OCR Text |
Show i- i i4JACICSOt1 - ACE UOLE it i : : 4JACICSOt1 JACtCSOH GREGORY _ GREGOILY WJULflELEAS - - \ t _ TDK 1'11111 111111 ' ug STORT STOILT sro BO SO TAB PAR FAR ( : ; * ABB . m L Lee Ls * * ad . adot lotc ot Cwty COtty Cody , IIneAelutea bse1&rt.s bse1rt.s bse1rts b * efielktt & . i ander under ond r &wctW.u wctW.u wctWu tw & two tdszifl Id * . . . ' ' . * I 1 will wto . * . of Old 014 Bill om 0W cole , oacht II01IC1at seogbt to Gfa . 61 Lor * . * over . .r r . r " , who bo kad h . . . flred Ired ! &Ia Ia th & ( & . fatal bnllatM lIan i11pt . . a at atfd " . fd ct mil om Bill Rupleloa SUpteloa Iuipleloa een1re centered eenterea aroaDd around around'ane ai aicaoee 'ane ane ' caoee _ 1141 . Waldroa Wal4ro Waidro . . , . who wllo poied poaeel poled as . 0(4ridrw 04ridrw 014 Od ( om 0111 e . eepllw epllw IeDbOw , _ and d wai Waf a . U Uvinf HyIng . . at .t t Uw 11M ths rell ranob rellbeD ranobI ranobben rrben _ beD ben A Ana Lou _ and aDd Cod Cody , . . arrived .rrlved rrlved Doe Doc loe loe&Ia Jo Jnd " . I I IJudge tb &Ia Ia & * . Jadxa Judge 11Id . wre w.re wer . . retnrnlac ret1lruJ returning to torom toWD town toWDm townt * t , row m lb the raaeh r.ell rell ranch . . < ( eacll each ach with wl&la wlla & a . will wID I In . . hie bli hiee bliocket 1ocket ocket e . tor for tot .afekee afekee . alekfploi .afekue4ng afekue4ng ln , ) > wbeo wbea when th7 theJ : * wen wets wetssytsid wi'aytald wiaytald ' sytsid . d aad aIMS aid Iho ibot bot ' by a inaiked ma.ked maked masked . banrhom bpdt bandit banditrbom ' rbom Qm tbey tbe1 they ; reco&n1zed recon1zed recogniued r c & ( al ed ai at a . Kanci nance Rants 'a a W " ' VaI VaIron ' If , , , roB ron . To divert myer divirt ' snipiclon .a.plcton a.plcton aplcton inipiclon . . . , ftaac'a ftaaca kaDcq ftanci ' kUled blUed kUled'II kill'ftfcil killftfcil 'II II ' ! ' Ja Ja.ceompUee | * 111 accomplice .ceompUee ceompUee accompllte . : , . Tom Torn Ooafh Gou.Ja GouJa Geugh . . . Meirh0 Mean- Mean Meanbfle . . .D- .D . .De - - bfle e , . Cat Cd Cal Rotudtree Roundtree ltoUndtree had 41novered discovered 41noveredJd discovered1d di coveilid e < Jd 1d Doe Voe Do * Jo 10 * . .un un .tUl tUl . UU lived livedN livedNow livedNow N Now _ eonUaoe eo.u- eo.u coetinue eo.uwith . - . with the tile tory .cory cory story storyC1IAPTEILXVUI . _ CHAPTEK OHAPTER C1IAPTEILXVUI C1IAPTEILXVUIThose XVIU XVID XVIUE E ' ! Those 'bose bose were the day days when AnnZee Ann AnnJee A.XiCe AXiCe . Jee Zee . , remained in the big , BtlU still old oldmuse < ftiouse euse muse She moved noved softly .oftly oftly ioftIl . through throughthe throughthe throu.the throuthe . the dim rooms the shades dra'against draagainst drawn drawnagainst ' against the glowing glowini g1oing outside beat heat be : . . She trailed her ber flngerUps fingerUps along table tabletopi tat'Itopa tatItopa / . ' tops topi along 81on . the backs of chairs cbairs sheemoothed BL she shej sheamootbed - lsmoothed amootbed emoothed the ' time t'lme tlme darkened walls wallswith wallswith wa wawltt j | wltt with a palm of her hand band "I I " " love'you lo lojkyou love loveau jkyou 'you you ' au . . Old House she sometimes sometimeswhispered sometimeswhispered sometimj sometimjwhispered whispered when quite quit alone alone"You aloi"You aloiYou * | | "You You 'You " ' ve ye got your secrets havciyou haven havenyou ' t t70u 70u you . , Old House ? All sorts of memorles memo memorles meiry meiryrles rles , heaps of ern em Good ones , a and andbad andbad ; bad ones too , I 1 bet ! ! ! Dear old Eai Early EarlyBill EarlyBill BlU Bill was young once here wasn't wasnt wasn'theT wasi"I wasiI wasi"Ihe l ' > * " he heT ? What was he like then 0i Old OldHouse . , | House T ? Why can t you tell me ? And Andwho Ai * . . : who ? > . _ was ? - Syivla Sylvia 0.1.1 01.1 011 . . . . , . ? Did 1r-t 1r t - | somethingr1 something . r . 4 .ll ll . .ll.ft . .ft ft . 