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H* P—»lt 8mtl—u BotwIL S. C- Thandaj, 17, ■t" GUNLOCK •RANCH- by . SPEARMAN Copyright Frank H. Spearman WNU Service CHAPTER X—Continued —16— “I wouldn’t want to Impose like that on a decent fnther-ln-lnw, Henry; It’ll be bad enough for any man to have you hitched Into his family. Lift him out of here, boys—give me a hand. We’ve got to get him up to the office. What’s that noise out In the corral?’’ “Nothin’ at all,” blustered McAlpIn, struggling along the gangway with Sawdy's feet. “Just a few bucks from the Reservation, Initiatin’ Barney Iteb- stock Into Into the tribe. Henry, you’re heavier than a ton of bricks. I can’t hold on much longer.’’ Not until the doctor had nearly fin ished dressing the cowman's leg did the wounded man begin to tell the story. And he had hardly been made ready to send to the hospital when John Lefever and Bob Scott appeared at the box office door with Barney Reb- stock, white and scared. "What’s a-matter with the re*t of youT exclaimed Carpy testily, as he eyed the three. "Why, Barney,” explained Lefever blandly, “fell off his horse a few min utes ago and broke his wrist. Fix him up. will you, doc?" "What the devil's this cutting and aqnawklng all about?" asked Carpy of Lefever later that night. The two were seated In the doctor's office about midnight. “Doc," explained Lefever. "the boys are pretty sore about BUI Denlaon'a ranch bouse get tla’ burned down. The day after the tire Barney Rebstock left two hundred with Harry Boland. Where'd he get It? The boys made op tbelr minds to 0nd out. Bawdy got him down to lie AI pin's barn, but when he began to pump Barney the cuaa showed fight. You know Henry. He'd never used a gun on a shrimp with a knife. Bo the rest of us. waitin’ In Hie corral, car ried Barney out of (be bare, showed him a rope by the light of the lantern, asked him how about that fire." Carpy atww>k bla head. “Dangerous iloaaa, John. Did you atiing him ■pr "IleR. no. 1 hadn't no more'n ad Jailed the noose and asked him was It comfortable under bla ear. when be told the whole story. UcCroasen hired him to do It for Van Tambel—" Caipy muttered sn angry epithet. "—gave him two hundred and prom laed two more when the Job was done. What do you think of that. Doc?“ Carpy was sllrix a moment “Rot ten business. But what’s the good of stringing Barney up? He'll deny ev scything. That ain't the only thing John. The old devil couldn't be con- ftcted. But It would make a nasty toess to try Van Tambel for hiring Hebstock—and where would the shnme land? On Jane Van Tambel. And sbe head over heels In love with BUI Den ison. and he with her—what can be doneT “You fellows ought’ve naked me that afore yog began stringing Barney up." added Carpy, after a moment's thought, "there’s only one thing I know of you can do now. BUI Denison Is the man most Interested in the situation the way It stands." “I guess we can’t get away from that,” admitted Lefever. “I-ay the whole mess before Bill and ask him what’s to be done." Lefever was doubtful. “I don’t know what the boy will say, doc." “And 1 don’t care a hang," retorted Cnrpy. “That’s all they'll get from me." Next morning Carpy was making his rounds at the hospital. In the corri dor he encountered Lefever. John took off his hat and scratched his head. “Well, doc!" he exclaimed. “Well," echoed Carpy, “what you do ing up here?" “We talked It over." "Who’s we?" "Why, Bawdy, McAlpIn, Rob S'-ott, Ben Page, V me. We talked it over ’n’ concluded to follow your talk—put It pp to Bill." "Sit down there In the office till I see him myself."" "O. K., Doc. I’ll go In and set with Sawdy.” Dr. Carpy opened the door of Deni son’s room. Close to Denison, who sat, with bandaged eyes, In an armchair, stood Jane, arranging some briar roses In a vase. r Denison was fingering, rather nerv ously, bis eye bandage. Jane turned. “Oh. here’s Dr. Carpy, Bill. Good-morning, doctor!’’ "Any morning's a good morning when • man can set eyes on an up-an’-com- leg girl like you." said Carpy. "BUI," he continued brusquely, "you’re too ■low. If I bad as good a sight for •ore eyes as she Is, right close to me. Td take a peek at her If I bad to go blind the rest of my life." Jane turned away with a protesting ■mile. Denison looked confused. “Say T exclaimed Carpy suspiciously, “what’s bean going on here? Wbat have you tm beaa a# to? BUI,’’ be aaid sudden ly. “you’ve bee* moving that beedage!" "Why, I did nft the bandage far a few seconds,’’ confessed Denison. "What forr "To look at the rosea.” "BUI, you're a blamed liar. You lift ed It to look at this girl—didn't he, Jane?" Carpy thundered the question In hla most aggressive manner. “How do I know, doctor?" asked Jane demurely. “BUI,” he aaid, sitting down by hla patient, "tell me Just what and *iow much did you aea when you lifted that bandage. “Doc, I’ll confess, I couldn’t see much—Just a blur." "And your eyes ache and