Show OLIVER Ym E r OCTOBER T CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued 10 10 It lo looks s l pretty bad for yon you Baxter Baxter Baxter Bax Bax- ter he lie had said at nt the end of a long Ions Interview but theres there's only one thing for you ou to do People dont don't want to believe you killed your our father tather and that's a big advantage So It Is up to you ou to stand your our ground and face tace whatever r comes Dont Don't talk talle Keep your trap closed I Ic called your uncle up on the telephone Just before beCore I came here this evening g. g He lIe Is coming over tomorrow morning to see If It he can Identify the time body Of course he cant You seem to be dead sure that It t Isn't your father So is Mr Sikes and Un Un- Link You all claim that your father was shorter by several se Inches and had lost several of ot his teeth But Dut your lawyer will look after nil all these points Just sit tight Baxter Baxter Daxter Bax Dax- ter and keep cool Dont Don't leave town Understand The company in In Oliver's Olivers sitting sitting- room included the redoubtable and venerable SIkes and Link Jud Judge e Mr Mir and Mrs Sage and ond Jane Doctor Lansing and Mrs Grimes Sammy Parr was expected ex lie lIc was to bring In the news of ot the streets Oliv Oliver r. r a trifle pale but with a n stubborn stubborn stub stub- born frown Crown on his brow listened calmly calm calm- calmly ly 11 to the animated conversation that went on about him He sat beside Jane on the sofa n the thc corner of ot the roomI room I dont don't see how you can be bo so so unmoved unmoved unmoved un un- moved so o calm culm Oliver dear whispered whispered whis whis- Jane June In her lovers lover's ear Just think what they are talking about about- and anel as ns If you OU were not here at nil all He stroked her hand hanl Ive been thinking of something else Jane June Of me I suppose and the silly notion notion notion no no- tion you ou have of releasing me from my promise I do release you dear I refuse reuse to release you so you so that's that as mother mothel sa says s I am nm ready rendy and willing to Lave have father marry us tonight tonight tonight to to- night Oliver We will have to wait dear he said rather wistfully CHAPTER XI Oliver in Danger The front door opened suddenly and andIn andIn andin In walked Sammy Parr Excuse haste he said tossing his his his' hat and gloves on a chair Im back Say gee whiz everybody In town Is I out OH OR Clay street L Its ts of them down this wa way strolling past past past- What are the people sa saying Sin Sin- my Judge broke In grasping his armWell arm ami Well I hate to tell teli you but as far faras faras faras as I can make out judge there there seems seems to be a general feeling that that that-that that Oli OU- Oliver ver er did aid It said Sammy wiping his moist forehead with the back of ot a II band hand that shook shook Snap Judgment said the lawyer lawyor after silence had reigned for a few seconds That Is always the way with the Ignorant and uninformed t 11 i r 1 K r rHe He Ho Stroked Her Hand Ive Been Thinking of Something Else Jane III Nothing to worry about Oliver They will be he heon on your our side tomorrow when they understand a little better Its It's always the way veay with a crowd Josephine Sage spread her liar hands In Ina Ina ina a gesture of ot contempt What fools th those mortals be she declaimed theatrically It was after eleven o'clock when Oliver's Olivers Olivers Oliver's Oli Oll- vers ver's friends departed He lie stood on the porch and watched them drive off offIn In fn the two automobiles A few persons per per- persons er sons Eons hud bud stopped at atthe the bottom of at the drive to see soe who were In the cars The headlights fell upon white Indistinct indistinct In in- distinct faces and then almost Instantly Instant instant- ly 11 left them In darkness 8 I wish you hM let Mr Sage marr marry you ou and Jane June tonight Oli Oliver r said Buld Mr Mrs Airs Grimes Crimes s at ut his side on the top top step You have hu the license und and everything everything every every- thIn thing und and It H could foud all have e been over ovel In n a u few minutes And Jane Junc be begged ed you U so bardI bard hard I couldn't do It It he said do d dejectedly I l flow now what T Ii 1 By Gy George Barr karr r Service Copyright B Bell