'l.happen l.happen lhappen r1 ' . happen to her did she die loi/'and loi 'and and long longband ' " band / 'and and " ' ' long ago agoT ? When she was Just Justa lu a young girl like me ? And did youi1 youi1Billy young youngBilly youngDilly Billy Dilly Cole before he got to be oldEarly old oldEarly oI oIEarly Early Bill . , love her ber terribly ? Did Didshe Didshe DI . ? she love him too and was she , oWuo ob oh . , ! e4so so faithful and true to him turn ? " " j i iDear Dear dead faded rose leaves leave . of ofromance 0 0romance < romance these were what she was wai wa war 9 : ! , r finding flndlnJ flndlnJeverywhere everywhere Folks thought though thoughtlut thouglttiat tlut t they the , . knew old Early Bill trorthe from frost fromthe frostthe -the the * ' - the crown of ot bis his ragged old Stetson Stetsot Stetsonto Stetsotto Stetsoto to his spurred boot heels heels-but heels but - - but the theL they thel thelI theldidn she dld- dld dldthe didthe did- did didthe - - - L didn dldn t know him the way 1 . I the way Sylvia had known him himwhen himwhen binwhen when both were youngt youngI young _ I love you Early Bllll Billl Bull You re an ar anold arold aold old darling that s what you arel 8rel arei arelAnd areiAnd And sometimes alone In an early earlymorning ear1 ear1morning earlmorning morning hour or in a bushed twi twilght twiJight twlight lght Jight ) she would stand or sit ver very verystill .tilJ tilJ . still UI1 and would whisper whisperI I know you are sire what folks cadead can csl candead csldead dead Early Bdl-but Bdl but Bill-but Bill Bill - - but I don t be- be believe believe believe - - lieve you ve ye really gone away notfor not notfor notor for one minute ! I can feel you righihere right righi rightIlere # Ilere ( tere somewhere Why you re evennear even evennear evcinear near enough for me to reach ouand out outand outand and touch-if touch if touch-it it touch - - it only I could see you youl youlAnd youAnd ! And is Sylvia with you too " ' ' You re relaughmg relaughing rlaughing laughmg laughing Early Bill you old scamp scampf scampi scampi.J ! .J J aI . . know you are-Oh are Oh are-Ob Ob are ' - - Ob why couJdn couidn couldnI t tI I II I have come sooner7 sooner ? Why cou1dn couldn couldnI t I tI II I have known youAnd you " And it was in the patio of ot earlymornings early earlymornings earl : mornings and in the summer magiipt magic magicpf magicthe pf the long lingering twilights thatArm that thatAnn tbaAnn Ann Arm Lee and end Bill Blll Cole Cody gretinto grew grewInto grewinto Into the pleasant habit of meeting tospeak tispeak to tospeak speak little to dwell in a warm warmawareness warmawareness warnawareness awareness of each other that was a aslow < f\o'vt f o'vt ovt slow . \ Iow ' like Bke that lying about them theta thembver theta4ver thenover bver 4ver the hills and valleys sometimes Bome some Bometimes sometimes times they looked at each other othereach othereach othereach each seeking what lay deep down Inthe in inthe 1)the 1the ) the other s a eyes a little searchinIheir searching searching"heir searching4heir ) "heir heir 4heir " own hearts Aunt Jenifer Jenlfer spied Bpie BpieS < . S 4 " on them at times from a sate safe se-- se so- so secret soI socret se - - I cret distance then went her , quieway qUIet quuei qUIetway quueiway way smilIngThus smiling smilingThus Thus ThWl they had been silting sitting on a al'artJcular < 4 ' particular l'artJcular lartJcular , articular evening with even fewei fewer fewerwords fewerWords feweitween words and With longer glances be- be between between - - tween them than ever before whei when whenthree whenthree | three occurrences burst upon them themwith themwith thenL thenLwith with the effect of sudden . . , unrelate unrelated unrelatedfnd unrelatednd unrelateand < fnd and nd unexpected explosions They had hadno haHeard ( eard no sound sOlmd of or footsteps footllteps so en enwrapped enwrapped enwrapped wrapped were they in the concerns concernsot concernsof concerntof ot of their world which at the moment momentwas momentwas momentwas was far tar away