreta Mur reUa agent yancy over overtakes blount gives him a thrashing and secures the boy yaney yancy appears before squire balaam and la Is discharged lac appears arged with costs for or I 1 the he plaintiff betty mabroy y a friend ot of rc the Fer rises has hag nn an en encounter with cap tain lain murrell who fol chis his atten attentions jonson on her and lg ij by aruca bruca ruce carr carrington r agton betty et y be arts t out for or her Ten jW home ul game cje a abaca AUG ICY arid and ila sin a ar with murtell an W their troll arrives af i the home ot of judge slocum r price rice who addas lecog 1 rilles in the boy ti the grayC granil soa SOU of otan an OU old time friend murrell arr ves at judges conw V cavendish family on raft reneua yane yancy atio 1 apparently alpar antly dead price frice bread breaks jail be betty t 17 and carrington arrive at belle riale lain cannibals Hanni bals rifle discloses some onie startling things to tykp judge hannibal and detty betty meet again murrell arrive i in n belle plain Is playing for or big takes stakes yancy awakes awaken from rom long dreamless steep sleep on board the raft judge price makes startling discoveries in looking up land titles charley norton a young planter lanter who assists the tha judge Is mysteriously tediously assaulted norton informs car that betty has promised to marry him norton li Is mysteriously shot more alore light on murrell a plot lie he plans uprising in of 0 negroes judge price with hannibal ba visits betty arid and sho aho kiaer keeps the boy 83 a a companion in a arroll hetty ety takes with hannibal they meet bess besa hicks daughter gater ot of the overseer who warns betty ill 0 f danger and counsels her to ketive leave 1 belle 1 plain lain at once betty te tent amr fiad acts on dess bess advice and on their way their carriage it stopped by the I 1 tavern avern keeper and a confederate conte an and betty and hannibal are made prisoners the pair are are taken to hicks cabin in an almost spot apol and there murr rell 11 visits 1 B betty t and nd rev reveals ais his part tn in ih iha plod and hi a object betty s spurns fit his enett IT ove arld tile the deil 1 or apo ablo 0 co I 1 4 f judge uia the abduction aoi ao i alon the jhuge situation and search corthe for the ones onea Is car carington v visits felt the judge and allies ure are dim CHAPTER continued andl general quintard quintal d never saw him never manifested any interest in him the words came slowly from the judges lips he seemed to gulp down something that rose in his bis throat poor little baill ne he muttered and again P poor little ladi lad I 1 never once sir lie told the slaves to keep him out of his eight we all worl wondered dered to fo you know how will talk ye we thought maybe lie he was some borne kin to the QuIn tards bu but t we figure out how bow the old general never had but one ofie child and she had bad been dead to fo years the child have been hers no how yancy paused the judge drummed idly on the desk what implacable hate what iron pride he murmured and swept tits his hand baad across his eyes absorbed and aloof he was busy with his thoughts that spanned the waste of 0 years years that seemed to glide before him in review each bitter with its hideous memories of shame and defeat then from rom the smoke emolie of these lost battles balales emerged the lonely figure of the child as he had bad seen him that juno june night tits his ponderous arm stiffened where it rested on the desk he straightened up in his bis chair and his bis face assumed its customary expression ot of battered dignity while a smile at once wistful and tender hovered about his bis lips one other question he said eald until this man murrell appeared you had no trouble with aladen ile he was content that you should keep the child your right to hannibal was never challenged never mr belr all ray my troubles began about that time I 1 autrell AIu Mu crell Trell belongs in these parts sa said td the judge id admire to to meet him said yancy quietly the judge grinned 1 I 1 place my professional services at your disposal ho he said yours is a clear case of felonious assault no it aint sir I 1 look at it this a ways its a clear case of my giving him me 0 damndest damnedest damn dest sort eort of a body beating sir said the judge ill hold bold your hat while you are about it flicks had taken his big time in responding sp to the judges summons but now his step sounded in the hall and throwing open the door ho he entered the room whether consciously or not he had acquired something ot of that surly forbidding manner which was characteristic of his employer A curt nod of the head was bis big only greeting will you sit alt down asked the aldge hacka by another movement of r tiie the head that he would not this ta is a very dreadful busl busi ician the judge