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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1921)
- ’ I “That’s a broau view of it,” mid Judge Hoyt sn;.:ed a little, ‘ but you run along, dear, .and after a confab with Mr. Duane, I’ll come up and tell you all about it.” The confab wound up by a trip to the office of tlie district attorney. The situation was too grave to allow of what Avice called “striking out!” If Lan dou and Mrs. Black were impli cated in suspicious collusion, the matter must be sifted to the bot tom. District Attorney Whiting eag erly absorbed the new facts re counted to him, ; l lilted them into some he had of his own 1-now ledge. Landon had sent $50,000 to the mining company of Denver in which he was interested. He had not 'yet realized on his inheritance, for the estate had not been set tled, hut he had doubtless bor rowed on his prospective legacy. This proved nothing, except that he had been mos;, anxious for the large sum of money, and had utilized his acquisition of it a3 soon an possible. “VC? most get at this thing adroitly,” counseled Judge Hoyt. “ Landon is a peculiar chap, and difficult to bait. If he thinks we suspect him, he's quite capable of bolting, I think. Better try to trip up the housekeeper. She’s a vain woman, amenable to flat tery. I’erhaps if Mr. Groot. went to her, ostensibly suspecting,— say, #H0di£r,—he could learn KbiutwTing about her relations Landon. And by the way, Juitvir A-Ati n*f\lnnr fn find Ktrvk r v , • i » — *-» w „ - rt” “Through his daughter,” Whiting replied. “That butler is no more ilia murderer than I is hiding, beeauce he’s afraid of trm-» Handkerchief slue.” “It is certainly an incriminat ing piece of evidence,”,observed Hoyt. “It is. But not against the butler. That handkerchief is a plant. On the fact of it, it, is cer tainly too plain an indication to fee the real tiling. Vo, sir, the murderer, whoever be was, stole the butler’s Imndkcr: !;i ;f to throw suspicion on llu butler. And who could-do this so easily aw,, ns the hourckcci o” <>>.■•>;« mem ber of the hor^cho'. !, who had access'tor Sttytar.’js room ? Lnn don wasn't at thk'%odv-;'H«i,\ye. know of, before the' fUvwW} therefore, the t). y of the housekeeper bringing the hand kerchief to him at their library interview, just fits in and* makes it alt plausible.” “It may .be,” sai.l Judge Hoyt, looking doubtful; "it may pos sibly be, Whiting; bui go slowly. Don’t jump at this, to rather fantastic solution Track it down pr^Hy.closely, before you spring it on the public,” “All of that, Judge lloyt! I’ve no idea of spiking uy own guns by toiling ell tin : too soon. But there’s work to be Jour, and first of all we must find that butler. Jf he can le made to think, we i os?’t accuse him, he’ll conic round, and wc may learn a lot from him. We missed our chances in not questioning him* more closely at first.’’ Meantime Avice had goto home, and on the way, her mood had changed from sorrow to an ger. She wa3 angry at herself for having insisted on the em ploying of Alvin Duane. She re membered how Kane had op posed it, but she was so zealous ;.i her hunt for justice that she ignored all objections. She was angry at Kane for hobnobbing with Eleanor Black, and aiso for deceiving her about their previ ous acquaintance. She was angry at Judge Iloyt for not dismissing Duane and obliterating even from his own memory all that stuff the detective had discovered. She was furiously angry at Duane, but that was a !> 'pleas, blind sort of ragi th reacted upon herself for engaging him. And so, her tears had dried a.nd her quivering nerves had tautened themselves when she reached the house, and she went in, determined to attack Eleanor Black herself, and lorn the truth of her acquaintance with Kane. But as soon as ^6^ entered, she came upon Landon and Mrs. Black in the little reception room-, in dose confab. “Come in,” said the widow, “come in and talk to us.’’ “We wmn’t have time for much converse tiou," mid Iiindon, I li! looking at his watch, “I want Mrs. Black to go out with me on an errand. May I order the car?” “Certainly,” said Sirs. Black, smiling. “I want all my guests . to feel at liberty to give any or ders they choose.” Her smile in cluded Aviee and gave the girl that uncomfortable feeling that always manifested itself when the £x-housekeepsr asserted her self as mistress of the place. “Please, Aviee, don’t look like that,” said Eleanor, with an injured air. “I want you to look on this house as home just as long as you choose to do so. And, indeed, you may continue in charge of it, if that is what you want.” “Car's here,” sang out Lan don. “Come on, Eleanor.” “Eleanor!” thought Aviee, as the two went away. She had nev er heard him call her ihat before, and it struck her like a chill. And yet sho felt bure there was a strong friendship, if not some thing deeper between them, and she must be prepared for even endearing terms. But Aviee, despite he* quick anger, was of a nature born to make sacrifices. She could do anything to help those she loved, and she had suddenly realized that she did love Landon. So * without thought of reward, she began to plan how she could help him. . She turned from the window without even wondering where they were going; only conscious of a vague, dull longing, that she feit now, would never be grati X” J A4VUI And then, Harry Pinckney came, for one of his rather fre quent calls. Avice was glad Eleanor was out as she so ob jected to the sight of a detective, , and the young reporter had aaat>a that line of work to his own. “I know where Stryker i«," were his first words, after they had exchanged greetings. “You do! Where?” “At his daughter’s. Been there all the time. That Mrs. Adler i3 » splendid aetres3, hut she was a little too unconcerned about her father’s disappearance to fool ino. I pinned her down, and I’m practically sure lie’s in her house, or she knows where he is. But I've told the police and they'll rout him out. I’m to have the scoop. I hope they find him soon,” . “And,” Avice heft?’herself to gether,- “who will be the next suspect?” “ Dvutno. Old Oroot has his eye on Kane Landon, but he’s got no evidence to speak of. I don't care two cents for that ‘Cain’ remark, I mean I don’t for u minute think it implicates Kano Landon.” • “Bless you for that!” Avice said, but not aloud. “However,” Piuekney went on, “they’ve got something new up their sleeves. They wouldn’t tell me what,—I’ve .just come from headquarters,—but they’re excited over some recent evi dence or clue.” tm___ . .1 « ■*****'■ »rasuu tu lill lift it refers to Mr. Landon?” Tinekney looked at her nar rowly. “I hate to reply to that,” he said, “for 1 know it would hurt you if I said yes.” “And you’d have to say yes, if you were truthful?” “I’m afraid E should, Miss Trowbridge. Honest, now, isn’t there a chance that, he is the one?” “Oh, no, no! But, Mi*. Pinck ney, tell me something. Suppos ing, just supposing for a min ute, that it might be Kane,— you know lie's been out west for five years, ami out there they don’t look on killing as we do here, do they?” “What have you in mind? A sheriff rounding up a posse of ' bad men, or a desperado fight ing bis captor, or just u friendly shooting over a can! game— have you been reading dime novels?” “No. It’s just a vague im pression. I thought they didn’t call killing people murder-” “Yes, they do, if it’s, murder in cold blood. Westerners only kdl in avenging justice or in righteous indignation.” “Really? I-’m glad you told me that. Do you know, Mr. Pinckney, I’m not going to sit quietly down and let Kane be j accused of this thing. I don’t 1 know whether hq it or iu>t» ^ «L- >. .. but lie’s going to have bis chance, i know him pretty well, and lie's so stubborn dial lie won’t take pains to appear innocent even when l.o is. That, sounds qu Mr, I know, but you f.ce, I 1... iw Kane. lie is queer, if that boy is