The Seattle Star Newspaper, December 16, 1922, Page 9

STAR BY AHERN A THOUSAND THE SRATTLE OTTR ROARDING HOUSE MUTE WALKER) (Continued From Page 6) quality of beauty that dweit here, | some strange, deep appeal that the moontit realm made to his heart, — | For the moment Ben had forgotten |’ the old, tried companton at his side. Vague memories stirred him, trying to convey him an urgent mesnage. He could all but hear; the sight of | the meadows, ensilvered under the! moon, Were making many things plain to him which before were shadowed and varuea The stect rails gleamed like platinum, the tree tops seamed to have white, molten metal poured on them. It was hard to take his eyes off those moonlit trees. They got to him, deep inside; thrill ing to him, stirring. Perhaps in bis Lem Land the moon shone on the} Arees this same way. ‘There were no prison walls around him tonight. The high buildings be. | bind him, pressing one upon an other, had gona to sustain the feel- ing of imprisonment, but tt had quite left him now. There were no! eold, watchful lights,only the moon and the stars and an occastonal mel. | jow gleam from the window of a heme There was scarcely any! sound at all; not oven a stin—as of tossing and uneasy In thelr celle, His whole body felt rested ‘The air was marvelously sweet. Clover was likely in blossom in near. by flelds, He breat deep, an un- known delicht stealing over him. He| stole on farther, Into the mystery of | the night—-ravished, tingling and al-! most breathiess from an inner and/ Imexplicable excitement. Melville} walket quietly beside him { Forest bad given over the case:| it was Melville's time for expert ments tonight. All the way out he/ [because I haven't the means. I know you from head to heel, and I think I know what's good for you, what you can do and what you can't do and where you succeed and where you fall, And I'0 say right re you Wasn't born to be no gang man ina big city ke Seattle, You'll find that isn't your line at all.” “Dm willing to take our word for that, Mr. Melvilie,” Ben interposnd quietly. ‘And I might say, now a good timé as any, to let up on the ‘Mister.’ My name ix Ezra Melville, and I've been known ag ‘Byram’ as long as I can remember, to my friends, The Darbys in particular called me that, and you're a Darby “Tl say in the beginning I can't do for you all I'd like to do, simply The first time you saw me I was walkin’ ties, and you'll see me walkin some }more of ‘em before you're done. I know you ain't got any money, and due to the poker habit I ain't got much either—in spite of the fact I've done two men’s work for something over 40 years, On this expedition to come we'll have to go on the cheaps. No Pullmans, no hotels sleeping out the hay when wire caught at night. Maybe ridin’ the blinds, whenever we can, I'm awful sorry, but It jest oan’t But I will say—when it comes to work T can do my full share, without Kieckin’.” Ben stared In amazement almost as if the old man were plead tng a case, rather than giving «lori ous alms to one to whom hope had seomed dead. Ben tried to cut in, to ask questions, but the old man’s Words swept his own away “To begin at the beginning, I've had watched his patient. sounding | got a brother—teastwise I had him a him; studying his reactions: and all| few weeks ago—Hiram Melville by that he bad beheld had « to| fame,” Exzram went on. “You'd re strengthen his own convictions. | member him well enough. He was 0 And now, after this moment in the! prospector up to a place called Snowy meadows, the old man was ready to|Guich—a town way up in the Cari ge on with his plan. |bou Mountains, In Canada. Some “Let's set down here,” he invited | weeks ago, herdin’ cattle in Eastern caeually. Ben started, emerging | from his revery. The okt man's) cheery smile bad returned, tn its| (ult charm, to his droll face. “You'll | want to know what it's all about— and what I have tn mind And I sure think ydu've done mighty well to hold onto your patience this He sat himself on the rail, and Ben quietly took a seat beside him. “There are plenty of things I'd like know,” he admitted. “And plenty