APRIL 4, 1940 CHAPTER X Synopsis: IHollister, returning unexpectedly (rum a trip abroad to the Circle V ranch, his home from childhood, is troubled by signs of neglect. Joey, an old prospector friend of Matt Blair, Lee's foster father and owner of the ranch, tells Lee that Matt has killed himself, probably discouraged by hard times. The ranch is going to ruin under Lawler, manager appointed by Matt's daughter Virginia, who is staying in NewYork with her aunt and uncle, the Archers. Lee is worried when he sees Slanty Gano, a trouble-maker, now manager of the old Ceballos place, hanging around the Circle V. He hurries east and urges Virginia to go home. Cancelling an engagement with young Stanley Bradish, she hurries west. From the side of a rock on the hillside Francisco watched his flight with a grunt of contempt. "I thcenk you not fool 'round here no more." he said calmly, and went back to his sheep. He had protected the honor of his house efficiently and in his own way. Stanley drew in his sweating horse only when he came in view of the Circle V ranch house. Virginia sit ting at Mali's desk, heard her aunt's terrified scream. "Stanley, what has happened? Virginia!" Fear gripped her. She ran. Stanley was just coming in. Blood stained his shirt on the shoulder, blood was crusted on the fingers of one hand, where he had pressed them against the wound to stanch the flow. "Stanley! What is the matter?" "Oh. nothing to be frightened about." He smiled pallidly. "Somebody winged inc. Just a pleasant little attention." Mrs. Archer moaned, but Virginia was very quiet. She was as pale as Stanley now. but her voice was steady and cool. "Sit down here in this big chair. Curly, please help me." They worked quickly. A call to Lang brought warm water, iodine and bandages, and Curly's strong lingers made short work of Live stained shirt. Curly squinted at the wound judicially. "Whoever plumed ye must' ve been considerable higher up than you was," he said innocentlv. "Did ye get chance at him?" "i don'i go around armed," hi said curtly, "and he took good can not to show himself. I was on my way hero, just entering the mouth ol Turkey Gulch." Mrs. Archer sho' a triumphant glunce at her niece; Virginia looked steadily down at the wound she was bathing. Curly's brick red face was as nearly expressionless as a human face can be. The mouth, of Turkey Gulch was in a direct downward line irom Lee Hollisier's cabin. "We should have a doctor. Curly. Will you get iiini? ' That was the only comment Virginia made. "I'll go and bring him." suggested Curly obligingly. Mrs. Archer followed him with a nervous backward glance at Virginia as she left the loom. "Stanley, how did it happen?" Virginia's low voiced question came the moment they were alone "Why just as I told you, Vee." "But you suspect someone," she persisted. "Who is it?" "No one tiiat I would care to accuse," he answered evasively. She ignored his light tone, but she could not ignore the implication back of it. "But I'm sure that nc one here would do such a thing." "No one?" he queried ironically She flushed. "If you mean Lec 1T,.11.V??^ 1 ? It--' i:unou;i, nc nuuiu iicvci ngui uiui way, from ambush." "Oh, I'm not accusing him." He raisetl cynical hrows that did accuse Out on the veranda Curly tooV some hastily written messages from Mrs. Archer and started back to the corral with Stanley's waiting horse "He's a liar," reflected Curly dis passionately. "I've been plugged myself, and I'll bet two dollars Mes that he carried that cat scratch from a blame' sight further than Turkej Gulch." The doctor came and went, pro nouncing Stanley's injury only flesh wound that might be painfu for a few days, but was not danger cus. Virginia wandered restlessly fron room to room. It was all maddenint and impossible. Only one thini stood out definitely. A guest in hei house had been the victim of i cowardly attack from ambush, al most within the limits of her owi land. That could not be passed it silence. Footsteps on the veranda caugh her attention. She went to the door "Good evening." said Lee. "I hea Bradish met with an accident." "I should scarcely call it that,' Virginia chilled instantly under tlii THE jjPg HOUSE ml vou __ TO f OF tmi HAZARDS By lgfi| Mac Arthur " ' i i GF DkESTI BY casual reference. "Stanley was shot in the back this afternoon by some contemptible assassin who hadn't the courage to let himself be seen. He is a guest in my house and a friend, and I shall expect every man connected with the Circle V or interested in it to make it his business to find the man who did it." His stcadv eyes were on her. unsrnilingly. "Men don't usually ask women to fight their battles