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Itfmberinff S«!Me^.wiUi a shock of unruly *tow hair. Oscar was'the cook, and « better one never stirred a pot of .beans. Beyond a quiet, “Hello, boys,” Slim said nothing, and the punchers were wordless in their stifled emotions. Slim 'Went directly to . the ranch house; alone. Dakota Blue ^ turned to the rest “Pretty badly cut up. Slim is,” he said gruffly, “He’s home now, an’ Bart ain’t here to meet him. Don’t Synopsis: Slim Loyale is paroled from prison after serving 18 months for a crime he did not commit. He air of superioj^^learning. First thing you know,..you are off on the trail of “vitamines” and then you don’t lack much of l»ing in over your head! You get afraifi to eat white bread—really the most nutritious, '^jpst tasting bread in the world. Are you scared of* white brMtd ? One of my contempo- j raries refers to certain bread alarms as “the vitamin fad.” That’s not far! from right. j I’ve written thousands of words on | diet and mating—yes,-millions. After all, I believe I feel better by practic- feeling was running in the Wildj®P®*^ unless , . . Horse just now, Sarg Brockwell herd-1 SHm brings up the proposition first.” l mfiT horse-sense, that tells me H. D. HENRY & COMPANY INSURANCE STOCKS — ^QNDS — REAL ESTATE ' LOANS NEGOtlATED Telephone 121 ■ 'l' ed Leo through the door ahead of! Roy O’Brien*? eyes were all squint-niuch but what I l;ke.iL-. leaves on foot and'lus met by a friend j him. When they were gone. Jigger jed up. “The pore laddy,” he mutter from his Circle, L ranch.-They camp Starbuck hesitated a moment before ed. “Shore, an’ me heart aches fer "out for the night The Brockwells and their gang are leaving, . “Remember. Blue; the law swings l^otting to gain possession i)f Circle L'wide a loop for yuh as any ranch and the property of Mona Hall, body else. a neighbor and life-long friend of Slim Loyale. ~ THIRD INSTALLMENT For just a moment a wary film seemed to shadow Starbuck’s eyes. Then he gripped himself. “Well, what’s wrong thenl” he demanded. ‘’Who did that shootin’?” - “I did—part of- it,” answ'ered Da kota. “I just nicked Sarg, darn the luck. He blew’ a hole in Spud’s floor.” “Yeah, I can see that;” snapped Starbuck testily.^ “But how’’d the land Dakota Blue rode north out of VV ho s responsible for pinnacle. .A sbrvey of the street , showed that Sarg and Leo Borckwell He is, bawled Spud Dillon, still ha'd evidently pulled out ahead of them. Ji^i^r Starbuck stood in the “Aw, hell!” snorted Dakota. “Al ius prattlin’ about ycffe gol-blasted' law. Who’s^ breakin’ it anyhow? Just remember yoreself, Starbuck— yuh. mky bp sheriff, but yuh ain’t Gaw’d Almighty. An’ that self-same loop yuh speak of would fit yore shoulders as well as mine.^ C’mon Slim, Joe, Spud; I’m buyin’ a drink.” B4ing left this pointedly’out of the invitation, Jjg'ger Starbuck cursed softly beneath his breath, then left the place. Ten minutes later, Slim Loyale bubbling w ith‘wrath and pointing at 1 Leo. “He nrade a dirty crack ti Slim. He did it just on purpose I’ni'beltin’, to try to get Slim to make a gun play, knowin’ that if the kid did, his parole would be busted .sky-high. doorway of his office, his face ex- prc.ssionle.ss, his eyes cold. - For several miles Slim and Dako ta rode in silence. Slim was thought ful, his eye.s steadily upon the trail But Dakota stepped in an’ walloped 1 ahead. Finally he shifted in hb, sad- him one. Then Sarg pulled hi.s gun j aie .and looke<l upr---^ ' 8^®t Dakota too, if ' “Dakota, just what were__ yuh •^Joe Rooney hadn’t tripjied him up with a que. ,Joe, I’m raisin’ yore .wages fAr tl^.” “Li.stens good,” growler! Starbuck, stepping over to Slim, “Lemme see yoce guns, Loyals.’