innocent, and I believe he i:;, lie would be so sure of it himself that he’d make no effort to Con vince others : and he’d let himself be misjudge.!, perhaps, even ar rested through sheer careless ness. ’ ’ “It is, indeed, a careless nature that will go as far as that!” “It isn’t only carelessness; it’s a kind of pig-headed stubborn ness. lie’s always been like that.” “And if he should be guilty?” “Then,— ” and Aviee hesitat ed, “then, I think he’d act just exactly the same.” “II in, a difficult nature to un derstand.” “Yes, it is. But I’m going to see that he is understood, and,— Mr. Pinckney, you’re going to help me, aren’t you?” “To the last ditch!” and Harry Pinckney then and there, silently, but none the less earn estly, devoted his time, talent ind energies to upholding the opinions of Aviee Trowbridge, whatever they might be, and to helping her convince the world of their truth. CHAPTER XII. Pibsy Fibs. As the district attorney had surmised, Stryker was in hiding, uuucr uie protecuon or ms daughter. Mrs. Adler was a clever young woman, and having undertaken to keep her father safe from the police investiga tion, she did so remarkably well. But being assured that there was no reason for apprehension if he had not committed the mur der, Stryker decided to face the music. He had feared being rail roaded to jail because of his handkerchief having been found in the wood, but a certainty of fair play gave him courage, and he emerged from the hous' wf his daughter’s neighbor, a trembling step, but an ex’jfe.ifon of face that showed plainly Re lief at the cessation of straps. “Yes, I kept father oyer to Mrs. ^ Gedney’s, ” said VA. Ad ler, “’cause I wasn’t going to have him all pesteredw'lh an everlastin’ troop o’/p Meemen, when he hadn’t doif no;kin’. I have my sick hqr.y&ml to antmd, and wait on, and.j/ean’t have de tectives traipshy/in here ail the time. Oh, don/talk to me about the law. I jftui’ afraid. My father is as/t’mercent as a babe, but he flv/rers awful easy, and a police /an after him makes him IhfJT pi^t about, he don’ know/.mere lie’s at. So, 1 says, I’ll i8st put him out o’ harm’s vwt’/fer a while till I see bow the eat jumps.” “But as an intelligent woman, Mrs. Adler,” began Mr. Groot, “you must know-” “I know what 1 know; and I’m a wife and a daughter long ’fore I’m an intellergent woman. Don’t you come none o’ that kind of talk over me. You want my father, there he is. Now talk to him, if you can do so peaceably, but don’t give him no third de gree, nor don’t fuss him all up with a lot o’ law terms what he don’t understand. Talk nice to him an’ he’ll tell you a heap more'n if you ballyrag him all to piecesi Groot realized the force of this, argument, “talked nice”, to Stryker, he learned the old man’s story. He had been anxious to take out an insurance policy for his daughter before it became too late for him to do so; but, he af firmed, he did not kill his master for the purpose. The agent had been after him frequently, of late, to urge him to borrow the money for the premium. But this, Mrs. Alder did no want him to do, for, she argued, the inter est on the loan and the premiums would counterbalance the value of the policy. They had had many discussions of the subject, for Mr. Adler, a very sick man, had wanted to die knowing that his wife had some provision for her old age. His illness pre cluded any insurance on his own life. Not interest'd in thesb minute details, Groot questioned Styker closely about the handkerchief. “I don't know,’’ Stryker said. ‘ ‘ I don’t know, I’m sure, how my kerchief got into those woods, but I do know I didn’t take it there.” “Could it have been taken from your room?” “I must ‘a’ been. Leastways, unless it was taken from the clothes line on a wash day,—or mebbe it blew off and was picked * j lip by fomebi y pR-sm'.-' Trough,. nol t-Slrem- !y prcV &'■ 1 her:', V mV .. > • . i .-j, .and they bad not 1 ■ ;i thought of l( io.