from their immedi- immedi irnxnedt- irnxnedt immediate irnxnedtate Immedirate . - - ate surroundings . as .s s was the star starfrom staiirom from rom which wbleh the girl s a eyes came now nowso nowso nowso so swiftly swltJY swlty { , ! to try to read through the theshadowy theshadowy hadowy shadowy half balf light what was written writtenon writtenon on bis bls his face 'ace ace ' when wben of a sudden BUdden POl- POl Por- Por POlArio PorOsb Por-flrio Por flrio ' - - - Ario Os-b Os b - stood before them 'I I " ' , ' Don Codito Codlto ! ! - " he burst out In Insome Insome Insome some tremendous excitement excitement'Come excitementCome . . . 'Come Come ' ' ' quiet Quick : ! 1 Fo For Fot ! : the love of ot God GodSenor GodSenor GodSenor Senor come eome as fast as ligbtning lightning UghtolngiNo ! No . , . no nol no ( ! Not the senorltal senorita tenorith ! You YouIre Youre YouAre Ire re to come alone You won t believe believe be- be bemiracle - - - lieve i\-I i It-I It \ - - cannot ten tell you-it you it - - is in a . amiracle miracle . , Don Coditot Codltol Codito ! ' ' . - Are you drunk . . , Portirlo Porfirlo Pornrlo'snapped Pornrlosnapped ? " ' snapped apped Cody Codyi I Porflrio Porftrlo Porfirlo caught him by the sleevi sleeve and falrly fairly heaved blm him up from bia his biaplace hisplace place at the girl a . .Ide Ide side . and willy willynllly willyamy J nlUy nllly amy short abort tuort at of a fight Apt ftght , , Cody bad had to toaccompany toaccompany toaccompany accompany him some few steps.Then stepsThen atepa steps . . . 'l'ben lben ' en Porflrio pordrlo Porflrto began whispering in inhis Inhis Inhis his ear and then CodyI.understood Cody I.understood Iunderstood I.understoodand . .understood understood . .understoodlong understoodand and went willinely willingly enougn enoulh . . burrywg hurryIng burrywgloog long loog bog strldedly stridedly strid , , . eager and md glad l1ad that thatone thatone thatone . one sequence aequence of a trtgl-comedy trtgl comedy tragi-comedy tragi - - : - aarrical a . aarcIcil 1a ( arcIcil < leal one aDe at t that that , , . was at an end . end.At endAt . . At the darkest da11leat dastest : corner eorner of the bo house housewhere boueewhere ee eewhere where a great lf1'eat lf1eat ' live Uve oak almost sweptthe swept sweptthe sweptthe the ground with Its lower branebea branches branchesPorflrio . , , Porftdo Porftrlo brought broueht him to Doc Doe Joe .Joe Joeh .JoeWhen . 5 , h . When almost Imme Immediately immetiately } ately CoJeCody Colecody Cole CoJe Coleall Cody came rushing back to Ann Lee , . * all an 11 but breathless he be found fouod her herltandlng herstanding herstanding ltandlng standing in the patio her ber slight body bodyrigidly bodyrigidly bodyrigidly rigidly held beld her bands hands a at t her sidel sides sidesher , er chin lifted her ber eye eyes . on thehtars the the'tars thestars 'tars tars htars ' She hadn t known Imown that be he bewas hewas hewas was really coming comine : back at 51 all Por POI- POI Pox- Pox Poxfirlo POIdrlo Porflrio ' - ' - flrio drlo firlo s 5 . abrupt appearance had bad ltar star ltartied startied startied tied her she was vaguely frightenedand frightened frightenedand -and and - and nd for tor . some .ome ome reason re8lon her ber beart heart beartwas heartaa heartwa was aa pounding poundlnar - . Ann Annl I ! Something wondertull wonderful I ! Lis LI8- LI8 Us- Us - LI8ten Usten Listen - ten . ten , , Ann-don Ann don AflXi-dOfl AflXi dOfl - Ann - don t I t let it bowl you over overCome overCome overCome Come into the bouse hOWle bouae quick . . . And Andet Andget Andget get , et Aunt Jenifer .Jenl1er Jenl1er Jentfer . ' There 'There g s someIs . sonae- sonae .ome- .ome some- some sonaeIt's .omef - - - f Is- Is ' Isbing - U ng bing I want to tell both of ot 1OU you , t tIt's ; It's Its It ' ' ' . Just about ibout the most wonderful-- wonderful wonderfulI wonderfuln wonderfulyou wonderful t be able to believeIt belleveit believe