of things I ain't to tell you, neither—for the that Forest advived against #,” Esra went on. “I don't under. stand it—but he says you've got a Oregon, 1 got a letter from him, and started north, runnin’ inte you on the way up. The letter’s right here drew a white envelope from h coat pocket, opening It slowly. “Thip is a real proposition, son.” he went on in a sobered voice, “I'm mighty glad that I've got something, at least worth lookin’ into, to let you in on. I only wish ft was more.” “Why should you want to let me in on anything?” Ben asked clearly The Cirect question received only a store of blank amazement from Exram. “Why should I * he repeated, seemingly surprised out of his life by the question. “shucks, and quit interruptin’ me, But [ll say right here I've got my own ideas if you must know. Didn't I hear witle you wa, rampin' around t underworld, you showed yourself mighty good fighter? Well, there "| Mkely to be some fightin’ where we're . |old to do much of it. goin’, and I want some one to do it besides myself. If there ain't fightin’ at least they'll be work—lots of work. Maybe I'm gettin’ « little too T want « buddy —some one who will go halfway with me.” “Therefore I suppose you go to the ‘pen’ to find one,” Ben commented, wholly unconvinced. “I'm going to make this propor tion good,” Ezram went on as if he not heard, “probably a fourth— maybe even a third—to you. And i such « fool as I look, nelther. fight, ts in on it with me, Listen to this.” sd Opening the letter, he read labor! ously: pase I rite this with what I think is my dying hand It's my will too. I'm at the hotel at Snowy Guich— not much more time. You know I've been hunting a claim. Well, I found it—rich a pocket as any body want, CHOOSE Now, DEBARY anD Me=to \/ THERE “THINK r AG A WE NEVER}}] MORAL KNEW THe || THIS PLAY GENIUS ||_ 100+ ve MPROUD BEAUTV!+ Lt FLY WITH ME “To STAND BY WHILE 1 TMROwW TW’ SwirtcH OF TW GAWMILL AN! WATCH THIS HAND - bo helped. | SOME. HOUND Go / TAKE Heed! SLOWLY “To HIS \F YOu DARE Doom! HEH. HEH: TIMES NEVER, GIR COURTHEY PLASTER, You WRETCHED BEAST! I WILL LOVE NONE, ONLY MY PooR BUT HONEST SHOEMAKER, HERO “To “TH’ CUT A TWha ON MY NOBLE HEAD Vou WILL ANGWER, “H “HE U.S. GUNBOAT IN “THE HARBOR ! Ave GREAT SAWMILL SCENS FOR THE WOMEN'S CLUB ‘ CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT ea are of Fenris, the pet I raised trom) MV ERETT TRUE a pup. at Steve Morris's. I felt myself going and just did at Snowy Guich go up Poor Man te Snowy Gulch who you are and wher: you going. Go quick brother Ex and put up stone for me at Snowy Gulch. Your brother HIRAM MELVILLE ‘There was a jong pause aft: Baram's voice had died away. Ben eyes glowed in the moonlight. “And you haven't heard-—whethe your brother is stil alive?’ “I got a wire the hotel man sen me. It reached me weeks befor: the letter came, and I guess he mus! have died soon after he wrote it. 1 suppose you see what he means when he says to carry a copy of this let tor, instead of the original.” “Of course—because it conatituter hia will, your legal claim. Just th: You'll find him and my gua} Ow, MY DEAR, WHILE TIT REALE Ir‘ get hear. You get supplies horses | MY BIRTHDAY DINNER AND AULA THAT, Just See How You HA’ FippteD ANNO FUSSED AROUND SETTING VP A Lor OF FANCY STUPP “To GaT WHGN IT WOULD BG JUST AS WELL wTTH A FEW PLAIN, SUB- STANTIAL THINGS WITHOUT HG FRILLS, How OFTOCN Have tT To Tow Y=: — ‘ we wie CAT— CEI BE SEATED I! ° WITH THE JAIL CLOSED WiLL CLEAN UF THIS Town SO TILL SPRING WE WONT NEED TOFUSS WITH , —FEEDIN OR. HEAT) a WINTER? Nee INTO DEBT ESCAPED FROM THE JAIL, SO MARSHAL OTEY WALKER DECIDED To AvoiD ANY SUCH TROUBLE IN MEV! windy ARE YA NELLIN: NOW THE NEAR FUTURE 4 a BY BLOSSER Wa a BB 2 [pee worth a quarter million any how and/fact that you are hie brother woul in a district where the Snowy Gulch | be claim enough, I should think, but folks believe there ain't a grain of|aince the claim isn't recorded, thi gold. simplifies matters for you. You'd It's yours. Come up and get it| better make a copy of it and you quick before some thieves up hear|can leave it in some safe