Show 11 1 J I. I o J JL y oY L c J k r V J m j r e J COPYRIGHT CHT Of J I f SIT DOWN I Synopsis Synopsis Senor Senor Antonio Antonto de la Ia laGuerra a Guerra a fine line old Spaniard living on his ancestral estate on the American side of the Mexican border border bor bor- der Js is Informed by his American l lawyer Dempton that there Is a technical error In his will lie He thereupon signs slims a new will without reading It While this Is going on his adorable granddaughter and heiress Senorita Teresa Is out on her rose-covered rose balcony listening to American making love from Billy Stanway owner of the Painted neck Hock ranch Teresa goes to Join her grandfather and finds him gone with the drawing room In disorder and blood on the floor The Amerlean American American Amer Amer- ican lean takes command of the situation situa tion Senor Eduardo Ramon Torre a hated a kinsman s a arrives v Stanway t na and n the De la Ia Guerra ranch c hands return from vain pursuit of the bandits The new will disinherits Teresa and makes Torre sole heir Captain Juarez nominally representing representing the bandits appears and demands ransom for De la a Guerra Torre as heir assumes control CHAPTER V Continued V 5 Unfortunately In answering his summons to the rancho I came to tolate too toolate o late for him to make me cognizant of the hiding place Perhaps you prima mia mla are better Informed Perhaps she answered him quietly quiet quiet- ly tb though ugh the color still ran red In her cheeks And perhaps added Stanway significantly significantly sig sig- Senor Torre would be glad to have hae knowledge of this banco would be glad to have the money handed over to his emissary Emissary Again Torres Torre's Black brows arched The fabrications of the Americanos Americano's suspicions are truly wonderful I H He would s suspect me of robbing myself He He laughed Insolently Stanway looked questioningly at the girl Prima mm mia began Torre The girl whirled upon him her eyes flashing Senor T Torre she cried passionately passionately passion passion- you make it necessary for me meto meto meto to remind you ou that our relationship is not of my choosing and that we are not close enough for you to call caU me cousin I If It you find it necessary to I address me at all aU I should like to be addressed as Senorita de la la Gu Guerra Please remember Torre flushed angrily but managed his careless smile As you wish Senorita de la In Guerra Guer Guer- ra ra he retorted May I suggest something What Is it shortly Merely this This man who calls caUs himself f Captain Juarez m may y be a rank Impostor as well as a scoundrel Before Be Be- B Before fore even considering the matter of a n ransom would it not be well to ask him to prove to us us that he knows at least where our kInsman Is If you rang for Pedro again and sent him with the message message- Teresa rang and sat in a musing silence until Pedro came Pedro she said then tell teU Captain Juarez that we are considering his proposition Tell TeU him further that we wish to be certain that he really comes from the senor Pedro bowed withdrew and returned returned returned re re- turned almost immediately his face strangely white his hand shaking as ashe ashe ashe he held out something to the girl It is the masters master's ring he said deeply agitated The ring he w re always upon his left hand Senorita senorita his voice choking his eyes glistening you will not let them thero kill him No Pedro She took the ring her own eyes shining If harm comes to him Pedro she went on steadily we shall know what to do shall we not Pedro made no spoken answer But Buthis Buthis Buthis his eyes suddenly hard and cruel went straight to Torre Terre resting full of meaning upon him Then turning abruptly abruptly ab ab- ab- ab the tune servant left the room It Is papa grandes grande's ring Senor Stanway She Ignored Torre entirely entirety I am afraid that Captain Juarez speaks the truth truths Stanway stood with drawn brows starIng storing at the floor The whole affair wi wt a bo eloquent of rascality on the pare paCe of f the debonair black mus inched Torre it was o so so Inconceivable that his presence here now was not a apart apart apart part of dark darl design so ridiculous to suppose se that Antonio de la In Guerra had ever really purposed disinheriting the girl who was dearer to him than daughters to most men men and and yet what to do Suddenly Stanway bent forward whispering swiftly guardedly to the girl And then after Stanway Md finished finished fin fin- finished and stood erect again looking down dO upon her as Terre Torre watched his eyes yeR narrowing suspiciously berban her ber herban ban her chin squared d dc- dc j termination came into her mien and voice olce It Is a chance senor she said She rose and stood looking at him steadily still Ignoring Torre Torre- It is a game of dice with our destinies And you you will play it It senorita eagerly from the American She made a little gesture as though she were handing something to hImI himI him I place the in your our hands May I I. I Senor Billy Then cried Stanway we must waste no time I Call Pedro She rang Torre still sUll watching suspiciously suspiciously sus sus- made no comment Pedro Pedr o came In his swift silent fashion Send word to Gaucho to c come come me t to o the house immediately Stanway told him Let him bring three men with wit h him Let them come armed And se see e that Captain Juarez Juarez- does dos not leave leav e the house I shall shall entertain entertain Senor Seno r Torre A quick light of understanding g leaped up in Pedros Pedro's eyes He turned with a brief grunted Bueno and an hurried on his errand Torre had leaped to his feet his face crimson What does this mean he cried crie d sharply As heir to the the theDe De la Ia Guerra estates I demand demand- Sit down I Stan Stanway's ways way's voice wavery was wa s very cry cool but It rang with an Ju Sit sternness We Weare are going to t begin our game of dice presently And An d you will do well senor in playing your you r hand to keep right on smoking and and and- Sit down tHis t I IBis His Bis hand moved a very little as h bespoke he be e spoke coming to rest upon