^ “Let him have ’em. Slim,” cau tioned Dakota. ^“Shore, I’m begin- nin ’to see through lots of things.” “Mea«m’ just what. Blue?” Star- buck whirled and faced Dakota, his head thrust forward. “What’s it mean to yuh?” retorted Dakota easily, “Don’t get too touchy Starbuck or folks will begin thinkin’ things.” Starbuck licked his lips, then turned to Slim. One after the other he twitched out Slim’s >guns, punched out the .s'hells and squinted through the barrels. As he returned them, -he frowned at Sarg Brockwell. “Go easy on startin’ things, Brockwell,” he ordered. “An’ tell that cub of yoies to button hjs lip. I won't stand for trouble around here—none what ever.” Dakota, watching Sarg and Staf- buck carefully, thought he caught just a. glint of understanding pass "in the quick glance they exchanged. Brockwell nodded. “Call it our fault this time,” he grow’led. “But we ain’t forgettin' at no time. An’ that goes for yuh and yuh,’’ he finished, indi cating both Spud Dillon and Joe Rooney, “See-if we care!” yelped .Spud. “I got somethin’ off my chest w’hat’s been gaggin’ me for .some time, Brockwell. I shore read yore w’alkTn’ papers. As for Joe, well, I. alius knew hew^s & good i^Tin. He shore demonstrated it today.” — Rooney’s w'rinkled face ^creased into a grin and he gnawen! a piece off a plug oX-tobacco. “Me,” he twanged, found that the wolf with the longest howl packs “I’ve lived how are yuh?” And he stepped over to deliberately wring Slim’s hand. No longer in doubt as to how the him. He’ts a fine lad. Slim, and he’ll i be after carryin’ on - j Dakota nodded. “Sarg ah’ Leo' Brockw’ell tried to stir up jtrouble ini town just now, They know damn well the kid is on parole, an’ they ain^ ^nna overlook a chance to get him i to make a break that’ll bust it. any time for the next year an’ half, if yo’re with Slim an’ yuh rurit into somethin’ where there’s fightin’l to be done, I want yuh to shove Slim; aside an^ take over the quarre) yore- selves. Savvy?” Roy flexed his big shoulders. “.An” won’t w’e though!” he barked. “Shore an’ does either of them Brockwells try an’ start somethin’ when I’m around ah’ I’ll shove me fist clear dowUT‘their gullets!” Steve Owens laughed. “I guess Roy’s statement goes for all of us, Dakota. What happened after the trouble started ity town ?” ' Dakota outlined the events, since he and Slini had struck Pinnacle. When he finished, Stoney Sheard mwl- ded. “Alius did have my doubts about Jigger Starbuck,” he drawled. “Too self-centered, duty-struck an’ cold blooded to my way of thinkin’. Time’s .hivin' at wHK those r.M,urk7 Vuhj na pop. I ve told yuh somethin . made to Staibuck? —Dafkota he asked. some an little pay dirt.” “W’hat kind of pay dirt?” “What kind d’yuh suppose. Slim? Look at it this w'ay. Yuh an’ me know yuh were framed. Well, some body did that framin’. If -they did it once~they’U try an’ do it again. IT ^niirte* ; •■-Jnst W.”- aeein’ if I could (urn up a ' 'I-' » ''‘'f P'-PI"" _ ourselves when necessary. Roy snorted, “^heeky young ^cubs', i yuh are. ShouJji.a sjravined JaAVab- bit kick yuh in the pants, yuh’d come runnin’ home here to Roy for help.” “That so?” yelped Charley. “C’mon, Stave; let’s get him, the red-haided. might have been Starbuck, and it might have been Brockw’ell. Then again, it might have been somebody else. “Whoever it was had .some reason foo. doin’ it. It* might h|ive been just to find a goat an’ cover up his own tracks. Then again, they mignt have been schemin’ deeper. Whatever the reason was’ it’ll pa'y us to find out as much, as we can, “One thing shore, yuh gotta fig- ger on standin’ for a lot of insults until that parole of yores is finished. Didn’t yuh take notice how quick stuck-up ape.” Instantly there w’as a tangle of arms and legs, and the three punch ers were-on the ground, mauling and bugging -and laughing. “I’ll show yuh,” grunted Roy. “GangL,.up on ole Roy, will yuh? -Fll knock a lick o’ sense into yuh. Sure enough, in about a minute Roy was on top of both of them. He cuffed their hair over their