place. And jump it. Lookout for Jeffery Neil-|of course this claim is what you of son and his gang they seen some of | fered to let me in on.” my dust. I'm too sick to go to reo it. Not much, but all what order in Bredieyburg and record]! gol What I want to know i#— talk and walk and ny comp’ny, and “The reason I'm goin’ to take you Where I'm going to take you is for Your own good. i'm sort of responsl- Bie for you, bein’ your folks are dead. claim. Get copy of this letter to carry, put this in some safe place. The only condition is you take good Page dol “KILL! KILL! KILL’ Chapter 2 Now, in the early days, on Whidby island, the farms were divided and shut in with rail fences, and all along on the inside ‘Of the fence, tall weeds and golden Uttie bushes would grow it was not possible for a walking along the road to What was just inside of the behind the fence. was why when Libby and rted home, they let th indian with the big knife have the Whole road to himself, and they once in a while, tho, they Would climb up to the top rail to take observations and wee how fast the man was going. It was pretty discouraging, too, for they wanted oh! #0 much, to beat him to the house and warn their mother so that she could Jock and bar the door against him, and hie long brown kegs car- him much faster than their short white ones, and besides he had the road while the children Must run over the rou round Of the field. se At the Calhoun home every- was quiet and peaceful. The ones played contentedly on The door stood wide to let the sunshine in, The ther and her sister were busy hounchold tasks when @ REKRAR shadow appeared in the doorway. The sister saw it first, and glancing up, she cried, “Oh, Mary, lookr” Quick as mother inetinet, Mra. Calhoun caught her bables by their little dresses and set them back out of sight of the menacing figure in the door, fust as the In dian started to enter, “Kill!” he eried, “Kill! Kill Han cock!’ That was a strange ery, for everyone knew, Indians as well as whites, that Hancock was the In- dians’ friend. But the savage fel- low with the big knife had taken too much of the white man’s “fire water” and his brain was crazed, and his heart was black, ‘The little mcther picked up a piece of “scantling” which lay on the hearth and gathering all her frail strength and assuming as mtich command as a mite of a woman can assume, cried, “Kla- tawa (Go) Hyak Klatawa! (Go quickly!" But the threatening savage stood his ground. “Then,” Mra Calhoun @aid, “I put my hand on 0 O ores Me aout know how aid. butt aid, and I gave him @ hard shove ent.” Ww as We Came UD Wan that Indian running and maroma after him with the stick Bhe drove him ali the way to the wate, eed if it's a go.” “Walt just a minute. asked me to go In with you on a acherne that looks like a clear quarter of @ million, even tho I can't give anything except my time and my work. You found me in @ peniten- tlary, busted and all in—a thief and @ gangster. Before we further, done you, what obligation you're un- You've} go any! tell me what service I've der to me, that gives me a right to| accept so much from you?” (Continued Tomorrow) BEGIN HERE TODAY ‘The greatest tragedy of all came ond- dently Into the life KATE WAKD, the ho had beet destined to walk je paths, In her youth she after # anderstanding with | mother Then came life in the | city, her love of DAN WARD, her marriag death, and finally her hon of her bhild earned, to care for hor Th her bie to him, his rn to the r mother, ettled father, the other , who declared that Dan ‘ard Waa the father of her child. GO ON WITH THE STORY Kate Ward gazed at the girl, fas cinated by the grotesque effect of her bravado and her childishness, Then her eyes turned to Dorothy ‘and lingered there. Dorothy was beautiful, Small of frame, well rounded as to legs and arme, brown of eye and hair, with a delicately lovely mouth, There was something strangely like Dan about her, Kate thought; there was the same odd combination of spirituality and daring. Kate had loved that in Dan. The child brought {t all back too plainly. ‘The sight of her opened the old wounds and set them throb. bing afresh, “Chinatown Alice,” she echoed, scarcely hearing her own voice, BY RUTH AGNES ABELING CHAP. 7—IF DAN COULD TELL “Chinatown Alice,” the girl re peated and then laughed. There was no mirth in the cackling sound, simply @ rattling and jarring of vocal from home | tones. “And what—did you want nv to do?’ Kate questioned, "Did you want me to—to take the child, keep her?’ talteringly. “But T couldn't do that, you know,” Kate found herself rushing on. “TI couldn’t—oh, I couldn't!” Her hands over her eyes, shut out the sight of little Dorothy, who still sat on the lounge and watched the two women with wide, wondering eyes. “Take her! Take her!’ Alice broke in, “Take the only thing I've got in all the world! “IT may be a Chinaman’s woman,” titterly. “Maybe there isn't much that I care for any more, or much of a show for me, but-—I'll keep my el it ‘here are other things you could do,” her volee had lost its fury and her thin, white face waa wistful, “If 1 had a little money T could send ver to a nice school where she could take lessons and learn things I didn't have a chance at “And she could still be with me nights," she added, Kate Ward couldn't how the interview with Alice ended. Suddenly hervelf upstairs in the under the eaves—the same little room which had known her sorrow 12 years before—and there she gave way to her grief. “Oh—Dan—Dan," she was talking aloud, “if you could only come back and tell me about it-—I understood it all while you were here—all of the things other people blamed you for ~I understood you and knew you weren't untrue at heart—but this, oh, Dan, I can't—I can't Ive on— even my memory of you ts gone now, I can't cherish it—knowing that—you cared for someone else!” Outside, the sun stood high in the heavens. The little, rain-washed cot tage was bathed in golden glory. There were no shadows. The grass, brilliant in the strong light, swayed slightly in a gentle breeze. The heaven-kissed pines were scintiliant. Nature was at peace. But in the room under the eaves Kate Ward suffered, Finally the door was pushed open. A hand lay Nehtly on her shoulder, (To Be Continued) (Copyright, 1923, by Seattle Star) remember Chinatown she found ttle room —E OLD CROSSING WATCHMAN CERTAINLY 1S AN AWFUL. WORRY TO THE TRAIN CREWS. FS DVENTURES SENET WINS , her best not to look sour, Nancy and Nick were out one day delivering things for the Green Wizard. You haven't any idea how many things people were always wanting. ‘They had a magic collar-button for Mr, Crow, that wouldn't roll under the bureau every time he went to put his collar on, They had @ magic hammer for Mrs, Coon that wouldn't smash her And there stood the Sour Old Witch in her doorway, . Std trying mer in a tack. Chickie Chipmunk wanted le weeder for the garden so he'd have more time to play after school, They had that too! And they had a hat for Mrs, Cot- tontail that wouldn't go crooked whenever she hopped to a party. They were passing the waterfall, all loaded down with bundles, when suddenly a yotee called out, “How come in?” And there stood the Sour Witch In her doorway, trying best not to look sour. “Certainly,” answered Nancy, always liked to be polite. “But can’t stay long. We're out ing.” “What, pray?’ asked the Sour @ Witch, altho she knew well “Some magical things the G Wizard has made for his answered Nick. “Well, leave them here in my and come into my sitting room have a cup of tea,” said the Old Witch. So in went the Twins. But what do you think! Toes was hidi; behind the And when the Twins were out sight, he changed the collar-b into one that dropped every tin And he changed the hammer #0 — would always hit poor Mra, © thumb, The weeder he fixed so the weeds would grow faster ever. And Mrs, Cottontail's hat he ~ ruined, Res: “Now,” ho grinned, “the G ‘Wizard won't have a friend left." (To Be Continued) (Copyright, 1922, by Seattle Stary If He Doesn’t Get Life, He’s ! DETROIT, Mich, Deo, 16. busted my nose.” So F. H. G accused Mark Kent tn bert was “suffering from thumb every time she went to ham-! do you do, my dears? Won't youdeviation of the nasal be