Show CHAPTER V disappointment the next morning hart entered tile the bonk banic and asked to see its his fathers safety deposit box oh its nil all right I 1 guess the bank clerk shrugged his shoulders your names on there in III your our fathers itheria writing and I 1 know youre young rogers dut but I 1 guess id better go along with you ou we have hae to be pretty careful when some one enols is going through a dead mans effects they went within the big door then and to tile the fitting of the lie pass tint and muster keys to tile the little bronze box TP the tiny compartment swung open and the clerk brought brou glit forth foith the drawer draper placing it on oil the counter hastily bart seized the packets of papers and begin began their Ve perusal gerusal A deed to the acres which lie he had bad called home an insurance policy which had been allowed to lapse A canceled mortgage representing the saving of the farin from its first load of debt then a folded paper which cause caused bart rogers lingers heart to thump lie he brought it forth and rend it line after line the final blow it was the will guess that was about the lie last trip your father made in here about n year ear ago the riny lie put that will in the box w came caine froni from one side and bart baart looked down into the features of tile clerk forgotten for the intini moment ent yes rogers turned toward him rather curiously the clerk bobbed tits his head ile he showed it to nie me that day da lie thought it was a great joke joke on wl abow ioni 1 I dont know ile he mention tiny names he just said that a fellow had played pinned tho the fool and he let hini him go ti ahead liend that he never neer liked lihn him any ile he dian didn say what the deal was rogers was like a man hearing tits ills death sentence no lie he except that it was wyme something thing about some kind of rig rights lits dart alart rogers did not answer ile he replaced the document in tile box anti and turned his ley key in unison with the one in the hands of tile the clerk then silently admitting detent lie he walked slowly out of the bank lie ile had dreamed vaguely aguele of fly finding iding another will in the safety box or perhaps sonic some explanation of the document ment which had been read to him the night before but there had been nothing of tile the sort instead tile unassailable proof pi bof of the genuineness of the document lind had come coine to him blin front the lips of the clerk recounting the incident of its his fathers last visit tind and the fact that lie had boasted of bf bettering t a man lie he did not like well theres nt at leist least that consolation lie murmured its as lif lie stood on the bank steps watching the erection of a tent dance lull neross across the street then slowly ns na if in realization of ills his defeat hai bart t rogers pulled tile breath into ills lungs and straightened like a in man n about to fine face at 11 sentence if dail dad figured things tant WIY have bae to go lie mused ile he thought lie he was a good lo bargain argain oud and made a lind bad one all there there lie ile stopped shortly and turned in response to it dig in the ribs which threatened to keep on going agishi it clime came even before lie be could look up into the features of the tall gangly person who towered above him find and who continued tile lie punching jabs even eien iia as lie he asked tits ills questions A lantern jawed person lie was indies inches more than six feet in height while about his tw twinkling hilding gray eyes cs there seemed a thotis thousand tind wrinkles yet he be haq loung ruddy buddy he was announcing M heres the american legion wheres it t nt at hull anie dud bud just canie came tn in on that thai raechal the lie rest of tile lie tinb tinhorn tin b horn orti sports gamblers loose women and whatnot what not got a legion heglon pot post here cuddi buddy where a good man like my mi self could get a wash up and some grub why bart lind had hesitated the elongated bud went genially een lally on have to pardon my parley cant help it went A W 0 L the day before I 1 was to shove off on the packet for homo boine and they sent me back up into the army of occupation since then ive been oil all over what outfit are you from one word had brought to tile lie serious features of bart rogers tile resemblance of it a grin bud swung ills his arms anna you like to have me from he queried since the lie time that bf P 11 do dogged doged ged me back up tile lie harbor nt at brest I 1 ive been in everything that ever looked like an outfit 1 I know lint hut your original outfit oil oh that bud untangled himself to his full height and beamed genially down upon rogers the real one huh read em cm and weep the fifth mari marines ties brother hart bart rogers rogera put forth it a hand samo same division frend came quietly huh the second stand back anek there and let me take a look at you yep maybe its so look like a good man what are you from ninth infantry 11 ninth huh vaux that right saulny jaulny huh diane blane mont say dont I 1 know em cm slip ler er buddy I 1 your name rogers bart rogers a second boole bud asked it with something of suspicion no why just afraid nil all you look like hire one sergeants the best I 1 could do then every things high wide and I 1 handsome slip me your mitt and now he rubbed mournfully fit at a Z IN began their perusal lengthy stomach wheres that legion outpost where does the legion keep its employment office I 1 just came in on that special ile he nodded down the street queer looking outfit assorted asserted bart noticing the vanguard of a motley mob queer bud jabbed him blin in the ribs worsen that buddy bess guess uess I 1 was ans the only honest man on tile the train say chos Fr anniston here rogers rogera asked the question with a sudden interest iles hes a sort of land agent and nd