for them." he commented. "He hasn't asked anything!" she flamed back at him. "Hope you find your man." he said politely. "Is Bradish in? I'd like to sec him. Alone, please." Stanley looked up sharply at the tall figure in the door. "How d'you do," he said languidly. "Looking for Miss Blair? She's j just stepped out." "No, I'm looking for you. I hear that you're spreading the report that. some friend of mine tried to kill you | in my interest. You happen to know | that it's a lie. In the first place, I wouldn't take the; trouble to have [ you killed. In the second place, I din t hand over dirty work to other people, and in the third place, my friends don't miss." The curt contempt of it brought dull red to Stanley's face. "Look here." he began angrily, but the sardonic voice went on. "If any friend of mine winged you like that, he wasn't trying to commit murder. He was posting a warning, and i advise you to take it. Whatever you were up to when that thing happened, don't do it again." Without waiting for any reply he turned to go, not by the way he had come, but by another door. From the veranda Virginia saw him go without making any attempt to see her again. She went slowly , into the house to meet her aunt. "1 thought I heard voices," Mrs. Archer glanced nervously past her niece. "You really ought not to leave that door open. Virginia. You don't know who may be out there in the dark." "There's no one out there. It's perfectly safe." "Safe!" Mrs. Archer cried hysterically. "How can you say such a thing when Stanley has been nearly murdered! I shall not feel safe for one minute until we get away from ' here. I have telegraphed to your ' uncle an' Mr. Bradish?" - .-^Obj^darling! Without even tell: ing me." Mrs. Archer Mushed guiltily. "Why not?" she demanded with injured dignity. "One might almost think that you were trying to shield this criminal." She shot an indignant glance at 1 her niece and then broke into hys1 terical sobs. "Oh, I can't stand it any longer! I've been worried to death for weeks, ever since that insolent, lawless man came east and persuaded you to come back here. He's at tiie ' bottom of all this; I know it." "Aunt Adele, please. That isn't so." "It's true. Virginia. And you iust 1 keep on, dropping money into this Iuvinvum-oo i-ui, in piiuai.y tut.* grccu of that man, instead of taking the wonderful price Mr. Brndish has ottered you just out of friendship and sentiment for the place!" On and on and on. Accusations, picas, babbling, hysterical reproaches. Virginia closed her eyes. "You needn't worry any more." she said wearily. "1 wrote to Mr. Bradish some days ago that I was ; ready to sell. I'll keep my word.' A second telegram a few days . later announced the hour of Milton Bradish's arrival. Virginia went to meet him, and he greeted her ger.. tally. "How'd you do? Has that boy of mine been making trouble for you i up here? I'll take Him in hand. By . the way, just drive around to Gideon Morse's office first, will you? He has ! something there that we'll both want to see." She drove him there. Half an i hour later, when they left Saunders, . Bradish was in an expansively contented frame of mind. Virginia was . unusually quiet, with steady eyes , fixed ahead of her. 1 "Well, what have you been up to?" t It was the first moment that Stan; ley and his father had been alone, ; but there was more suspicion than r svmDathv in the stare that Rradish ? bent on his son. Stanley looked sulky. "I've told 1 you I was riding horseback in this i infernal desolation, and some sniper tried to pick me off." t "Don't talk bosh with me! You were probably meddling around with r some girl. One more affair of that kind and I'll cut off your allowance. You must think I'm asleep." 5 "Far from it." Stanley drawled it hearing , DONT HAVE / WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVE] out with the slightly natronizing air that his father particularly hated. "But I'm not exactly unconscious myself. And something seems to tell me that Matt Blair's ore samples weren't quite so?er?harmless as they were assayed." Bradish's eyes horcd into the insolent weakness of his son's face. "Well?" he snapped. "What of it?" "Oh. nothing," Stanley was bland. "I just thought I'd remind you that 1 have some business acumen myself. How about a half interest, giv- | ing ycu a first option on buying me \ | out? You know." he added, "I i might have advised Virginia not to j sell, and managed my wife's inter-j lests myself." j Bradish regarded his son with a heavy stare. "Trying to buck the old man, are j you?" he demanded. "Bigger men i than you have tried that, and most ' of 'em are in the bread lines or adding up columns of other people's assets." ' Stanley looked annoyed. "Hollis- ! tcr bucked you pretty successfully until 1 took him in hand." he hinted sulkily, hut got no further. 