-c by -a? ct t •• : ■ j!leagues. ‘‘Thevi s om tl : in that," he r; “now Mr. Stryker, do t i gt r. c\ i ■ -5, l. t. ivliere wore you Te -May a; i.< swoon, the day that Mr. Trow li Mgr was killed?” ”1 knew : 1; . bore I was, Vnt it’s sort o’,ecu:- ■ u-m my . dr.d. I was to .the insurant-a a cuts; and I was to the doctor's to be si;.ed up lor that insurance, it I did deride to -ake it out; and then I dropped in to see my daughter, a d her man was so sick 1 tliou- in ;, Ja..t hour had eorne, Unu i ran w i lor a neigh bor, and s«’..-lu-.iv 1 was so up set and botlnmi with one thing ar.d another that 'lie more I try to straighten out in i, mind the order of those thing , the more mixed up i get. You see, it was ; my day out, nrd tl'- * always fl.us i ters me anyhow. 1 b not so • young as 1 was. and > .-• unusual* ness of getting into ■ -t clothes and going out into th. >. orld, as .it were, makes me all trembly I and I can t remember it after ward, like t can my routine days. And then when I cl 1 go home that night, first thing I knew master didn’t coine to dinner! That never had happened before, unless we knew beforehand. Well, then Mis’ B ack she ate I aiuuc, auu xjlvj■ ;sj_ie uiun i eat at all, and there was whis i perin’ and goin’s on, and next : thing I knew they toi• 1 me master I was dead. Af'er that nothing ! is clear in my mind. No, sir, everything is a Mur and a mist from that time on. That there inquest, now, thaTs just like a dream,—a bad dream.” “Th n,” a- 1 Groot ovd him gently on, “then Homo tPe night you left th * Tim -M-Mhouse. Why did you do f M.: ■ Stryker loo! ... put his finger to hi-. Ays. ' Ah, that night! Vi "■ believe me, I heard the r in the :library. >w, -»r. I've a ,right anyiv• floors. I ain’t like f ■ • i '• vants i ve a right,— • . a pass in’, I oveih'■;;■>* • > <?ay 1 as how I wa . r! Ale, sir, as love | er-.. :• . more than I can t« i: yo. kr 1 didn’t know what I * * *i hen, I just. g« > d ’■ •;* ,m say they 1 ad m hi f, and ••somethin' V :f a > •!kerchief, and i rent' . ’ igh’t of 1 that baud! on hie" seen—-oh, ! well, oh 1 ord -o!. 1 r-1! I i didn’t do it!” im! man’s I voice rm e to a im. and All’s, i Ad! 'r exclaimed. “TLsre now, ! you’ve set him off! 1 knew you | would! Now, he !! cave hysterics and it’ll take me c.x u.ght to get him ca’tried down, and me with Mr. Ad!er on my hands and him . ax ways worse at night-” “Wait a minute,” commanded Groot. “I’m nearly through, and then I’ll go away and he can have his hysterics in peace. Go on, Stryker, finish ud this yarn. What did you do when you heard Mr. Duane accuse you?” Stryker looked at him solemn ly and blinked in an effort, to con centrate. Then he said, “Why, I pretended I’d had a telephone frftm Mnllv anH T van nvmirwl here as fast as I could, and Molly she says, they’ll be after you, go over to Mrs. Gedney's and stay there. And I did, till you spied me out.” “All right,” and Groot rose to go. “Your father is all right, Mrs. Adler. Don’t coddle him too much. It makes him child ish. Keep him here with you, and my word ior it, no suspicion will rest on him. I had his alibi pretty well fixed up anyway, be tween the insurance agent and the doctor, and his story just about completes it. There isn’t one chance in a thousand that he ’ll be accused, so keep him here and keep him quiet, and I’ll see you again in a day or two. But if your father tries to run away or to hide again, then he will find himself in trouble.” Mrs. Adler proved amenable to these orders and Groot went away to begin his hunt for the puWoiner of Stryker’s handker chief. “You won’t have to look far,” Whiting said, when he heard the 1 detective’s story. “If you want ed one more thread in the strand of the rope for young Landon’s neck, that’s it. Of course, he got the handkerchief some way, whether from the housekeeper or not. Go to it and find out how.” Indirectly and by bits, Avice learned of Groot’s discoveries, and keeping her own counsel, she worked on a side line of her own devising. (To be continued aext week.) • ** »-.,><• i 4> «••*» r»‘ Unless you see the name “Bayer” on tablets, you are tiot getting genuine Aspirin prescribed by physicians for 21 years, and proved safe by millions.