his right t hip Torre sat down CHAPTER VI A Lawyer Plays Witness Vidal has returned senor Billy Stanway awoke with l a sta staThe start rt The late afternoon sun was streaming g through the tIle drawn curtains of th the e guestroom to which he had been beer shown and Pedro stood over his bed Vidal has brought Mr Dempton n back with him he asked asked sitting up SI S1 senor grinned Pedro I I think that Mr Dempton did not like lik e to come but but and Ind lie he shrugged el elo eloquently you you know Vidal senor senors' senors Torre and Juarez have bave had n no word together They know nothing s of our brou brought broucht ht to th the e rancho senor No Stanway slipped sUpped out of bed his great sinewy body towering for a n moment moment mo mo- ment over the lesser Jesser form of the breed You are a gentleman Pedro he be said warmly Your master muster when he comes back to us will have you OU to thank as ns much as anyone Now will you ask your senorita to come to the library And then will you see that Vidal Vidai brings the lawyer there Pedro went about his errand and Stanway dressing swiftly went to the 11 library bra ry which he had chosen because it was at one end of the house and ando so o a place in which to converse erse without without without with with- out fear tear of being overheard by Torre or the captain Vidal was there before him a bigman big bigman bigman man with a beautiful body and a scarred ugly face And with him looking grotesquely small pitifully inefficient In- In efficient in the presence of his guard was Dempton Mr Stanway sir The lawyer was upon his feet In an instant his Ms face red with anger his speech seeming seemIng seemIng seem seem- Ing to froth up in a stream of barely articulated words from between his writhing lips Are you one of this tIlts damnable conspiracy sir It Is brig brig- i it Is outlawry it Is sheer 1 de defiance ance of every statute statute- Good afternoon Mr Dempton said the rancher pleasantly There Theres Is s no conspiracy on our part We merely wish to ask you a few questions ques- ques Ions even to give you a chance to get out of this mess skin Sit down The senorita will be here In a m moment mo mo- ment a aThe The door opened and Teresa came in n. n She nodded brightly at Stanway 1 bestowed a n look upon Vidal which plunged him into an ecstasy of delight and with no word to Dempton went to Stanway's side Have IIa I kept yO you yon waiting she ehe- asked No I c came m In just a second before before before be be- fore you He drew out a chair for her and turned to Vidal Vidal we have a few words to say to Mr Demp- Demp ton Will you wait walt In the patio Ishall Ishan I T shall shan call can you when we want you Dempton Stanway went on what passed between you and the Senor dein de dela la in Guerra last night He lIe sent for me to make a chan change e eIn in his will said Dempton glibly He lie gave no reasons reason for what he was doIng doing do do- Ing although he must have noted my surprise Did you know that he has been engaged during several years on hl his his' memoirs Dempton a lawyer trained to ask just such uch questions as that looked at Stanway quickly suspiciously He hesitated d a moment before answering I have heard him speak of it ft its Stanway smiled at the girl which r she returned and Dempton plainly puzzled watched them closely The law Jaw is rather severe ere la to tl the punishment it metes out to kidnapers Is It not Mr Dempton Yes There is what you men of the law v term an accessory before the fact facU Certainly snapped the lawyer But If you care to consult me In a legal capacity capacIty- I dont don't dont lightly We are sending for Mr Ur Brannon of Branson Howand Howard Howard How How- ard and tJ to t advise us D Dempton's tongue ran back and foi fol lh m th between his dry lips Now V. 0 went on on Stanley without waiting for an answer how v much money did Torre pay you for your part Again Dempton had leaped to his feet his face flushed his eyes ablaze j You mean to insinuate InsInuate- Sit down Stanway caught him by the shoulders shoulders' and rind drove him back Into his chair Did you know that after you had gone and before he was spirited away Senor de la Guerra added certain notes to his memoirs What are you driving at fumed Dempton Stanway stepped to the door Vidal he lie called caned Mr Dempton will remain here In the library You will see that he does not grow lonesome lonesome lonesome lone lone- some Bueno Buenos He came back to Dempton's side and added quietly I Iam Iam Iam am driving at this the senor made certain observations upon the charac charac- character ter of Americanos He mentioned the fact that hat a certain man had Just come and gone whom he dId not trust he stated why that man had come he mentioned a flaw that that man had bad prete pretended to ded to find find find- Ah I as a look of or sudden understanding and a quick fear with it leaped Into Dempton's small eyes Now you see Shall Shan we leave them senorita i I Teresa stepped through the door Stanway following and closing It after them Well Wen have him scared out of his life Ufe In no time he chuckled By By to to-J to morrow morning hell he'll be ready to tell everything he knows If It well we'll just just- promise him twenty-four twenty hours to dig dIgout out In Ins Ins' You are very wonderful Senor Billy BlUy I The look she flashed him was unmistakably unmistakably un un- mistakably full fuU of gratitude and his hist leaping hope sought to read something else in it Teresita I 1 he whispered But she had slipped sUpped from him laughing and a lacy mantilla was In his hands and and from the far side of the room as she whisked Into the hallway ballway hall ban way she w waited wafted him a kiss from her ber pink finger tips Teresita I he lie urged But the door had closed And he muttered his eyes darkening dark dark- ening after all when I find her ber papa grande for her hes he's just going to run me oft off the rancho I Unless Unless- By Jupiter Ive I've a n notion to do It He was thinking of ai Padre Ignacio the priest at La Panza J Torre shows his hand and makes threats Stanway defies him and make mako coun coun- 1 TO BE DE CONTINUED t. t |