10 ("THE INSIDER"} | By Vr K In in Terhune Van de Water.} CHAITER XXVIII Mr. Norton threw a verbal bomb into the family group the next morn ing:. We were all in the dining room at breakfast. It seemed to me that most of the happenings in the Norton household started at breakfast time. Perhaps they do in all households. "Tom," Mr. Norton asked abruptly, "what have you on hand for this evening?" "Oh. that would be nice!" the lad replied. Perhaps I may go" "Don't plan to go anywhere, please," his father interrupted. "I want you to ask your friend, Mr. Parker, to dine here with us." "Oh, # that would be nice," the lad stammered. He oast a swift look of inquiry at me. but I did not return it. "Suppose," Mr. Norton said, "that you call Parker up now—so that 1 may know before I leave if he can come. He's surely up by now." With a muttered "Excuse me," Tom left the room and a moment later we heard him asking for the-number of the hotel at which his friend was staying. "You like Mr. Parker, don't you, Brewster?" Mrs. Gore queried. "Yes," her brother-in-law replied. "If I did not I would not ask him here." It was plain that he was in no mood for argument this morning and his sister-in-law subsided into a brief si lence. "He, says he'll be very glad to come," Tom announced, returning to the dining room and table. "Thank you for asking him, father." "I'm glad to have him." the parent rejoined. "Miss Dart!" turning to me so suddenly that I started nervously. "I would like you to put Grace to bed in time to dine with us to-night. You can arrange to do that, can't you?" "Oh, I hope you can. Miss Dart," Tom exclaimed impulsively. Mrs. Gore regarded the boy stern ly. "You interrupted Miss Dart, Tom," she reproved. Grace Interferes "Indeed, he did not," 1 demurred. "I had not begun to speak." _ "I noticed that you had not," Mr. Norton observed. "You can do what I ask. can you nqt?" he repeated. "It will just round out the number at table." I hesitated. I felt my employer's eyes upon me, but I rlso saw the lines of disapproval about Mrs. Gore's mouth. "You know that lliere will be four of us anyway, Brewster," she ven tured. "Did you forget that when you spoke of 'rounding out' the number?" Cut my employer ignored this speech. I saiv that he was waiting for my answer. "Well?" he demanded. "If—if 1 faltered, "if Grace is asleep. A digression came from an unex pected quarter. "Pooh!" my small charge exclaim ed. "What difference does it make if I'm not asleep? I don't mind Miss Dart's coming down, Daddy, even if I urn awake. She'll sit with ine while I have my supper first, won't she—and put me into bed?" "Certainly!" I smiled at the child's | eager face. "Then I don't mind going to sleep alone." she insisted. "Miss Dart says there's never anything to be afraid of, that I'm really safer in my bed at night than walking out on the streets in the day time—and surely I'm not afraid on the streets!" "Surely not!" her father agreed, laughing affectionately. "But. darling child," Mrs. Gore ex postulated, "you don't know anything j about it, for you have never had to go to sleep alone away off upstairs by yourself. I really do not approve of it." "And I do!" the man of the house burst forth. "Please understand that. Adelaide. I will not have my brave little girl made cowardly. l ' "But, Brewster, you don't under- j stand." the woman began. "I only i to stay up there with Grace, Maggie! can sit in M;sa#Dart's room, although, meant that if Miss Dart doesn't want j to be sure, it's Maggie's evening out." j "I understand perfectly," the man i contradicted. "It is not what Miss Dart 'wants,' as you put it. It is what I I want. And I want Miss Dart at the | table to-night. Grace is too old to reed a night-nurse as if she were a baby." A Theater Party "Of course. I am!" Grace agreed, proudly "Miss Dart won't have to stay with me after I'm in bed —will you, Miss Dart?" I saw that all were waiting for my decision. "I will do just what Mr. Norton thinks best," I murmured. "Then I shall expect you to dine with us," my employer said, as if; the matter were closed. "By the way, I Tom," with a glance at his son, "it might be rather nice to get tickets for some play—don't you think so?" "Oh. bully!" the !