'What's that out there?*' his father demanded abruptly. Stanley went to the window. "The gentleman himself/* he murmured maliciously. "That's your amiable friend. Mr. Lee Hollister. 1 wonder what he's up .to now?*' "Humph! Looks like a competent young devil." Bradish stared after him with interest. "I was a fool not to get him on my side," he reflected. "Maybe I'll do it yet. Rides like an Indian and lias as cool an eye as I ever looked at. Bet he can handle men. I'll gel him. I'll have him on ray payroll inside of two weeks." Lee had been looking for Virginia, going first to make his inquiries of the friendly Ling, but Virginia was not there. She had slipped out without a word to anyone, wanting only to get away from the house and everyone in it. High up on Monument Rimrock where they had carried her father to look down forever on the Valley of the Sun, she sat in a disconsolate little huddle, her chin in he; hand, staring out at the rugged country he had loved. Hot tears came into her eyes. She. laid her cheek against the rough rock. "I had to do it! I had to! You understand, don't you?" Quiet and solitude were around her. Far above, a hawk wheeled in smooth corves, watching for prey. Back of her was a grassy flat where a few pines whispered. A squirrel whisked up a tree; a darting wren scolded. Virginia jumped up quickly. The girl from the sheep ranch stood a shoYt distance away, leaning against the rough trunk of a pine. "You wish to see me?" asked Virginia. "No. I not u ish to see you. 1 hate you. But I come." "But why do you hate me?" "I hate you because he love you! I hate you because lie thecnk always of you and never of me. I hate you because you throw heom away, iiko the soiled rag, like a poson snake, because you see heeni touch me." Virginia listened, astonished end a little angry. The last words caught her attention sharply. "What are you talking about? What have you been doing?" (Continued Next Week) MABEL SCHOOL HONOR ROLL First grade: Mary Lou Greer, Nancy Lee Greer, Shirley Trivette, Welda Critcher. Janis Wallace, Billy Wallace, Berl Recce, Robert Wilson Beri Norman Recce. Second grade: Frank Combs, Walter Kirby, Lizzie Brown. Mary lune Stevens, Virginia Wilson, Lucille Winebarger, Jackye Lou Wilkinson. Third grade: Fred Anderson. Reed Fotter, Blane Wilson, Gene Wilson, Josephine Greer, Pauline Holman, Irene Miller, Pauline Norris, Ruby Smith, Geneva Wallace. Fourth grade: Ruby Nell Recce. Ruby Trivette, Faith Thompson. Irene Townsend, Jean Younce. Elsa Mac Warren. Nolan Church, John r^uwiiiu uDinub, lummy iireer, vi Wilkinson. Fifth grade: Margaret Burkett, Cora Lee Trivelt, Christine Oliver. Lester Warren. Frank Thomas. Shirley Max Swift. Ruby Dean Wilson, Bobbie Younce, Fay Wilson. Sixth grade: Pearl Wilson, Mae Norris. Mary Lou Miller, Rainy Lawrence, George Thomas. Eugene Wilson. Betty Greer. Ruth Miller. John Henry Oliver, Edna Miller. Rosa Lee Warren. Seventh grade: Mary Sue Eggers, Juanita Warren. Sophia Thompson. Clyde Miller. Carl Campbell. Edd Anderson, Claude May, Otto Thomas, Paul Younce, Geneva Buntgardner, Pauline Thomas. w* i believe] | after all these h yea fx my wife p is developing ' iytt 3.Y THURSDAY?BOONE. N. C Three Boys Bu Jamesburg, N. J.?Two of lb automobile shown wilh Ihc car ] (left) and Frank Baurngarfner. of Ihe car on which lhey workc eludes iwo house radiators and p a wood fire in the hood. The fj gas stove. A small sleam engine sion came from a truck and the * I were astonished when they first a stream of smoke behind. Gilbert Patten, who wrote th "Frank MerriwelT" stories of dim novel ciays. received six dollars icj his first two short stories. It it were not for the rotation f the earth on its axis, the directio of the trade winds would always b the same. The new law extending the ir come tax to public employees estimated to affect 2.300.000 pei iKG AL NOTICES NOTICE OF COMMISSIONER'S SALE By virtue of an order of the st perior court in that certain proceed ing entitled "Fred E. Payne, admir istrator of W. W. Greene, decease* against Willie Gods, et al," appoint ing the undersigned a commissions to sell the lands described in th petition. I will on Monday. April 2! 