softly aint it agreed hicks flicks what you 1 got to aay t to P me he added af pf petulantly haic you atar to drag the kanii la nii gabd the judge flicks hacka rl fd erf tit t was yur your idea sug aug r rort ra A b hafl jaa IROD gal G al F awl T TI YE rut 4 ch XIN N 0 poor little latil he muttered Mut tred 14 no 0 it want objected life hicks k quickly dut but I 1 said she had been like shed was waa plumb dist distracted ever since charley norton got shot ilow how inquired the judge arching hla his eyebrows hicks was plainly disturbed by the question sort of out of her head mr ware seen been it too lie ile spoke of it yes sir him and me discussed discuss edit it together I 1 the judge regarded hicks long and intently and in silence ills his magnall cent mind was at work it if betty had been distraught he had not observed any sign of it the previous day it if ware were better informed as aa to her true mental state why had he be chosen this time to go to memphis 1 I suppose mr ware asked you to keep keap an eye on miss malroy while lie be w was as away from home said the judge hicks suspicious auspicious of the drift of his questioning made no answer 1 I sup cupi pose you told the house bouse serf servants ants to keepfer kepp keep her ber under observation continued the judge 1 I dont talk to no biggers nig gers replied hicks except to give em my orders well did you give them that order no I 1 the sudden and hurried entrance of 0 big steve brought the judges examination of mr hicks flicks to a standstill maar you know dat ar coachman george Georg ethe the big black fellow dat took y you 0 u into town las even evenin tn I 1 lea jes been d down at shanty hill whar milly his bis wife la is car carrein carry ln on something scandalous cause george aint never come homel steve was waa laboring under intense excitement but he ignored the ha presence of the overseer and addressed himself to slocum price well what of that cried hicks flicks quickly no george mind you maar but dar was wag his team in do de stable this moning and lookha mighty nigh done up with hard driving yes yea interrupted hicks uneasily put a pair ot of lines in a biggers nig gers hands and hell run any team off its legal an the kerridge herr kerri lage age all scratched up from beant thrashed through the bushes added steve theres a for said bald hicks flicks she took the rascal out of the field dressed him like ho he was a u gentleman and pampered him up and now first chance he be gets he ha runs off ahl ah said the judge softly then you know knew this of course I 1 knew want it my cay business to know I 1 reckon he was ott off skylarking and abd when hed seen been the mess mesa hed had raade the trilling trifling fool took to the woods well he catches it when aher I 1 lay hands handa on in do yuu you know when and under whit circumstances tho the team was st bled mr hicks inquired the judge no I 1 dont but I 1 reckon it 11 must have hava atan long after daric said bald hicks flicks unwillingly 1 I seen been to the feadin feeding just after sundown uni lowa it lefco I 1 always U then I 1 went to st supper ippei hacka vouchsafed to explain and no one saw or heard board the hv team i drive in not as I 1 know of said hicks flicks maar done gone eona off to get a pack of 0 daggs he lows hits inlet important to find como come of george said steve hicks started violently at this piece of news 1 I reckon hell have to travel a right smart distance to finda pack or 0 dogs he muttered 1 I dont know of none this side of colonel nates bates down below girard the judge was lost loat in thought lie he permitted an interval of silence to elapse in which hicks glance slid round in a furtive circle when did mr ware set out tor for memphis asked the judge at length early yesterday ile he goes there pretty often on business you talked with mr air ware before he left flicks shook his head old did he speak ot of miss malroy flicks shook his head did you see her during the afternoon no maybe you think theme nig gers aint enough to keep a man stirring said hicks uneasily and with a scowl the judge noticed both the uneasiness and the scowl 1 I should imagine they would absorb every moment of your time mr hicks he agreed affably A roans mans got to be a hog bog for work to hold a job like mine said kicks hicks sourly but it came to your notice that miss alias malroy has been in a disturbed mental state ever since mr norton nortons Nor tons burderi murder I 1 am interested in this point mr hicks flicks because your experience exper lenco la jig so entirely at variance with my own it was my privilege to see and speak with her yesterday afternoon I 1 was profoundly impressed by her he naturalness and composure 1 rhe I he judge smiled then he leaned for forward ard across across w the desk what were you doing up here early this