belleve Inew70U - - new-70U new 70U n wa-7OU wa 7OU . - - you won I " , . It it- . - , Ant Arnit . , Jenifer's Jenifers JenUer'a JenUera ' ' appearanca appearanee muat omit muatbav omithav xnu t bav hav . smacked lJffiacked imacked of magic maa1c . , there abe she abewal shewas was wal aa as a * they came hand In band hand . , Into the tb * lamp-lIgb lamp lIgb lamp-lighted lamp lighted - - d living Uvlnar room roomHe roomHo Ha He Ho released on one , of Ann Ann's Anns Ann'a Anna ' ' . banda hands handsthen bandathen ! then and took one of Aunt .J.01- J.01 .J.01 J01 J.ni- J.ni .J.01fe J.nifey's J . . - . - ' ' bow how earnest earnel1 and andeager andeager ai fey's feys fe . . She . saw .aw aw eager be he was , , she . said .ald ald quietly quletly , , . . ' "All All "AU AU 'AU " right rl&ht rlht & . , . Cole It If I . something somethingto , to surprise wrprtle us . , but we won't wont ' ' be .f117 f117 silly sillyabout . .f117about about It It . , , especially especlany since it's its ' ' cood good coodnews goodnews go < news We can take heaps beap . of that . * , Ann and I 1 " When he be told them Aunt Jen1fet .Tenifer Tenifer Jen1fet.at . Jenlfi Jenlfiat .TeniferCat .at at Cat . at down rtght right in the middle of the thefloor thefloor tlfloor floor An Ann . , reached out and abd clune clung clunetight clungtight clui cluitight * tight to him and didn dldn t aeero seem to note fold notethat foldthat nothat that he had bad an arm about herThen her herThen Then The Doc Doe Joe J06 came in . in . . Jenlfet Jenifer scrambled to her feet andkissed and andkIssed kIssed him blm Ann Lee deserted Cole ColeCody ColeCody Cody and put both arms arm8 about Doc DocJoe Doc.Joe ( ) Joe .Joe . and gave him blm a mighty bug"Oh hug"Oh hug bug hug"Oh "Oh Oh " Doc Joe Joet Joel ! Doc Joe Joel ! ' ' she keptsaying kept keptsaying kei saying over and over overDoc overDoe Doc Doe Joe beamed all over He Hemade Hemade [ made them each eacb a boVbe bow boV\ boV boO \ ' he be kissed kissedfirst kissedflrst klss < first flrst Jenifer Jenl1er s 5 . hand band then Ann Lee s s'Ladies s'Ladies . " ' ' "Ladlesi Ladlesi 'Ladies Ladies ! " be he exclaimed throatlly throatl throa ) 1.1 11 ly . , , his hii face red "I I " ' "I I " never thought thoughtanything thoughtanything anything could make a man so 80 happy hap- hap happy - ] ? - . py ! It would have been worth It to tobe tobe [ ? be dead for sure sw-c sw c - lust Just to know thatyou that thatyou th : you cared tared Oared like Uke you dol do ! ! I rh th power- power powerIn powe . r . - In ful ! happy and proud Proud , , la Ia Iadiesshucks ladiesshucks 1 , dies-shucks dies shucks - shucks , , that s no name tor for torit forIt ( ( , it ' - Aunt Jenny ! 1 cried Ann Lee Lee"Listen 'LIsten LIsten "Listen ' " ' I ! 1 ' ' cut In Cody Doc Doe Joe Joewants Joewants J < wants us to hide him a little longer longeitor , ' for only a few minutes or a few fewbours fewhours bours hours I 1 don t know He knows knoW8 knowslot a alot alot lot about Ranee Rance Waldron he U II 11 tell tellyou te ? . you you what It is And Arid while we didn dldn t ' , | , | r | "II " | | . , | , . 'q q ' ,1 1 ,1p , ' / p . Cody struck tbe the tb way UchtnJnar lightning lightningstrikes UchtnJnar.trikes Ughtnuistrikes Ughtnuistrikesknow .trikes trikes strikes . strikesknow know where Waldron had gone he heknew heknew heknew knew and was having him watched watchedall watchedall watchedall all the time And he knows that thatWaldron thatWaidron thatWaldron Waldron Waidron is on his way right now tothe to tothe tothe the ranch rancb and ought to be here any anyminute anyminute anyminute minute So it s a s up to us to get Doc DocJoe DocJoe DocJoe Joe under cover in a hurry then be beready beready beready ready tor for Waldron scorning s coming"That coming coming"That ' "That That 'That " ' s . It it , , . my i-ny i ny - boy that thai s 8 It ill it ! ! said saidDoc saidDoc saidDoc Doc Joe hurriedly I don t I want wantany wantany wantany any beans |