>oy exclaimed. Thank you, sir!" "That's all right!" the father said, almost gruffly. "After breakfast we'll look over the paper and decide what we want to see. Adelaide, it might be well to order dinner to be served very promptly, so that we can get to the theater in time. Will you aecompan> j us?" She shook her head. "No, thank you, Brewster, I think I would best stay at home. The night air is had i for me, and as Maggie will be out I would rather be in in case Grace! needs anything." "As you please," he said indiffer ently. "Julia and the other servants ; will be in, you know." "Yes, but I have never left the child 1 alone at night with servants." "As you please." her brother said again. "Then I'll get only four tickets. I shall not need to have the car call at the offl'-e for me this after noon. If you go driving, Adelaide, tell James to have the closed car at the door at R.l 5 to-night." "Yes, Brewster," she said meekly. ; It was quite evident to me that Mr. Brewster Norton had things his own way In his own home. (To l>e continued.) Tom- eye® are worthy of lh best attention you can give tlicin. Uel. fringer glasses can be bad aa low 205 LOCUST ST. Optom<nrits Opp. Orpheum Theater Byea Examined No Drops MONDAY EVENING, The Scribb Family—They Live Right Here in Harrisburg—By Sullivan {*) rsisgih I TSr|ll { rsfenh —— 5 \ Lfr N '® T ® M£ ' A FfUft' HAS GOT TA" WATCH HIS a.OX£M ' -v GARDEN-01? SOMEOTY Mi MIGHT TPY TO BLOW IT OP | Nan gf I | Music | I Mountain j * Br ; £ FRANK H SPEARMAN f Y Author of "WHISPERING SMITH" j! V ' <1 (C'm>jrlllt h ft,,.-.. -i.'r.batf ' Sou) I (Continued) SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I—On Frontier day at Sleepy Cat. Henry de Spain, gunman and train- ! master at Medicine Bend, is beaten at 1 target shooting t>y Nan Morgan of Music j Mountain. Jerries, division superlnten- ; dent, asks De Spain to take charge of the Thief River stage line, but he refuses. CHAPTER ll—De Spain sees Nan danc ing with Gale Morgan, is later derisively pointed out to Nan on the street by Gale, \ ar.sJ is moved to change his mind and ac cept the stage line job. CHAPTER III—De Spain and Lefever i ride to Calabasas Inn and there meet Gale Morgan with Deaf Sandusky and Sassoon, gunmen and retainers of the i Morgan clan. Morgan demands the dls- , charge of a stage driver and De Spain re- : fuses. De Spain meets Nan but falls to : overcome her aversion to him. CHAPTER IV—Sassoon knifes Elpaso, the stage driver, and escapes to Morgan's gap, the stronghold of the Morgans. De ; Spain. Lefever and scott go in after him, and De Spain brings out Sasson alone. CHAPTER V-He meets Nan. who de lays him until nearly overtaken by the Morgans, but lands his captive In jail. CHAPTER Vl—Sassoon breaks Jail. De Spain beards the Morgana in a saloon and Is shot at through the window. He meets Nan again. CHAPTER VII—He prevents her going Into a gambling hu.il to find her Uncle Duke and inside faces Sandusky and Lo gan, who prudently decline to light at the time. CHAPTER VIII—De Spain, anxious to make peace with Nan, arranges a little plan with McAlnln, the barn man, to drive her out to Morgan's gap, and while waiting for her goes down to the Inn to get a cup of coffee. CHAPTER IX—ln the deserted barroom he Is trapped. He kills Sandusky and lx>gan, wounds Gale and Sassoon and es capes, badly wounded. | there was no siulle even lilnted at In ihe uncompromising vigilance of San dusky's expressionless face. De Spain discounted the nest' few minutes far enough to feel that Sandusky's first shot would mean death to him, even If he could return I*. "I'll tell you, De Spain," continued Logan, "we're going to have a drink with you. Then we're going to prepare you for going back where you coma from —with nice flowers." "I guess you thought you could come out here and run over everybody In the Spanish sinks," Interposed Morgan, "It's on the butt of ray gun, San dusky." "\\ lint s that he says?" demanded the man known as the butcher, asking the question of Logan, but without taking his eyes off his shifty prey. Logan raised his voice to repeat the words and to add a ribnld comment. "You make a good rloal of noise,™ muttered Sandusky, speaking again to De Spain. "That ought not to bother you ! much, Sandusky,' shouted De Spain, ] trying to win a 6mile from his tad i turn antagonist. "His noise won't bother anybody \ much longer," put in Logan, whose re ; torts overflowed at every interval. But f with every oath he could summon to | load his words. "Keep out, Morgan." exclaimed Lo gan tastily. "I'll do this talking." i De Spain continued to banter. "Gen tlemen," he said, addressing the three : together and realizing that every mo ' ment wasted before the shooting added i a grain of hope, "I am ready to drink j when you are." "He's ready to drink, Tom," roared I Morgan in the deaf man's ear. ! "I'm ready," announced Sandusky in | hollow voice. Still regarding De Spain with the most businesslike expression, the griz zled outlaw took a guarded step for- I ward, his companions following suit, j De Spain, always with a jealous regard i for the relative distance between liim -and his self-appointed executioners, ! moved backward. In crossing the room, Sandusky, without' objection from his j companions, moved across their