1940, at the courthouse door of Wat atiga county, at 1:00 o'clock p. m sell to the highest bidder for eas the following described land, to-wi Being in Stony Fork townshii Watauga county. North Carolin; and bounded as follows: On the we.' by the lands of J. G. Greene: on tl1 soulhside by the lands of Clenar Greene; on the oast by the lands < F. Ij. Greene heirs; Oh the north b the lands of J. G. Greene, and cor taining 3,'i acres, more or less, his the 27th day of March, 194 AIONA BINGHAM, 4-4-4c Commissione ENTHY NOTICE State of North Carolina, Walaug County; Office of Entry Taker fc Said County?No. 2504. H. J. McGuirc locales and enter 02 acres of land, more or less, on tli waters of Buckeye creek in sai county, beginning en a stake in In noir school line running north 7 poles to a sugar tree, corner to H. . McGuire's line; then east 76 poll to a beech corner; then to A. I Reynolds; then east with his line 17 poles to a stake, corner to A. C. Fai thing's; then south 75 poles to slake in Lenoir school line; the west with said line 196 poles to tl beginning, for complement. Entered the 27th day of Marc! 1940. MRS. H. JOE HARDIN, 3-28-4p Entry Take NOTICE OF SUMMONS AND WARRANT OF ATTACHMENT North Carolina, Watauga County; the Superior Court, Before the Cler Don Trivet t and wife, Mary Trivel vs. H. R. Trivett, et al. The defendants, H. R. Trivett ar wife, Mary Trivett. Willie B. Trive and wife, Alice Trivett; LeeBowm; and wife, Ida Bowman; Harve Bov man and wife. Bowman; Bi Bowman, Byrd Trivett Yates at husband, Alfred Yates, and Donn Trivett, will take notice that tl summons in the above entitled a lion was issued against said defcn ants on the 18th day of March, 194 by A. E. South, clerk of the supe ior court of Watauga county. Nor Carolina, for the partition of certa real estate in Watauga count known as the Wm. G. Trivett land containing about 75 acres, more i less, which summons is retumab before the said clerk of the superb court of Watauga county, at his o fice at Boone in said county, on tl 29th day of April, 1940, at 1 o"clo< p. m., when and where the defeni ants are required to appear and an wer or demur to the petition or tl relief demanded will be granted. This 18th day of March, 1940. A. E SOUTH, Clerk Superior Court for Wataui County. 3-21-1 y : / -YOU jubT H FORGET ALU ^ . V ABOUT WASHING V? -^\ those dishes.. I ild Steamburner | e three local boys who built a steam H here recently. They are Kim Oman m All the boys are 18 and are proud fil )d all winter. The power plant inressure is built up Jo 25 pounds with irebox is an oven from a discarded j develops the power. The transmis- j car has four speeds. Local residents | saw the car "scorching" along with c sons heretofore exempt. ] e 11 r, , I NEW RIVER DAIRY >f j " | Grade A Pure Raw Milk e TUBERCULOSIS AND I BANGS DISEASE FREE j I CERTIFICATE NO. 773 Phono 130-.I Boone JC I: THE REINS-STURDN i", ASSOCIATIG TELEPHONE 24 ... 1 - PROTECTION FOR t- Joining Fee 25c Each Member as Follow? ]] Quarterl Ono to Ten Years 10 Ten to Twenty-nine Years 20 Thirty to Fifty Years 40 ,o Fiftv to Sixt.v-fivo Your<4 RO in ' ' "" s Notice To T I will bo at the following places the purpose of collecting taxes due \ e Elk?Apr Triplett's Store i' Stony Fork? v, Cook's Store ... Jjj Deep Gnp?Morctz's Store Blue Ridge?. j' Alio e Bradshaw's Store h, Blowing RockGreene's Store ** T ? i_ vv atauga?fi Collins' Store - Watauga? -k 1 Harbin's Store It. W. W. Mast's Store id . . Shawneehaw? :lt Tester's Store _ in ^ Laurel Creek? !d Romingcr ... Laurel Creek? c- Edntisten's Store d- V. D. Ward's Store i - Beaver Dam? Perry's Store v Don Ilagaman's Store ^ Cove Creek?. le Mabel?Bert Mast's Store or Silverstone?J. M. Moretz's Store We earnestly insist that every om rk alties and costs accumulate. Remem] vertised in the near future. SA Ta? ta ?P ^mamt /..UNTIL...YOUVE^ \ FINISHED YOUR / ||? N (.WORK IN THE J l pining f C ROONV/ y/ % PAGE SEVEN CAROLINA PHARMACY DEPENDABLE DRUG SERVICE one 47 Boone, N. C. J*j;|''frA mm. BOONE DRUG CO. The Rexall Stor? 'hen you see those good lows, don't forget to stop i and enjov a good sandwich and drinks. APPALACHIAN SANDWICH SHOP )HNNY YOUNT. Manager 'ANT BURIAL >N, Inc. ?OONE, N. C. THE FAMILY . . . Dues Thereafter y Yearly Benefit 40 $ ,10.00 .SO 100.00 160 10000 2.40 100.00 axpayers on the dates mentioned for Vatauga county: il 4 9 to 12 a. tn. April 5 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. in. April 6 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. m. ?April 8 9 to 12 a. m. tpril 8 1 to 3 p. in. ipril y 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. m. April 10 9 to 12 a. m. April 10 1 to 3 p. ni. April 11 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. m. April 12 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. m. April 13 9 to 12 a. m. 1 to 3 p. m. 2 pay their taxes before penaer the 1938 taxes will be adVERY GREENE, c Collector, Watauga County.

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