Newspapers / The Alleghany News and … / April 25, 1940, edition 1 / Page 4
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AGNES LOUSE PRflMOST Curly bent down and cautious ly slid a Sat packet under the pil low. “It’s Lee’s. Better tell him about it, Miss V’ginia, as soon as he walks up.” Toward morning news came. Slanty Gano, desperate, had tak en the desperate way out. “Pretended he was dozin’ off,” the messenger said, “and then busted out like a crazy man. Grabbed adeppity’s gun, handcuffs and all, and went down shootin,.” Dawn found Lee awake, in sisting that he was strong enough to get up. They let him sit up in | bed first, and there he head the | closely written sheets of the pack- 1 et that Curly had brought the ■ night before. They had been tak en from Slanty Gano. For some minutes after he had finished, he sat there looking bit ter and tired. Then he roused himself and called Curly, hovering just outside the door. “I’m ready. Get my clothes on me. I’ve got work to do.” They awaited him in Matt’s office, summoned by Curly, one by one. Milton Bradish was there, vigilant and squared for any emergency; Stanley, alertly nervous but noting with relief that his car, commandeered the night before to get the doctor, was now in front of the door; T. Ellison Archer, looking flabby and scared, his vast dignity gone; Virginia was there as a matter j of course, and also Joey. Lee came in, hollow-eyed and j bandaged, moving slowly. “I’ve asked you all to come ■ here because there’s something j that I want to say to you.” “That’s all right, young man, but you’re in no shape to do it yet.” Bradish was briskly solicit ous. “Give yourself a day or two to recover.” “I’m obliged for your consid eration, but it comes a little late.” Bradish reddened. Steady eyes held him as Lee began. “Three days ago a man who has been acting as your agent shot me, rifled my pocket of the deed to this ranch and carried me into Number One tunnel of Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home Licensed Funeral Directors and Embalraera SPARTA, N. C. the Bonanza mine, where he had set a blast to bury me safely un til he could levy blackmail on you for a big sum and make his es cape. He. had you where he wanted you. . . No, you wait until I'm through. “I came to before, he left and heard the last things he said, giving away some matters that you already know and that I needed to. One of them was that he had dropped me down beside Matt Blair’s real samples, the stolen ones that never got to the Assay Office. When he had gone I had; just sense enough and time enough to crawl away from the blast, taking a chunk of that ore with me.” He held out a rough, pale yel lowish lump, “Camotite,” he said briefly. “I don’t need to tell you that.” “Yes,” Bradish admitted calm ly, “I was after the Bonanza, but you’re wrong about my knowl edge of the methods that Lawler and Gano used. It was purely a business matter. The gold pocket that started the rush years ago was found on Matt’s claim, and we divided according to agreement. All that I struck on my claim was a lot of rubble and then a vein of stuff that cropped up all over. But we were look ing for gold and it didn’t mean anything to us. Years later, look ing over some samples of radio active ores, I remembered those deposits and suspected their value.” Bradish talked crisply and di rectly now, a man sure of himself and his methods. “And it never occurred to you to go to Matt Blair and offer to finance him on a partnership basis?” “Certainly not!” Bradish snap ped it back impatiently. “Matt had lived with the thing under his nose for twenty-eight years with out waking up to it. It was his property, but my find. I made him an offer for the whole ranch —through an agent, of course— and got the answer that it wasn’t for sale. At his death I re peated my offer to his daughter. In the meantime, by way of be ing on the ground, and because it runs right up to the Circle V line along Turkey Gulch, I boughl “LAND POSTED” Notices on sale at the Alleghany Star-Times opposite Post Office in the Rancho Ceballos when the old man died and installed ani agent there.” “Why,” Lee’s voice demanded, “when you put in your manager, I did you pick out a crook like (Slanty Gano?” “We took Gano on,” said Brad jish crisply, “because he knew too (much. He found us in Number Three tunnel, using picks and put ting samples in our grub sacks. It couldn’t be helped, but it was a bad move. Gano was a quar relsome loafer who turned out to be a scoundrel and a murderer. Nobody regrets that more than I do, but I’m not responsible for his actions.” Lee was looking at Stanley and slowly opening a little sheaf of papers. “There is one thing more. A few days ago you made accu sations which no man can over look. You get your information from Slanty Gano. There was a thousand dollar bill in his pocket i when he was caught and we know ; where it came from. But there I was also something else which I Slanty had stolen from Matt Blair’s desk the night he killed jhim.” “He told me of his own ac ; cord,” said Stanley, angrily, “that you were Blair’s son and that he could prove it.” “If you showed him your money first, he’d tell you anything you wanted to hear. I’m not