front, and when the four lined up at the bar, their positions had changed. De Spain stood at the extreme left, Sandusky next, Logan beside him, and Gale Mor gan, at the other end of the line, pre tended to pound the bar for service. De Suain. following mountain etiquette in the circumstances, spread Ills open hands, palms down, on the bar. San dusky's great palms slid in the same fashion over the checked slab in un spoken recognition of the brief armis tice. Logan's hands came up in turn, and Morgan still pounded for someone to serve. De Spain in the new disposition weighed his chances as being both bet ter and worse. They had put Sandus ky's first shot at no more than an arm's length from his prey, with Lo gan next, to cover the possibility of the big fellow's failing to paralyze De Spain the first instant. On the other hand, De Spaiu, trained in the tactics of Whispering Smith and Medicine Bend gunmen, welcomed a short-arm struggle with the worst of his assail ants closest at hand. Their maneuver ing caused 110 disquiet to their slen der, compactly built victim. "You'll wait a long time, if you wait for serv ice here, Morgan," he said, comment ing with composure on Morgan's im patience. Logan looked again nt his two companions and laughed. Every hope Do Spain had of possible help from the bock room died with that laugh. Then the door behind the bar slowly opened, nnd the scar-fea tured face tit Sassoon peered cautious ly from the gloom. The horsethlef. stooping, walked in with a leer directed triumphantly ut the rnllrmid man. If It were possible to deepen It, the sinister spot on Do Spain's face dark ened. Something In his blood raged nt tj>e sight of the malevolent face. He glanced at Logan. -This," he smiled faintly, nodding townyl Sassoon as he himself took a short step farther to the left, "la your drink, Harvey, Is It?" "No," retorted Logan loudly, "this Is your drink." "I'll take Sassoon," assented De Spain, good-natured agalu and shifting. HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH still another uio kit. ''What do you fe.iows want now?" "We want to punch a hole through that strawberry," said Logan, "that beauty-mark. \£here did you get It, j De Spain?" , "I might as well ask where you get your gull, Harvey," returned De Spain, watching Logan hunch Sandusky toward the left that both might crowd him closer. "I was born with my beauty-mark—just as you were boru j with your d d bad manners," he added composedly, for in hugging up to him his enemies were playing his game. "You can't help it, neither can I," he went on. "Somebody is bound ; to pay for putting that mark on me Somebody is boupd to pay for youi manners. Why tftTk about either? Sas- I soon, set out for your friends—or 1 ' j will. Spread, gentlemen, spread." ' | He had reached the position ot ' 1 which he believed his liie depended ; nd stood so close to the end of tht bar that with n s'ngle step, as he ut tered the last words, he turned it. San dusky pushed close next him. De Spain continued to speak without hes itation or break, but the words seemed to have no place in his mind. He was thinking only, and saw only within his field of vision a cut-glass button that fastened the bottom of Sandusky's greased waistcoat. "You've waited one day too long to collect for your strawberry, De Spain," cried Logan shrilly. "You've turned one trick too many on the sinks, young fellow. If the man that put your mark on you ain't In this room, you'll never get him." "Which"means, I take it, you're going to try to get me," smiled De Spain. "No," bellowed Morgan, "it means we have got you." "You are foollug yourself, Harvey." De Spain addressed the warning to Lo gan. "And you, too, Sandusky," he added. "We'll take care of that," grinned Lognn. Sandusky kept silence. "You are jumping into another man's fight," protested Do Spain steadily. "Sassoon's fight is our fight," Inter rupted Morgan. "I advise you," said De Spain once more, looking with the words at San dusky and his crony, "to keep out of it." "Sandusky," yelled Logan to his partner, "he advises me and you to keep out of this fight," he shrilly laughed. "Sure," assented Sandusky, but with no variation In tone and his eyes on De Spain. Logan, with an oath, leaned over the bar toward Sassoon, and pointed con temptuously townrd the end of the bar. "Shlke!" he cried, "step through the rail and take that man's gun." De Spain, looking from one to the other of thp four faces confronting him, laughed for the first time. But he -was looking without seeing what hp seemed to look at. In reality, he saw only a cut-glass button. He was face to face with tnking a man's life or surrendering his own, and he knew the life must be tnken In such a way as 'instuntly to disable Its