eyes and spanked them resoundingly with open palm, whenever a tight-stretched area of blue jeans overalls showed. “Enough,” yelled Steve. “Ow-w! U. S. Pubnc'Works Adnrinfstrttion Awards World’s largest Single Refrigerator Contract When the Government buys refrigerators for its low-rent housing projects, low operating cost is essential. Bids are based on initial price PLUS cost' of electricity for ten years. On that basis, the Westinghouse Re frigerator won against all competing bidders-. Because of the Westinghouse .efficiency, Westinghouse could- submit a lower over-all bid, even though four others quoted slightly lower initial prices for refrigerators. SEE THE NEW Westiii^hoase bcfbigebatob , ■ -I. - ^ S. M. & E. H. WILKES & COMPANY CUNTON — TWO STORESLAURENS starbuck-jumped at the crmclu.sion Won’t be able to that yuh were in trouble, the second ^ t •» he stuck hi.'^.head in the Wild Horse? It looked kinda funny to me.” ' “Jigger Starbuck has been sheriff in these parts a long time, Dakota. .An’ all in all, he’s been a pretty fair sheriff.” wild buckaroo. Doggone yuh, yuh got a hand like a fence board. Oscar, help! Pull -Im off.” — Oscar gi-inhed, grabbeil Roy by the shirt collar and the slack of the pants! and lifted him clear, niuch as an/>r- #• “Yeah, he has been. Irately, though, he seems to be slippin’. ■ Yuh notice the \'asco stage is bein’ held up pret ty regular. .An’ the Dot H Dot is still losin’ cattle. I’m plumb con-i vinced that the (’ircle L would have dinajy i)ers()n lifts a kitten, Roy s(|uinte(l up at the cook, bis blue eyes twinkling,J‘ ’Tis a whale of a n’lan yuh are, Oscar,” he ap|)roved, “.Should- we .-esnnbine Ireland an’ Sweden we’d be after lickin’ the WHAT DO . . . P. S. Jeanes DO? D. E. Tribble Co. nfNERAiEriigiatfBrit^.y devIT'yuh Iriftb iftakin*-a '«‘-*^«--^4Gontinued NexT-UftUe)., with yore guns, leastwise not until yore parole is up.” .“It’s tough,” said Slim .a 'little hoarsely. “I’m touchy as hell now. I did a lot of thinkin’ back, there at Jarillo, an’ it didn’t sweeten me none. My pride is plumb ragged an’ easy to scratch. < But yuh got the right idee, Dakota. . I’ll remember that.” An hour later the two riders drew rein before the Circle L ranch house. At sight it, Sliin’s throat thick ened. Home! And yet, it was not the home that it had been. For it was empty now—devoid of that griz- EMBALMERS ^ _ I Licenaed J^balaiera, CmipleU Modem Equipamt Day PboM , f4 . Night Pkoaea . 2L 258 or 25S /‘ ^ Cliflion, S.C been losin’ ’em too, only I’ve kept our boys ridin’ steady an’ kcepin’ a close watch. , ^ Xf didn’t .tell yuh that“the month before la.st, some sidewinder took a shot at me one day,, while I was ridin’ along Nigger Ridge on the’ way, home from our Jericho Valley his tail the lowest. Slim, i-rOTu^r WelF, he did.“ An’ if I hadn’t , a long time, and I ve alius happened to lean foi*wayd just then to knock a boss fly off’n my broncho’s 'morale of the Circle Iv lanch. It v\as world.” * * ~~ Oscar grinned wider than ever. “We bane make a dent in somebody. Now I go to work. Dinner bane ready in half an hour.” Dakota “bad watched the mauling match with a contented grin. Kven grave-faced Stoney Sheard had a glimmer of amusement in his eyeic neck, I’d ’a* been a good Injun right now. I tell yuh. Slim, somethin’s movlh’ around this range that’s got me onrthe lookout plumb continual.” Slim nodded. “That was kinda barefaced, back iri Spud’s place. Lookin’ back at‘ it now, it shore had all the earmarks of a frame^up. Yuh used yore haid, Dakota.” Dakota grunted, and rolled a cig arette. “We’re up against .somethin’ we gotta-V%tch, Slim. Don’t le't any a happy family if there ever was one, and 5>li.m Loyale was' assured of plenty of backing in his forthcoming j battle for exoneration and respect, i Slim spent that first afternoon' alone. He never left the house, in fact. He drifted from one