sting now, don’t they?" “They hum a little, Doc." "I’ll say they burn a little I How many mornings has this been going on?” Denison was silent “Only yesterday and today, doctor,” confessed Jane, hesitatingly. "Well, don’t try It any more," said Carpy to Denison. "If you do, I’ll put you back in a dark room. I only let you out here on the theory you’d be have yourself." Carpy picked up his bag. He was part way down the J corridor when he was waylaid by Lefever. CHAPTER XI "Come Into Sawdy’s room a minute, Doc,” pleaded Lefever. “He’d like to talk this thing over with you.” Sawdy, propped up In bed, led the talk. But the talk was not to Dr. Carpy’s liking. “Yes,” he muttered scornfully, "I expected that’s the way It would work out. If there’s a mean Job to be done In this town, put It on me." But the pair now working on the doc tor’s sympathies knew their victim pretty well and, having once brought him to refuse their request, needed only to persevere In order to make him grant IL This brought Carpy back that afternoon to Denison, alone. "Doctor," said the Injured man, "I couldn't be sure this morning when Jane was here whether you were talk Ing to encourage her and me, or wheth er you really think you can save my sight" “Bill, I was honest In what I aaid,” returned Carpy. "I believe and hope I can aave your eyes. But U'a not all In my hands; I told you that too. If Nature’s willing, we’re going to get through all right—does that satisfy you?" "That's all I can ask. Doc." "BUI." aaid the doctor suddenly, "Sawdy and Lefever bare found oat who burned tbo ranch bouse—end why It was set afire." "Who was It?" asked Denison vio lently. “Keep cool, BUI; keep cool It’s a mean mesa." ' Denison was on fire. "Why don’t you tell the story?" be demanded an grily. "Wbat did they dor "First," responded Carpy, determined not to be rushed, “they found that Bar ney Rebstock had a pocketful of money since the fire. They lured him down to IfcAlpIn'a barn. When Sawdy be gan to question him, he showed fight. The upshot of It was, the two went at It hammer and tongs In a box atalL "Let Me Put That Bandage Back Where It Belonga." Barney had a knife—he drove it through Sawdy’s leg, and Sawdy was choking him to death when McAlpIn and the boys heard the noise and stepped In to save the thief. Then they took him out behind the barn till he told his story. “Mind you, this now Is Barney’s story—might or might not be the facts. He claimed he was paid two hundred dollars to set the house afire, with a promise of two hundred more after he'd burned It.” Carpy paused. He thought the sick ening truth must have already begun to penetrate Denison's mind; it had not •’W.ho,” asked Denison, with a fell epithet, “paid him to burn me up?" "As Barney tells It,” continued Carpy deliberately, “It was between McCrosa- en and Ous Van Tambel." Denison sprang from hla chair. He tore the bandage from his sightless eyes. From hla disfigured lips there poured a stream of bitter words. “Not too fast BUI—not too fast Re member there’ll be another to suffer like bell If this thing erer gets out” "Oh, I know It must never get oat. But that mao! Doc, he opght to be roped and dragged to death bj a wild If ever a robber and a thief and a murderer deaerred stringing up, that man doea He's killed, or bad killed, every mao that ever stood In hla way of stealing land or cattle, or anything a man had that he wanted." "Cool-offriWiL-CROI off." Denison sat down with hla hands over hla face. It wrung Carpy'a heart to aee him suffer. “I can't Doc. I can't!" “Yea, you can, damn you, and ;'0*i will. Let me put that bandage back where It belonga—and you keep It there. Don't talk about eyesight un less you want It back. Where the bell do I come In? What am I getting out of this?” It was a battle between two strong wills, and It was long hi the waging. But when Carpy, wiping the sweat from his forehead and, himself almost unstrung, left Denison’s aide, hla patient had ridden out the storm aud had promised quiet till the two could think of what might be done, pledging in the Interval mutual and absolute secrecy. Secrecy, however well pledged, grows more difficult to control In proportion to the number of persona pledged. Carpy swore Sawdy and Lefever to It very easily. McAJpin and Ben Pago were warned that If the story leaked out. It might become unpleasant for both. As for Bob Scott, no one.was ever known to worm a secret out of him; Barney, of course, dared not talk. Yet It will easily be understood that too many people had the story; and only the continual efforts of Dr. Carpy In silencing, through threats of what might happen to them, one or another of the conspirators kept It under covet! Jane, after the usual storm with her father, who knew what she was doing, rode next morning Into town to makn her visit to the bospItaL Denison was a poor actor. In hla endeavor to make Jane feel there had been nothing to upset him, be