possessor. These men had chosen their time and place. There was nothing for It but to meet them. Snsgoon was stepping tywurd him, though very doubtfully. De Spain laughed again, dryly this time. "Go slow, Bassoon," he said. "That gun Is loaded." "If you want terms, hand over your gun to Sassoon," cried Logan. "Not till It's empty," returned De Spain. "Do you want to try taking It?" he demanded of Logan, his cheeks burning a little darker. Logan nev*r answered the question. It was not meant to be answered. For De Spain asked It only to cover the spring he made at that Instant Into Sandusky's middle. Catlike though It was, the feint did not take the big fel low unprepared. He had heard once, when or where he could not tell, but he had never forgotten the hint, that De Spain, a boxer, was as quick with his feet as with his hands. The out law whirled. Both men shot from the hip; the reports cracked together. One bullet, grazing the fancy button, smashed through the gaudy waistcoat; the other, as De Spain's free hand struck at the muzzle of the big man's gun, tore into De Spain's foot. San dusky, convulsed by the frightful shock, staggered against De Spain's arm, the latter dancing tight against him. Logan, alive to the trick but •aught behind his partner, flred over Sandusky's right shoulder at De Spain's head, flattened sidewlse against I i, ; Hugging Hla Shield, De Spain Threw Hla Second Shot Over Sandusky'a Shoulder. the gasping outlaw's breast. Hugging his shield, De Spain threw his second shot over Sandusky's left shoulder Into Logan's face. Logan, sinking to the floor, never moved again. Supporting with extraordinary strength the un wieldy bulk of the dying butcher, De Spain managed to steady him as a buf fer against Morgan's Are until he could send a slug over Sandusky's head at the Instant the latter collapsed. Mor gan fell against the bar. Sandusky's weight dragged De Spain down. For an instant the four men sprawled in u heap. Sanson, who had I not yet got an effective shot across nt APRIL 16, 1917. his agile enein.i. i..i-,n,uig his revolver, dodged under the rail to close. De Spain, struggling to free himself from the dying man, saw, through a mist, the greenish eyes and the thirsty knife. He fired from the floor. The bullet shook without stopping his enemy, anrt De Spain, partly caught under Sau dnsky's boily, thought, as Sassoon came on, the game was up. With an effort born of desperation, he dragged hlm |self from under the twitching giant, freed Ills revolver, rolled away, and, ■with his sight swimming, swung the gun at Sassoon's stomach. He meant to kill him. The bullet whirled the white-faced man to one side and he dropped, but pulled himself, full of fight, to his knees i.nd, knife in hand, panted forward. He Spain, rolling has tily from him, staggered to his feet, and, running in as Sassoon tried to strike, beat him senseless with the butt of his gun. His own eyes were streaming blood. His head was reeling and he was breathless, but lie remembered those of the gang waiting outside. He still could see dimly the window at the end of the bar. Dashing his fingers through the red stream on his fore head, he ran for the window, smashed through the sash Into the patio and found Sassoon's horse trembling at the fusillade. Catching the lines and the pommel, he stuck his foot up again and again for the stirrup. It was use less; he could not make it. Then, summoning all of his fast-ebbing strength, he threw himself like a sack across the horse's back, lashed the brute through the open gateway, climbed Into the saddle, and spurred blindly away. CHAPTER X. ' . t After the Storm. * Tor a week the search continued day and night, but each day, even each succeeding hour,, reduced the expec tation of ever seeing Do Spnin alive. Spies working at C'nlabasas, others sent in by Jeffries to Music moun tain among the Morgans, and men from Medicine Bend haunting Sleepy Cat could get no word of De Spain. Deaf Sandusky and Logan had been found dead at the Inn by Lefever on the night after the fight. Fairly accu rate reports accounted for Gale Mor gan, nursing a wound at home, and for Sassoon, badly wounded and under cover somewhere in the gap. Beyond this, Information halted. Toward the end of the week a Mexi can sheepherder brought word in to Lefever thnt he had seen In Duke Morgan's stable Sassoon's horse—the one on which De Spnln had escaped. He averred he had seen the blood stained Santa Fe saddle that had been taken off the horse when the horse was found ut daybreak of the day follow ing the fight, waiting at Sassoon's cor ral to be cared for. There could be, It was fairly well ascertained, no mis take about the horse—the man knew the animal; but his Information threw no light on the fate of