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Show THE RICH COUNTY REAPER, RANDOLPH, UTAH JACKSOM GREGORY CHAPTER XIX t The gun fell from Waldrons fingers. Little Ann Lee, standing so close to them both now, caught it up, ran for the other, backed of!! and stood in a corner with both weapons in her hands. The two men stood up. All right, Waldron said. I know when Im licked. He was Cody shook his head. thinking of the old Judge, of old Early Bill, even of Tom Gough shot like a dog. He said quietly, No, Waldron, youre not lickec yet. Stand up. Waldron stood up. New rage reddened the of his eyes new strength flowed into him and pin-poin- ts earthed a small iron box. He tossec it up to them, to Cody and Ann both, and said, Youll see this one opens with two keys just like the other, You, two better open it! Old Early Bill aint here at all; me and Gaucho moved him the night after GREGORY he was planted here. W.N.U. RELEASE With trembling fingers they die That, Too! I have my husband eating out get it open. There were folded painto Bald Eagle by stage last night. pers within. The top one said brief- jf my hand. That must save a lot of It was sent in another envelope from ly, This is my Ace in the Hole; a feller Id heard old Early Bill me, I always figured to hold one in talk about a time or two, a feller any game like this! Then there was a letter addressed to Ann Lee. There Chance the Upper that used to be friends with him. reckon Bill sent it round-aboDiner Whats, this leathery stuff? way was one for William Cole Cody, There was a lone, sealed envelope, to get here when he wanted it to. Waiter That is filet of sole, sir. Diner Well, take it away and see if He cleared his throat again and add- and it was addressed to them toyou cant get me a nice piece of upper ed, As for him squatting on a cloud gether. And next was a picture, a fine with the buttons off. twanging a harp, its a lie, and Id tell him so; most likely hes shovel- - likeness of an old, lean, Skipper man with a humorous gleam in Bridegroom (sentimentally) his eye. And it was inscribed, To Ann Lee and Cole Cody from an Dearest, do you really think Ill make you a satisfactory mate? old friend, Early Bill. And Ann came close to shrieking out, Why, I knew him! Aunt Jenny, look! Dont you remember that Aborigines of Australia old man who came to our house, Still Live in Crude State and he was broke and sick and e. said: Tell you at sun-uJust keep Ranee Waldron alive and handy. Night, folks. p. Before sun-u- p all in the. house tell me what you think of. your captain. Taken Down Wife Its the furniture folks come for the piano, Henry. Husband But I gave you the money to pay the next install- ut devil-may-ca- sad-lookin- g, perhaps new courage. He charged like a bull Bill Cody struck the one blow then that was like a coup de grace. It took Ranee Waldron on the point o:1 the chin; it seemed to lift him inches from the floor. And this time when he fell, whether taunted by words or threatened with further bodily punishment, he was beyond rising. Ann Lee thought him dead. So did Aunt Jenifer. So, for that matter, did Doc Joe. In the kitchen, Oh, Cole Cody! Your poor dear face! gulped little Ann Lee. Bill Cody caught her in his arms; he forgot the unloveliness of his battered face and crookedly leering eye; he drew her tight and tighter and kissed her. And it is of record that Ann Lee returned his kiss ex actly the way it was received, a fact to be sworn to if necessary by Cal Roundtree who, just then bursting into the room stood a moment transfixed on the threshold. Cal virtually brushed Ann Lee aside, grasping Bill Cole Cody by an arm, yanking him close, then whispering into his ear. I bet Ranee Waldrons here, from the looks of you, was what he said. And, Cody No secrets from Ann Lee,' said Cody, pulling away. Sure hes here. And so is' old Doc, and both Ann and Aunt Jenifer know that, too. Doc Joe and Aunt Jenifer, hearing voices, came into the kitchen. Keep all this dark from Waldron until tomorrow, said Cal Round-treThats all I ask. Thats fair enough, Cal, nodded old Doc Joe. Only just what is it that were to keep dark? But at that Cal closed his mouth after the fashion of buttoning it. Then he shook his head. Finally he v Practical Bride Oh, I guess youll do. Now look me over and a queer catch in his voice, was muttering, So thats Early Bill, huh? The darned old rascal! I played poker with him; he let me skin him out of his eye teeth; he' stuck around and let me stake And Cole Cody, But never ing coal down mind; I got Porfirio outside, and Gaucho and a couple shovels, and we start doing what the old fool said do. Come ahead. Out under the three pines, hushed and wondering and with a touch of awe, at Early Bills favorite dawn lour men went to work with their shovels. So exclusively were they occupied in what was going forward, none particularly remembered Ranee Waldron, who, sneering after his fashion, hands on his hips, stood a few steps withdrawn none, that is except old Doc Joe who had taken his chance to slip out of the house and follow on, and who now peered from behind the farther of the three pjnes. Im going to the house, murmured