ll Syn w I Is ahead of me I may many be In Jail b before before be be- fore Im I'm a day older lie gave ga her a awry awry wry bitter smile as he be put his arm orm over o her shoulder and walked beside her ler Into the house Pleasant th thought Isn't It old dear as dear as the celebrated ro Josephine Josephne would sa say Clay Glay street was almost deserted as ns Lansing and Sammy Parr drove e through It after leaving the time Baxter place The Time Sages were in the time formers former's car In front of or the hotel motel Sammy who was some Fome distance ahead and who had dropped the two old men at Silas Links Link's home s slowed ow d down and waited for Lansing to draw alon alongside s I dont don't mind saying to you ou that there was a n lot of ot ugly talk earlier In Inthe Inthe the time evening said Sammy uneasily A Alot Alot Alot lot of nasty talk I didn't tell Oliver but hut I heard more moree than one one moan man soy say he ought to be strung up Oh Sammy do you OU think think think-it began Jane Jaue In a sudden u agony on of oC alarm Nonsense I cried the minister Instantly Instantly instantly In In- sensing her fem feat Such things I dont don't happen In these days s and In this I part of the country The people will let the law take tale its course Have no fear on that score Well anyway It looks s mighty queer to me said Sammy tactlessly shaking slaking shak ing his head I dont don't like this like this awful stillness It isn't like e this even on ordinary nights Jane clutched Lansing's arm and shook it violently Doctor Lansing she cried we must return to ers Oliver's house immedi He lie will have to come caine over to our house house- Better still Sammy you yop must drive him up to the cit city Tonight At once I am nm frightened Something terrible Is afoot I know it I feel feci it it It Is so still Look Why arent aren't the time street lamps In Maple avenue lighted It Is as dark durk as asBy as- as By Dy Jingo Lansing exclaimed Sammy starting up from tram hs his s seat at to peer over the windshield See that Men running across Maple avenue a Way up yonder onder where that arc rc light Is at nt Fiddler street Three or four men Didn't you ou see them We must beat It back buck t to Olivers Oliver's shouted half-shouted Lansing excitedly Take the women home first ordered ordered or or- dered Sammy Samm and then come back Ill I'll go ahead Walt Wall I commanded Mr Sage Drive on up Maple Sammy Sammie Follow L those nose inose men See ace ee what Wlm they iney are arc up 10 to u. u They are headed for the swamp road I Lansing and I will follow you In a Jiffy Drive like the devil I 1 i be he be shouted shout shout- ed In ringing tones No no no no I screamed J Jane ne The Th Theother other way other way To s I I will not go home Im I'm going t to him i Turn around turn around turn around I 1 Do you b linear hear hearme ar arme me Where In Gods God's name nanie are the police police po po- lice cried Josephine We ca cant can't t take you ou back there cried Lansing i H H 1 may be to pay Its It's no place for women women Jane Janc Sit still I 1 Ill I'll leave have 1 e you OU home in n two min utes I will Jump out out t f t I swear to heaven hen I will she cried shrilly Turn back I comma commanded ded Janes Jane's mother I MI am not afraid of at them Jane is not afraid Wo We cannot desert Oliver If f he Is In danger Please God he may not hot be Turn back linck I Isay sa say Yes I cried the minister We Ve must get to Oliver all Oliver all of us The two cars made reckless turns In the narrow street and were ofT off like the wind 1 CHAPTER XII The Ha Hanging ging Since ten o'clock in men n by twos and threes and fours had holl been een making their wa way through back str streets ets' ets and lanes to an nn appointed ll spot 1 an eighth of a mile east enst o of the Baxter Buder home the tree bordered red swale that marked the extreme northern end of the slough Whispers swelled Into hoarse guttural mutterings as the time mob headed by Its set-faced set scowling leaders lenders left the swale swabe and started Its deadly march Quickly the house was surrounded No nn avenue nue of escape was left ed A small detached group advanced ad tow toward rd the porch above the roof root of ot which were lights In the windows windows windows win win- win win- dows of ot what whit everyone knew