room to an other, and in every one there were memories that dug and hurt. The hou.se was vacant, yet somehow it was peopled—filled with the shadowy presence of Bart Iy>yale. I iVERY floclc has to have its leader— and you’ll find plenty of proof on the road this summer that Ruick’s the pace-maker of this year’s- crop of cars. So if you’d rather feetTdust than eat it, you’ll take the wise step now, and make sure that when summer comes you’re up front in the driver’s seat of a Buick. There’s no ifettinii around the power a Buick can pour into the job pf getting you there quick and quiet and easy-^its valve-in-head straight-eight engine gives you the soaring flight of an eagle when you wan| to cover ground. seem tosense yournext wish in advance. You’ve got brakes to halt its thunder bolt action and bring it gently down to rest with the smooth lightness of mist ing rain. You’ve got a’car that’s a young man’s fartcy, jight-fodted, eager, adventurous —a' car that’s any man’s pride so honest is it in the solid worth of every nut, strut, bolt and thread. Why handicap yourself this summer when so plainly it’s Buick again for value? You’ll find this great straigbt- -^ht- easy.4»^-J^y It’i got a steady, fretless, road-leveling average run gait that makes travel effortless as light - chasing shadow, whether you’re just you getyour order loafing along or shooting for a rword you 11 be distance for the day. rjeading the parade in a bellwether In diis marvel car you ride m seats like Buick when sum* easy chairs. You finger controls that mer geta here. izled kindly, booming-voiced presence ^ A ^ 1% A E} A T 1 Rubber ^ STii^PS Any kind, to fH any business. 24-hour ser- ^vice. Reasonable prices. Telephone 74. _ The Clfronicle PubUshing Co.. ;PrinteiB - Sti^ikmen Plain Horse-Sense In Eating Somehow, I can’t get away from the good old plan of eating becau.se I am hungry — the b'est reason . on earth, isn’t it? If you are not hun- that had been Bart Loyale, Slim’s gry—and have no appetite when you father. ! should have one — then .something There was a group of punchers at!may be wrong; better see your doctor the corrals, and as Slim dismounted, ;-—that’s what he’s for. It may b^* an one by one they came forward to easy ,time to .set you right.' shake Slim’s hand. Their voiced; Then—I still cling to the ancient greetings were short, terse, but sin- plan of eating things that ta.ste good, cere. -What’s wrong With that? Just why The Circle L employed five men ^ should I b^ obligated to force down besides Dakota Blue, the foreman, stuff that I despise? Eating is part There^wa^Xloy O’Brien, short, barrrel- of my reward for being a good, in- bodied, rediheaded; -"a;'’- fighting,* dustriou.s boy. That also applies to square-shooting, explosive little Irish-I you,dear reader. If you are a girl, man. Steve Owens and Charley ^uinn were insejiaraWfe pals, fun-lov- AnriMNiti.. LOWEST BUICK PRICES EVCRl At todey't prictSf a big Bujek •valvt-infhead straight tight cos^s liult mart than tkt aOtragt fix outsidt tht hnjutjf pr\cifUldl Compart dt- livtrtdpruts and learn honu littlt snort buys a btll’wtthtr Buiek, •mOM MOTORS TBUIS TO SUIT YOU* IIRINO ing, rollieking boys; both gtune to the core and very faithful to their dfire. Stoney Sheard was^ middle-aged puncher, silent,.still-featured, gruff and unsmiling, who had probably been olosexito old Bart Loyale than any of the qther punchers. The fifth, oi^ the group^^sa Oscar Oisoh, a big simRiy change genders in this letter and go ahead. Boys are not so dif ferent'from girls, when It comes to living and elating. Thoie two good old rules—eat be cause you are hungry, and eat what good. It will take a lot "of theory to scare up better ones. But . . . pMpIe get to figuring on “balanced ratioh/’ and “calories,” an^ they fuss around^bout them, with aiT THOMASON MOTOR CO. EAST. MAIN STREET LAURENS. S. C. -vr J V