Ann. I I cant stand it! Cal Roundtree, down in the excavation looked up ana said sharply, You stay right where you are! And an instant later he exclaimed hell-ward- s. breakfasted, even to a savage, sullen Ranee Waldron, save Doc Joe alone who as yet wanted Waldron to know nothing about his presence, about his still being above ground. triumphantly, Here it is! Cal Roundtree came up from the He reached down, scratched in the bunkhouse. He carried an open enoose soil with both hands and un velope in his hand. He cleared his all about saying good throat, forgot morning, and announced a bit of news that came pretty close to knocking several people out of their chairs, Me, said Cal, I just got a letter last night. Its a letter from a guy by name of Mr. William Cole, known far and wide as Early Bill. Wife Yes, I know, dear; but dont say anything. Im going to pay them as soon as they get it downstairs. Ive decided to have it in the sitting-roo- and we took him in and And Bill Cole Cody very gently put his arm about little Ann Lee and led her away. ment. re him; he even asked to borrow money from me if Id have known who he was Id have chased him off the ranch! They read their letters hastily; Ann was crying softly and Cody was making rough noises in his throat. Open the big envelope, said CaL Thats Bills Ace in the Hole. Again they found a brief note for them both: Ive had me my fun I reckon. I thought as how, knowing the two of you pups, you might fight a while, then fall in love and get married; Id like that fine. But maybe things will go some other way, and maybe that darned sneaky varmint name of Ranee Waldron might throw a monkey wrench in the machine; Ive a hunch hes the bozo hired somebody to shoot me down, him being too foxy and maybe scared. And now heres my third will and, by gravy, my last: And youll find it leaves everything Ive got to you two kids, fight or dont fight, marry or dont marry. And honest, kids, I did have a good time and. Im still having it right now. So long. And there was the will! And there was Doc Joe. Grab that Waldron hombre, he shouted. Hes going to hang; and me, Im going to see that he does. Waldron whirled. ,His face went as dead white as Anns had been. He could have had no thought for that first instant save that he was looking on a dead man, one he him, self had murdered. Then he was quick to know he had been tricked, and he was quick to snatch out from his belt a gun that no one had seen, that no one dreamed he had, that no one ever knew where he had come by it. He swung it, murder in his eyes, upon Doc Joe. Very neatly Porfirio, as watchful as a cat, shot Ranee Waldron through the back of the head. And Bill Cole Cody very gently put his arm about little Ann Lee and led her away, led her clinging to him, back to the patio into which the early sun was just entering. THE END See Here, Private Hargrove Although the white colonization Australia began in 1788, the majority of its aborigines still do not know how to cultivate land, make clothes or build a shelter other than a windbreak, says Colliers. These people have always been looked upon as little. more than animals. In fact, up to 40 years Kindly Actions ago, a settler merely required a It takes but one single kindly permit to shoot, poison or other- action to cause many happy wise kill them at will. thoughts to flow. ftgisi of Copr. 1943 by Kalloct Company WV.NW.V.SW.VV.VWW.WWW.V.V..AVAVW.V.,.V.SW.S-'.-.--sC-y.y,!,-.- rvWwiv.,tvv.v.v.v.ww. CORPS it to- poll1 C3t cotoe 1 - 1 Vrti The first to gasp out a word was Ranee Waldron, hastily on his feet. You fool! Early Bills dead and buried! Are you crazy? Nope, I aint crazy. Yep, the devils dead and buried; me, I saw him die and I helped bury him. Just the same he wrote me a letter old FRST and I just got it last night. He tossed the missive to the table. Here, Cody, you read it, he said. Read it right out loud. Cody caught it up, whipped the letter out of its envelope and stared at it a long minute. He stared from face to face, then back at the M7HE SERVCE The favorite cigarette with men in the Navy, Army, Marines, and Heres what it says, pink-and-whi- te .V Coast Guard is Camei, (Based on actual sales letter. he said and its in Early Bills slowly, handwriting. And he read: Dear Cal, you old sinner, me being dead and dug under ground, my old bones sort of feel cramped. Id sort of like if youd dig me up, soon as you get this, which Im writing sitting on top a nice big cloud sort of learning to get the hang of a harp; and I want you to shift me over whexe I told you. Now get a move on, and me, Im having me my fun yet. So long Cal, gracias, amigo. Wm. Cole, alias Early Bill. Ranee Waldron pretended to laugh. The thing of course was some sort of hoax. No, it aint, said Cal soberly. This letter just come, like I say, s records in Post Ex- changes and Canteens.) The book of army llvr humor that has set the nation agog. (The hilarious episodes f:-- . I r t ; smash-hi- t of a Buck Private.) CAMELS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES FOR STEAOy PLEASURE. PLENTY OF FLAVOR AND EXTRA A1ILD,JE5 Serially In This Newspaper BEGINNING NEXT ISSUE u Vli --ss |