| Show cne alie wara luard of 0 robbers roost f oza BI crittenden 6 W 0 Cha atu STUCK r v too ILL J SYNOPSIS go ahead morton virginian and secret service man receives a letter from tom fair bandl bandit loader leader urging that some one be tent sent to rescue stella morton foster t r sister from the he kank gang an enemy in the gang eane prevents fall fait from helping the girl the letter was w a a intended for go Al aheady leads fat rather h e r who Is uway away from homo home go ahead decides decide to go hied elf at robbers roost pair explains the situation to Stel now eighteen years old CHAPTER II 11 Con continued tinted 4 st stella ll listened td wide tride eyed d dumb with amazement she wits was not igno rant of world event sout side her val 74 ley cleyr leyr bews newspapers papers magazines find and novels badall been brought from time to time nod and she he had read them and absorbed them gut but she had done aso so from the wrong angle since child hood she land biad listened to tile the tales told by the outlaws of police tyranny and treachery bf they yere were the in docent victims and she had naturally ly sympathized with tin tellers and had become firmly convinced that all out laws were heroes and that all officers of the law t were vere tools ofa of a tj cruel and cods ade tt it laws tram fram col ato to enable SL a few wicked men ta to iba chose those who were brave enough to stand up against them to stella fairs words came as a terrible an unbelievable shock A a shock that later when she absorbed I 1 it would shatter chevery th every foun foundations datto Us of her life she could not take it all al a moment it deewe d to her that if 1 asir SS ir r must bp wrongs somewhere cihi f though P slie e couii not find bad words to combat what lie said nut but at last she In answered feebly but all womanly well never mind daddy she said ill never believe that you did anything wrong to anybody and as tor for not sending me sway I 1 suppose you t because those hateful police let you and the only thing rie e ever heard of their e desper abely the girl was trying to take the blow lightly fair nodded ue knew flow bow severe the shock must lidie hase been to stella and he be gladly fedr wed hir her lead yes he said my only ex cuse I 1 you back at once not with safety layou or to nie me and after a year you had grown too sf dear to me cul but now the hour of punishment Is at hand what do you mean stella shelf ald did not understand 1 I mean that you yon are not a child uny any more you litie have grown up you liae haie become a woman and a very lovely one it if you yoi were propel wily ly dressed when you put on thomp ans clothes eliat bather bria you soo a month ago I 1 realized it that W hii Is s why I 1 made you tale take then them off quisa quirk before anyone saw you I 1 was laurald but I 1 was too late barker had seen aou yoland and wa wanted dated to mlarry marry you barker bake r stella blushed but she laughed lau glied scornfully he lous IOUs lies as old as you dads and anyhow 1 dont want to get married im not a girl really im a boy I 1 decided to be a boy years ago and ive never changed not in your own mind cob bob but in other peoples carters barl tor for instance oh darn Bar barker kerl 1 darning him wont do any good r bob ob iles riot not given up the hope holie of getting you and it 11 it he it would be some one eise you azre youre not safe rate here any longer cob bob I 1 cant be sure that I 1 can protect you son not even for a week at atlear leaI you must go away fairs voice quavered then go with met me I 1 stellas chin set 1 I cant go with will y yu yiu u tile the minute barker barber knew that I 1 land had gone hed set the police on ny my track an anil I 1 possibly estape escape they 11 catch and hn hang fiig me ma in oi a w week eek B j ila hang you oli ob dadila da dily r Tb theres eres no chomp chin for anything else lse fair his advantage e T T t its up to you bob I 1 can stay bare and protect you as I 1 long as possible till one of Bl barkers arkers friends shoots me down or I 1 can go 90 with will you and get gal caught or I 1 can send you alone cut but but stella was weakening 1 I cant go alone NJ 1 I dont mean really alone of course ive sent cent word to your people daddy I 1 yes dont breathe a word to a soul I 1 sent seat jack green east two weeks ago to find them and tell them to come for you they may turn up any day why cut but suppose they dont comet come suppose they dout dont went want met they will want you virginians gin ians inns and I 1 know vie the morton breed I 1 was a virginia gentleman myself once oil yes I 1 come but bet oh love you ind male you one of the family and live the life you were born to later marry some good honest virginia boy 1 I wont 1 I 1 on tl im going to stay a 0 boy myself yes you will some day cut but we can leave that to thre lime you marry anyone till you want to you know hut but once youre away front from tills this nest of d d thieves and murderers paddy daddi stella put her small browned brown rd lingers fingers on ills his lips fair dropped back in ills chair oil oh all all it lie said vall all them what you like the point Is 3 that green mav be getting back neatly neaily any day and that I 1 wanted you to know and be prepared and when your relative comes have to go quick barkers spy system Is 3 good and hes likely to alaid out up it if your man ling has to wait around long iong now go tobed hobed child ts its late and put but stella shook tier head im not s sleepy leepy dad she demurred 1 I feel fee F z 10 far into the night stella and fair talked its as if id rioter neier steep sleep again I 1 dont want to go to hed bed I 1 want to know so many things you must tell me about them daddy pleased please 1 pretty please far into the night stella and fair talked CHAPTER ill III after fairs startling revelation the days day bouce more tool took up their course as s days will and must superficially peaceful and quiet on the surface but tor for stella at least wildly turbulent below it she did it not want to leave the only home hoine that slie site could remember but alfe did to see the big far oft off world of illch she rial batt beard so much S she he tier lier buy boy s clothes won dering linw how slie site could ever ta bear clr to herself in it garments gair ments but slie she dreamed also of soft robes and till gleaming glear colors arld and of tile bright lights of tile ballroom slie site could not bent bear to leave tier her boslet father but hie file idea flea of with buys boys of tier her own asie age all and perhaps perl nips gilding finding among them one who ubo might I 1 lo 10 hut but at tills hollif slie site always pulled herself up short shori with willi a red red tile the idea of A iny boy making mal ln love to tier her was wag too new its as yet to te readily enter cuter fanned blean widle fair ins a a worrying because green hud had not come back lie ile could feel he insubordination in tile ban band growing and tie he knew that at any moment lent 11 1 iiii glit all lure flare into open revolt onee once stella stela was gone lie ile would welcome would incite a showdown hut but until 11 slie she was v as gone he be could only wall walk delicately if he could liue kepi kell hie men buy lie ile would have been bee less concerned comer conter ned for busy ruen tire lire tit less likely to mille trouble thin ire are idle ties ones but sonie liow 0 fill all Ms his ol iiii for aralds of any kind were not ready or lind find fizzled out completely and lie strongly su peeled that Bir barlier lier hid hd been inspru cental in bringing about this condl tion in tile the expectation of finking the men dise dis TO BE CONTINUED |