waa over solicitous. Carpy did better; but be waa compelled to admit that Denison had not been doing quite ao well—since Jane could see that for herself. Her father continued taciturn and aloof. Jane knew she was defying him by continuing to visit Denison, jret being of much the same tenacious will as her father himself, aha reckoned little of IL But her visits and ministrations to the Injured neighbor of Ounlock Ranch became ao frequent, end she herself was so wholly Indifferent to comment, that the situation became food for lo- enl gossip. Here waa Van Tambel a deadly enemy of Denlaon'a, with hu daughter openly showing a very spe cial Interest la Denlaon'a condition at the hospital—carrying to bias dell* cades and ■pending with him half her time In town. Things were at this paaa when one day Vaa Tambel told hla daughter be must go to Medicine Bead on bank business. Jane knew that be not able to make the trip—OarpY had told her more than once that the eld man'a life hang by a thread. Sbe pleaded with her father, found oat what the business waa, and offered to go In hla stead. She took the morning train for Medi cine Bend, secured the further time on his notes at the bank, spent the night at the Mountain House, and took the afternoon train west for Sleepy Cat The Pullman cars were crowded. Jane waa forced to find a seat la n day coach. Here ahe placed her hand bag In the seat beside her, bought a magazine, and resigned herself to n long afternoon and evening. Two men bad taken the seat directly behind her. Jane resumed her reading until In the conversation between the two men her attention was attracted by catching the name of Bill Denlaon. Her curiosity once aroused. It was easy to follow the drift of tbelr talk. Presently she beard mention of her father’s name. Aroused now to keen Interest, Jane waa torn between tha feeling that ahe onght not to llatee and the Impulse that sbe must. "Of course, nobody can prove It" were the words ahe heard. “I didn’t say they could. That old bird knows too well how to cover hla tracks. But everybody knows how he deviled Deni sovs brother when he lived there- tried to buy him out then scare him out, and then smoke him out The old devil has been crazy ever since he owned Gunlock to get hold of that lit tle Spring Ranch. Why? Account of the water. It’s the biggest spring In the hills. Now that he’s back from the hospital, the first, thing he thinks of la to get hold of that spring.” Jane listened with bated breath. Why, It’s common talk In Sleepy improvep UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL UNDAYI chool Lesson s hr REV. HAROLD L. LUNDOUIST. Dean ol the Moodr Bible Institute of Chicago. O Western Newspaper Union. Lesson for December 20 THE SUPREME GIFT OF LOVE . Christmas Lesson LESSON TEXT—I John 4:7-1#. GOLDEN TEXT—Glory to God In tha highest, and on earth peace, good will to ward men. Luke 2:14. PRIMARY TOPIC — Why Christmas Comes. JUNIOR TOPIC — Immanuel—Goo With Us. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC— Why Jesus Came to Earth. YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC— The Greatest Gift of AIL paid Barney Rebstock to set Bill’s ranch house afire and came damned near burning BUI up In It." Her heart stopped beating as she heard the dreadful recital, delivered as calmly as the merest bit of current gossip would be discussed on a street corner. "According to what I hear,’* con tinued the narrator, “Sawdy and some of Bill's friends choked the story out of Barney. Sawdy got cut up In the fracas with him—Sawdy waa laid up In the hospital for a month. Barney’s a mean devil with * knife." Tha train was pulling Into Sleepy Cat Jane, rousing herself from a stupor, her breath choking her, her heart ready to burst with every beat staggered to her feet, dazed, and sup 1 porting herself along the aisle with her hands alternately on tha backs of the seats, stepped blindly down to the platform. Bull Page, who waa In with tbs team and buckboard to taka bat borne, reached for her handbag. "No Ball," Jane said quietly. "I’m not fla lug out tonight." (TO MM CONTINUED^ *T heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carola play And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men." Thus sang America’s well-beloved Longfellow. But at once his honest heart began to question—“Is there peace on earth? Are not men and nations striving against each oth er in hatred and violence?" Were he alive today he might ask his questions with even greater fear and sadness. How blessed then that as follow ers of the Christ we are again per mitted to stand at the lowly man ger in Bethlehem town and rejoice anew that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’’ (John 1:14). Let us all who bear his precious name covenant together to “keep Christ In Christmas,” and in the giving of gifts remember God’s great gift. Let no home fail to have read on Christmas day the Bible story of the