to be young Oliver Baxters Baxter's bedroom A loud voice called out Come out I We want to see you yon Oliver vcr Baxter Oliver Oll raised the window and lean leaned d out Who Is It What have ul e you ou got ot down do there A mob Ill I'll see you OU In h h l 1 before Ill I'll come out A deep growl gro rose from a hundred throats stilled almost instantly as ns the lie clear v voice of the leader rang out again We will give ghe you one minute to come out Oliver lher glanced over his shoulder Mrs Grimes Crimes had come to his bedroom door Telephone for the police Serepta he cried out sharply No Walt Wait 1 You Yon mustn't be here If that mob breaks In and and and- He fie did not finish the sentence There w was waS' as a rush of footsteps In the Cull bull then Mrs Grimes Crimes was flung aside side and nod Into the room leaped three four our half halt a dozen teen men n. n Oliver knocked the first man sprawlIng sprawling sprawl- sprawl Ing but the others were upon him like an un avalanche As they led him him now unresisting from the room his wild beaten gaze fell upon the huddled form of or SereNa Serepta Grimes lying I inert in the hall huh r l For Gods God's sake be decent enough to look after her he panted They dragged him down the stairs Out of at the house and down into the tha yard ard they hurried him There they paused long enough to tic tte his ls ls hands securely behind his hla back buck backAn An awed silence had fallen upon the crowd crowd- the time shouts cea ceased ed curses died on mens men's lips They had him 1 Tra Tragedy ed was at handIn In Heavens Heaven's name men what men what are you going to do with me Oliver cried out In n a n strange piercing voice Shut up I I Something fell upon his head scraped down over his face He lIe stifled a n scream He felt the time slack noose tighten about his bare throat He lIe was shoved forward protesting shrilly Impatiently They had picked the time spot the spot the place where father and son put parted d on that I mY 1 r M Como Come on Ho Yelled Come on You Dirty Cowards distant night And the tree tree the the sturdy old oak whose limbs overhung o the road They They- had had- picked the limb There was was no no- delay The stout stant rope rop was thrown over the limb Hrab the noose was drawn close about his neck by cold nervous ous fingers A prayer was strangled on his writhing writh ing lag lips Strong hands hauled at the rope rove He swung In the air A A- great white flare of ot light burst upon the sp spectacle the spectacle the the roar of ot a n charging monster the monster the din 0 oj of shrieking klaxons and klaxons and then the piercing pierc ing lag scream scream of at a woman The dense mob In the road broke brokel fighting frantically to get out of ot the path of t Lansing's car Some were struck and hurled screaming aside aside aside- and on oh came came the car forging Its way slowly but relentlessly through the struggling mass mas Up to to the swaying wriggling form shot the time car a force Irresistible guided guid guId- ed by a man who thought not of the human beings he be might crush clush to death In his desire to reach the one he hes s to saveLet save Let Iet t t go go of ot that rope rop I I yelled this man Behind him came another car Panic seized the mob The compact mass broke and scattered A writhing tortured fl figure ure lay In the middle of th time the road a loose rope rope swinging swing ing free Cro from the limb Time The bewildered ben bewildered dered startled men who had held heit It ItIn ItIn In their hands fell back uncertaIn back uncertain bewildered Lansing unafraid sprang from the car and rushed to the prostrate form In a second second- he lie was tugging at the time noose c cursing frightfully Now v a woman woman woman- flung herself hersel down beside the man with the rope rODe around his necks t s sobbing moaning her arms straining to lift his shoulders from the ground 1 A baffled roar went up from the mob Men 1 surged forward and hands handa were laid upon the rope too rope too late The noose was aft off and and Sammy Parr st standing over the tho doctor doctor- and the distracted distracted dis dis- dis girl had a revolver over In n his hand C Come me on I 3 yelled Come on you dirty cowards 1 I You swine 1 You d d-d d d Huns 1 Come on mind and get a manS man sized pull TO BE DE CONTINUED |