—Say “Bayer”] SAFETY FIRST! Accept only an “unbroken package” of genuine “Bayer Tablets of Aspirin,” which contains proper direc tions for Headache, Earache, Toothache, Neuralgia, Colds, Rheu matism, Neuritis, Lumbago, and pain generally. Strictly American I Handy tin boxes of 12 tablets cost but a few cents—Larger packages. Aspirin Is the trade mark of Baysr Manufacture of Monoacetlcacldeater of SaUsyllcacM Flying in England. Figures reported for the first year of civil flying in England reveal n total air mileage of %4,200, made in 38,954 flights, carrying 70,000 passengers with but one fatal accident. Machines numbering 519 were registered. Happiness that Is gone after with the jaws set turns out to be something of a Job. In the Tornado Belt. “Taking yonr plgno lesson, are you, dear?” said the farmer’s wife to he* daughter. “Yes, mother.” “Where is your father?” “In the cyclone cellar, mother I”—• Yonkers Statesman. Virginia has more than a quarter oC a million wage-earning women. / ! Organization, Responsibility, Integrity — In Other Words the Reputation of RICE BROTHERS Cattle Live Stock Commission Sioux City Stock Yards Cattle Hogs GUARANTEES SATISFACTION Hogs Sheep A Reliable Firm to Ship to Sheep Accurate market reports glad!; furnished free. Write us. Also Chicago, Hi., Sioux Falls, 8. D. I---. • nn Ai Aitfti « a a.1 An r inn l l r Al l A1i,rr« rvmini r n r~ i innT rvwL f\lvUVvlv rtO niuoto tVULL Is Believed to Be That Mentioned in the Bible in Connection With Great Law Giver. • In the Egyptian desert, about ten miles east of Suez, Is situated a pic turesque pool known as “Moses’ well.” This is believed to be the well' men tioned in the Bible, where Moses, at the bidding of the Lord, cast a branch into the bitter waters, and they were sweetened. Set in a deep grove of date-palms and pomegranate trees, the well is a dark, calm, mysterious look ing pool, faithfully reflecting the palms which fringe Its edges. The scene at sunrise, when the first rays strike the still water, is exquisite be yond description. Attempts to identify various nat ural beauties and locations with men tions or descriptions as given in the Bible have always been difficult, owing to the fact tl»t the records of the I rulers of Egypt at the time of the cap tivity of the Jews were destroyed by rulers that came into power immedi ately afterward. The motive was Jenlousy, and a determination to wipe from the minds of the people any re grets for rulers gone. Foolish Question No. 8,427. No, Iloger, we should not call It a ease of heredity when a hard-headed business man has a boneliead’ son.— Boston Transcript. I ULLUKLU L. AM IVI ILL UT UUO I Tactful Visitor Had No Desire to B« “Called," So He Duly "Sarsed" His Coffee. The oil magnate, Mike Murphy, who passed away not long ago, was fortu nate in the fact that his sons inherited their father’s consummate ability, says the Philadelphia Ledger. One of them, John, tells this story of a recent visit to a certain section of the country, where h.j was careful to do as the peo ple did, and to conform with social usages as he found them. At the table the venerable host poured coffee Into a saucer. But the host’s son drank it from a cup. That made the host angry. “Why don't you sarse your coffee?” he bellowed at the son. j “It’s all right this way, father,” aa> swered the young man, mildly. , “Son, If your eddicatlon Is goin’ to make you reflect on your father I wan* to know It. I tells you, sarse your cats fee!” Whereupon the dutiful son emptied the cup in the saucer, and, says Mr. Murphy, “I sarsed mine, too!” ^having, according to one doctor, In creases neuralgia and other troubles of the face. 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