Incarnation (Luke 2:1-20). The lesson for this Christmas Sun day has been well chosen from the First Epistle of John. The “Apostle of Love” is our teacher as we con sider God’s supreme gift of loVe We note Arst of all l. Its Origta (I John 4:7, 8). “God is love.” In other words, love is not merely one of his char acteristics, but of the very essence of his being. He not only loves, but he is love. Therefore only those who know him can truly love, end those who have not love do not know him. II. Its Manifestation (w. 9, 10). “Wa may give without loving, but we cannot love without giving." God's love “sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.” Let us be sure to emphasize that Christmas cele brates the coming of the Saviour into the world. m. Its Results <VY. 11-19). 1. Love between men (v. 11). This verse presents an absolutely Irrefutable argument. If God could love us. surely we should love one another. 2. Fellowship with God (w. 12-16). No man has ever seen God, but God is manifested in the lives of men who, because they have taken his Son as their Saviour (v. 14), and have confessed him as such before the world (v. 15), have come into perfect fellowship with God. Only tnrough such lives will the world know God’s love. 3. Boldness in the Lord (w. 17, 18). It is tragically true that even on Christmas day when we speak of peace and good will, it is a fact that men and women outside of Christ are his enemies and must look in fear toward a day of judgment. But how different for those who know Christ as Saviour. Perfect love, God’s love, has cast out all fear and they may face with boldness even the day of judgment. If any reader of these lines lacks this holy boldness, why not make this Christmas season a time of spiritual “nativity’’—take the Christ ^f Bethlehem and Calvary as your Saviour just now! 4. Appreciation of his love (v. 19). Love begets love. God's love for us moves us deeply and we love him. He loved us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8). Much more then, being saved, we should love him, and love the brethren. (See I John 4:20, 21.) So “let us keep the feast, not with . . . the leaven of malice and Cat,” the nnrratiSr went on, "that he fwickedness; but with the unleav- eried bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:8). Thjn we may indeed wish one another A Joyous Christmas! Real Poverty Poverty is, except where there is an actual want of food and rai ment, a thing much more imag inary than real. The shame of pov erty—the shame of being thought poor—it is a great and fatal weak ness, though arising in this coun try from the fashions of the times themselves. Faith ia Our Fellow Man It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to some* times cheated than not to trust.— Johnson. A Happy Man Happy is that man whose calling is great and spirit humble.—De mosthenes. An Object In Life No man was ever so much de ceived by another, as by himself.— Greville. A GAIN princess lines are riding the crest of the fashio.i wave. Good news for members of The Sewing Cirole, for princess lines have always been favored by those who sew at home. And for morning wear, the timeless shirt- maker, a perennial choice for busy housewives. Check your wardrobe. It’s time to start sew ing again, and here are three top- notch selections. The smart shirtwaistei (Pattern 1978) is a utility frock distin guished for its trim lines and as easy to make as it is to wear. Suitable in any of a wide range of fabrics for a wide variety of needs from sun-up to sun-down, this extremely wearable number is available in a wide range of sizes. The notched collar ia pert and youthful, there is ful ness at the yoke, md the set-in sleeves flt well and wear forever. Send for Pattern 1976 in size 32, 34, 36. 38, 40, 42, 44, 46. 48, and 50. Size 36 requires 4H yards of 35 inch gingham or percale or j shantung. I The slick little princess model (Pattern 1828) needs little com ment for the picture tells the story. An utterly simple little af fair which buttons all the way down the front, it will make an instant hit with your growing daughter and you can slide it through your machine with the greatest of ease. Just seven pieces to the pattern, including the collar and sleeve band, it is avail able in sizes 4, 6, 8, and 10 years. Size 8 requires 2th yards of 35 inch fabric plus tfc yard contrast. The lovely daytime princess frock (Pattern 1983) is a model k which can be made and worn suc cessfully by 36’s as well as 50’s. There is a choice of long or short sleeves and there is just enough contrast in the graceful collar to give the frock a smart touch of distinction. Likewise simple — just eight pieces including the collar and cuff—this pattern ia designed for sizes 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50. Make it in satin, silk, crepe, sheer wool, broadcloth, challis, or linen. 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