politician ran for mayor ut at the election a few days ago find and got heat beat why just heart heard ills his nanie name on the lie train I 1 everybody on it seemed to think that if lie he could hook up with Fr anniston be gravy guess ill start looking for him film myself 1111 self if you wont jar loose with any info about that legion post 1 I forgot that then bart shook ills his head but I 1 cant help you there tiny any legion pot post in town no legion post the human fence rall mil doubled ngan anti and a long finger poked bart rog rogers gers in the chest cheat do you on mean to plant there anil and tell el me that there aint it a legion post in tills this town own if there aint why liy there lipe because ause there arent enough veterans to support one answered bart well where can I 1 eat asked the lengthy mirt bart pointed up the street then as bud strung himself out along the sidewalk toward the restaurant rogers watched after him with inter est cat there was something likable about the elongated freckled man something wholesome something worthwhile and companionable bart then moved slowly down the sidewalk brushing past nien men with heavy satchels others with canvas hugs on their shoulders women in loud foud raiment A hazy idea was in tits ills mind lie he lind had sought to the last moment ment to doubt the word of bull Fr anniston and of lawyer leon barrows lie he hat had failed find and through some sense of justice lie he felt eliat it was necessary to tell them so with tills this thought lie he made ills way up tile lie broad wooden staircase to the offlie nl ai leon barrows there to knock upon tilt the door and await an answer in ain evidently the ht attorney torney already I 1 hud had departed for to pro hate ohp will and what ly bart turned down the street toward the ramshackle two story building which housed the domce of bulls bull Fr annIston ile he mounted tile the stairway only to halt ns as tie lie circled tile the banister and started toward the grimy door of tha little office voices were coming from within the voices ot of two men bull and old jim the voice of the latter WA was 9 pl pleading ending bull lie 14 was saying youre going too far ive stood to see you beat her ive stood to see you mistreat her ive stood for pretty near everything in the world figuring that the worst you could do would be better than what would happen it if id ever force you to come out la in the open and lay your cards on the table lint but walt just a minute jim I 1 T the ne rumbling voice of the other man had cut it in sneeringly youre always talking about what ive got up my sleeve have I 1 ever told you that I 1 knew anything about you or what P no but you know milt lint I 1 know it you on dont have to tell me that the name of leon barrows Is a fake name or that what youre always so careful to keep locked up in that safe asat what lint what I 1 think it better he be quiet jim answered Frati there was a queer implied threat in the voice and one which met with instant response 1 1 I I 1 mean it bull ull the 01 old d pleading had returned but G d bull just think how bow it would be if you were in my shoes I 1 think liow how oud suffer IE you saw some one throwing her directly in tile the path of gamblers and the sort of women that are hooding flooding in here bowl The yire my friends im looking to them for my living no reason you should make anita associate with them it it if my friends got to be tier lier friends 1 I hate to think it bull answered jim 1 I 1 I dont know which would be worse for tier her to have to live la in tills this atmosphere or dr or the other one that shed be up against it if it if 11 id d have to come out in the open suit stilt yourself the announcement had a sneer in it do what you please about that in the meanwhile got get ive got work to look after tile the last announcement meant discovery for bart rogers if lie he lingered hurriedly li he turned for the staircase slid and was fur down the th estreet street when looking over hla fits shoulder lie he saw the bent form of old did jim alm leave the building barts heart was waa thumping strangely again had lie he come face to face with the mystery in the lives of bull lir anniston tits daughter and old jim suddenly bart rogers stopped short it if it was certain that Fr anniston was to be the king of the gambling element and the dance halls it was certain also that bull Fr anniston did not care what became of tits his own daughter not it if I 1 can stop it I 1 lie he thought gri grimly nily 1 I may be one man against a multitude but ill make the light fight ile he wheeled suddenly and hurried up the street toward the wide rambling home of tom jordan mayor maor elect 11 mr jordan lie he said when the genial old ex cattleman had answered ills ring at the bell you offered mo me a job it a couple ot of days davs ago Th itts what I 1 did boy things have changed a good deal since then I 1 just wanted to ask one question have billave you QU any objections obJect ios to a clean town objections thebie the big man chuckled lord no nol I 1 I 1 want it clean although and he rubbed his chin us its lie looked down toward tile the main street MI eel with etli its tents its crowds its ita covered wagons and dust caked automobiles its flamboyant signs advertising this ills that find and the other mush room stock it looks like ilke an lot of po lishin it 11 have t he lone done to ever make tills this place shine again maybe laybe A FO bart alart rogers patted it a fist into tin an open patin palm you never cun can tell about those things until you try when do bod orf take A week from today ailien if youre still willing to etlick to your 5 our offer ill be glad to take the job of cleaning up this tomal anyway bart has haa it a hemans he mans job which should keep him from thinking of his own troubles trouble TO DE BE CONTINUED |