morning a hog bog for work like you got any business of his bis own at that hour the judges tone was suddenly offensive look here what right have you got to try and pump me cried hicks flicks for no discernible reason mr air caa eliijah efa luh spat on his palms mr flicks said the judge urbane and gracious 1 I believe la in frankness asure sure agreed hicks mollified by the judges altered tone therefore I 1 do not dot hesitate to say that I 1 co consider nolder you a damned scoundrel concluded the judge mr cavendish accepting the judges judge g ultimatum an aa something which must debar flicks from all further consideration era tion and being as lie he was exceedingly active and energetic by nature it if one passed over the various borms torms of gainful industry uttered a loud whoop and throw threw himself on the overseer there was waa a brief struggle find and 1114 ka went down with the earl of lambeth lamdeth astride of him then from lils bis boot leg that knightly soul lashed flashed a horn born handled tickler of formidable dimensions N t az tho the judge yancy and ali Ma madairy hairy sprang from their chatra chairs mr maharry mahaffy was waa plainly shocked at thesper bacle of tar air lawless violence yancy was disturbed too but not by the moral aspects ol of tho the cage ho he was waa doubtful doubt tul to how his friends intend act would appeal to the judge lie need not have been distressed on that score since tho the judges one idea wits was to profit by it with his hands on an his bis knees he be gasnow was now bending above tho the two men what do you want to know judge cried cavendish panting from his exertions ill learn this parrot to talk up I 1 hicks said the judge it Is in your power to tell us a few things wo we are here to find fand out alicks looked up into the judges face find and closed close d hla his lips grimly air ir cavendish lowly lot him have tap point ot of that largo irge knife alere were hell feel eel it kostl orr byll the fudge talk quick said cavendish it a ferocious scowl talbor Tal kor or co cs hinder me ane slicing dilert your on en and he be pressed the blado blade ot of his bis knife against alid overseers throat 1 I dont know anything about miss betty said eald hicks la ili a sullen whisper pea mayber you dont but ahat do you know about the boy hicks was slip silent tit but he ha was grateful grate rul lor for the judges question from tom ware he had learned ot of 10 ontress interest in the hoy boy why should he shelter the colonel at risk ot of himself it you please mr cavendish Cavend lahl 1 said the tha judge nodding toward tho the knife you ask me about him said bald hicks quickly 1 I do now said the judge ile he was waa hero here yesterday mr cavendish again the tha judge glanced toward tho the knife K aa let him up mr cayen ish 04 ats all wo wa want to know b d a 1 l 1 r I 1 r CHAPTER WV colonel Colori cl fentress the judge had not forgotten his ghost the ghost he h had seen been in mr sauls office that day ho he went to the court house bouse on business busl noBa for charley norton working or ly the tatter latter drunk or saber principally the former the ghost other wise colonel fentress Fen tresa had preserved a place in his bis thoughts and now as he moved atoll stolidly adly up tho the drive toward fentress big white house on the hill with Mn Ala hoffy halry cavendish and yancy trailing frailing in his wake memories ot of what had once been living and vital crowded in upon him borne sense of the wreck that littered the long years yeara and the shame of the open shame that had bad swept away pride and self respect came back to him out of the past lie he only paused when ho he stood on the portico before fentress open door ile he glanced about him at tho the wide fields bounded by tho the distant timber lands that hid gloomy bottoms at the great log barns in the hollow tc bin right at tho the huddle of white washed cabins beyond then with tits hla big fist he reached in and pounded on tho the door the blows echoed loudly through the silent house and an instant later fentress Fentre aa tall spare figure was seen seea advancing from the far end or ol the hall who to is it he asked judge Price Colonel fentress yen tress said bald tho the judge judge price uncertainly and still advancing 1 I had flattered myself that you must have heard of me said the I 1 idge 1 I 1 think I 1 have said fentress pausing now 11 II thinks he has bast ta uttered the judge under tinder his breath will you come in ili it was more a question quest IoD than an invitation it if you are at liberty the colonel bowed allow me the judge continued colonel fentress Fen treBs mr Us ma hafty mr yency and mr cavendish again the colonel bowed will you step into tho the library very good and the judge followed the colonel briskly down the ball TO BE CONTINUED |