Its missing rider. (To lie Continued) WOULD ENLIST FARMERS IN ARM\< Secretary Patton Makes Sug gestion For the Farm Hands of the Country Immediate formation of an agri cultural army in Pennsylvania was urged by Secretary of Agriculture Charles E. Patton In an outline for township and county co-operation to bring about the maximum production of all food materials on the farms o! this state. Secretary Patton urges the imme. cliate formation of township agricul tural organizations along military lines, with a captain, lieutenant, four sergeants, ten corporals and fifty en listed privates as the basis for each organization. The organization should be headed by a prominent business man as cap tain, who shall act as organizer, with a lieutenant, who shall be the treas *He<'J"ctary and chief disbursing officer. Neither of these men need be expert agriculturists, as their services will be mostly needed for organization purposes and in looking after the busi ness details. The four sergeants nnd the ten cor porals should have some knowledge Of agricultural work and the privates enlisted are to be placed under their charge and sent in squads of any re quired number to help out on the farms from which calls for help may come to the ranking officers. The four sergeants should be selected from dis tinct sections of the township and each should have charge of a certain terri tory and it should .further be their duty to ascertain the needs of the farmers of their respective districts. The corporals are the squad leaders and should be divided in the township as the needs of any section may re quire. Each corporal should be given charge of live privates, whom he may instnrct and distribute as needs re quire. There should be arrangements for the effective organization of each com pany so that work can be undertaken on the farms or garden plots which might come under their jurisdiction. Through the captain nnd lieutenant plans can be made for the taking over of farms on a half-share basis or for the furnishing of labor at specified hour rates. The matter of pay is hard to deter mine, but it is suggested that this can be arranged according to localities and the class of labor furnished. The farmer is willing to pay for this help and all accounts should be handled by the sergeants and in turn reports made to the captain and lieutenant, with the latter two officers alone authorized to keep the payroll, jecelve the funds of the company, keep the record of production on farms worked on the share basis and to assist in the sale of crops raised on farms operated under such a plan. The ruling officers of each townshi* company should take up with impl<f ment firms plans for the loan or hire and purchase of the latest agricultural machinery, seeds and fertilizers, so that work can be speedily done. The township companies should be formed into a county organization, headed by some prominent citizen, who shall act and be known as the colonel of the agricultural retriment of the county. It should be his duty to ap point as many ranking officers, lieu tenant-colonels, majors, etc., as will be required to look after the county work. All reports of county work should gro to regimental headquarters and in case the needs of any township are so great that a call can be made on other town ship companies it should be the duty of the headquarters staff to see that the proper detail of men is collected from the various township units and so distributed as to do the most good in the county., Within the next few days the na tional Department of Agriculture will make recommendations to Congress for an organization along this line and Pennsylvania units can he organized and ready to enroll in the national organization. The members of this organization will receive the same rec ognition as those persons who enlist for service at the front. It is just as patriotic .to enlist in the agricultural army to help to raise the needed food for the army and for the people at home as it is to go to the front. In the plan for Pennsylvania's agri cultural army the enlistment can in clude men over the military enlist ment age, boys from fourteen to nine teen years old and men who are un able on account of slight physical in capacity to enter the army or navy ranks. Secretary Patton asks that imme diate steps be taken in all communities to form companies and county regi ments and that notice be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Agricul ture of all contemplated organizations and full details of all organizations effected. DAILY DOT PUZZLE 2S- 2*6 2 . 7 3 .' 32 24* 28' • 33 *• •*!, 3 ° * 8 "> 3a 37 * • * IO ,b ,5 (< ..41 .4o 4S "* '1 '47 I 9.. >44 12. 6. ,**s / f • 8 f 4* SI
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