Matt Blair’s son. I’m not Virginia’s brother, and Slanty knew it. I happen to be-—yours. And I’m not proud of it.” A chair rasped, Bradish leaped ! forward, staring at Lee. “My mother,” said Lee steadily, -looking straight at Bradish this time, “was Anita Ceballos, Don Luis’ daughter, the girl you mar ried secretly when you were down “I didn’t know,” Bradish said heavily. “Sure never told me that there was a child. I give you my word of honor—” “I’d rather you didn’t. Honor didn’t count when you deserted my mother. You don’t 'have to explain any circumstances. They’re all there.” He pointed to the papers under his hand. They lay in a time-yel lowed drift on the desk. Bradish arose. It was the slow, heavy move of a beaten man. “All right,” he said, his voice expressionless. “I suppose I had it coming to me.” Joye’s voice cut in: “An’ now ye kin go, Milt Bradish, because Lee lets ye go. There’s yore car. Get in it quick, for if ye stay here another five minutes I’ll throw a gun on ye myself!” It was a silent going. Stanley reached the car first and slipped hurriedly into the driver’s seat. Bradish followed his son—the on ly son he dared own. The engine throbbed, the car shot forward. Silence came, and then the stir of relaxed tension. Lee raised his head, bent moodily as he had watched the fleeting car. Ling stood before him, looking like a ! benevolent old idol in weathered I ivory. “Bleakfas,’ Lee?” “That sounds good to me, Ling. Breakfast for everybody, the best you ever got. Maria will help you.” He waved a friendly hand to the men outside and walked slowr ly back. Virginia was beside him, 256 HEREFORD and ANGUS STEERS Wt. 400 to 900 lbs. Sorted in even sizes in carload lots. 2 loads fine T. B. tested spring er heifers. 2 loads cows, 3 loads spring calves. Will sell one load or all. HARRY I. BALL FAIRFIELD, IOWA —J6ey lingered tor a moment, with a gulp of emotion, and then he went out on tiptoe. “It’s over,” Lee said in a tired Voice. “Thank God. We’re starting again with a clean slate . . . Honey—come here!” She came blindly, shaking und er the release from days of in tolerable strain. . . . “Oh my dear, my dear!” The last whisper of the closing door left them alone. The End Little Pine Little Pine, April 22—Rev. G. W. Tucker, who has been ill for some time, is slowly improving. I Homer Wilson and Ray Greene made a business trip to Elkin. Wednesday. The Glade Valley free school came to a close last Friday with a picnic. Mrs. Homer Wilson and child ren, Doris and Lois, spent the past week with her homefolks. Mrs. Handy Murphy visited Mrs. Guy Collins Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Vance Blevins, of Sparta, spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Handy. A Sunday School was opened at Little Pine Sunday, April 21. Mr. and Mrs. Guy Collins spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Harris. Robert Harris spent Saturday night with Earl Cheek. C. C. Tompkins made a busi ness trip to Sparta Monday. Artie Mamies spent the week end with hoffiie folks. Mrs. Gora Greene, who has ' been ill for some time, is improv ing. | Mrs. Etta l Wilson visited her sister, Mrs. jkne Chappell Satur day. Mrs. Reva Wilson was shopping in Galax FLOWERS for Every Occasion B & T DRUG CO., SPARTA THE HOUSE OF HAZARDS BY MAC ARTHUR -M-M-m- » WONDER WHERE » COULD HAVE PUT THAT DARN PIPE, OF MINE? DO YOU KNOW/ WHERE MY OLD PIPE DID YOU LOOK FOR IT IN THE UVIN6 ROOM ? -THERE'S AN AWFUL ' S ODOR IN THERE-, V d-e-a-r/^ DETECTIVE RILEY By Richard Lee —--ii-1 I THe EGYPTIAN FANATIC IS GCXN9 i TO SMOOT Riley WHEN ! "THE NEXT CLAP OF THUNDER OCCURS / . c *55 J I, MYSELF HAVE NOTHING 1 YOU, BUT''THE SPHINX" HAS ORDERED YOUR DELIVERANCE 1 PROM THIS WORLD/ AMO SO IT T\ I-y^taSMaJE; this guv "the sphinx" r MUST 86 a JR CHARM INS Q L PERSON/.S*jv Suooem.Y the cwfiK heavens are ILLUMINATED NNITHA 8UNDINO FLASH OF UOHTNIM© T^t 'f .—rr— AN INSTANT LATER THE ROAR OF_THE «u«_ MIN0LBB WITH THE CRASMOF THE THUNDS^ RILEV lurches stpe WAVS, them fall? to THE FL*<9R RF the PLAN E AND LIS8 STILL UGHTNJNG/ ANO 15 'opyrU' m, m I MUST CSCAfE BEFORE SOMEONE FINDS IIM MERE, I HOPE ALI IS FLYING NEAR 8Y ' what HAS HAPPEN*P TO peTPCTTVE RILEY? —t~s WHO IS THIS all powerful being, ; "THE ! SPHINX*. ii ? L__I SUM JIM AND THE FORCE r-I HOW *C»M-e.T5»‘ '~I _{ \ \ *7 «,<rr SAT ^ \ DAT-5 OTT <SAT'5 l °T‘_J l_^ 'X/H'5K'gTSgS-^J WHEE 1 '5 oe <SAT' WHISKERS* i'X/VAO OP\f\ et»T-reR. Wsat »T r-1 Q: voo'«ets «jnD*ie MtltEiT 3U)1 OW** J «5>ee|! Ots.r?«s.'5 de rofe«te 5UK. 'CHOOP'* ^^ SOME cJUMP-ee __J A U WELL WHAT DO TOV> KNOW ABOUT THU? A, <SBOV WVT AH UMBRELLA- p l* t L 6ET IN51BE *" , DAT sun Amo 5EE —fWQT nAP’F'ENi. DINfeBOST HIS HIMS'.! 4B ^S»/A,V. C well IT BEATS, TH* T C>V>T<?H 1 [that HOBO' 5 j r: HMl-HWt!! THM-'5 A FUNHt LOOK IN i SCARE fM» S»37 nrT 5UH=ERUN’ <9A>Ys!! MU5T A. OVCPLONE eoMIN' cap!! SLIM V0A5 IN5I0P that 5<JA£t ecow ANt> HE BLfeW AWAY. HEY? TH' WINO’S tOW’OOWI' HAVE TO LI4HT IN A. i Fts*/ MlNUTfeS, then Wt’U. •^AS HIM. ATT A &CTT <SAH.* 1 K6EP IT OF*- I you're &oot> time
The Alleghany News and Star-Times (Sparta, N.C.)
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April 25, 1940, edition 1
4
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