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Williain Russlt.'
ILL RUSSIT stretched his legs out
B thoughtfully, as he sat in the big
armchair in I-Iarding’s front par-
lor, and tried to realize that the next
half-hour would decide his fate. His
gaze went to the window, where, over
four miles of yellow stubble, tbe‘little
white shack in which Bertha Randolph
kept house for her brother shone clean-
cut in the clear prairie air. His eyes
pwere clinging to that speck of white, as
tho for inspiration, when Harding en-
‘ tered noisily. V
“Strictly to time, as usual, William!"
he grated, approvingly.‘ “In fact, you
have a week to spare, I believe."
..
haven't com
"I knew
Harding broke in. "If it hadn't been
for that, I'd have been darned uneasy,
right now, seeing as I have a note f
two thousand about due. and looking
to you for the money to pay it!”
"I'm ry-m" began Bill.
."Needing the money the worst way!”
Harding rushed on. "Say, did you ever
see anything like the way them banks
have shutdown, this fall? Ti'gbter’n a
drum, b‘gosh! Every farmer has got
to run on just what he has in his jeans.
Maria! lley Maria! Bring my receipt
book, and that box of cigars!" ,
.The door opened to admit a woman
carrying the desired articles. She was
' and worn, and stooped so badly
that her hands hung.before her as she
walked. Something in tha'furtive look
of compassion she, bestowed upon him
aroused the youth's resentmen
didn't need to have troubled her,"
"You knew well enough
that I was hailed out"'
"W
, hat!" cried Harding. “What's this?
What's this?"
The woman turned, and hurried from
the room. ‘
Bill Russlt eyed him from the patched
faded overalls to, his tight-lipped, clean-
shnven face, with be cold triumphant
light in its hard blue eyes,
"1
ay." he repeated. hotly, "that you
knew three months ago that I shouldn't
es," assented Bill Russit,,"ButlI
e-’ >
I could depend on you,"
3
.this, if I swing for l
Tlaonuu l[IIrdlnS-
CHICAGO LEDGER
The! End of the Trail
By John Francis Slater
have 2. cent, and that all this stuff about
depending on me and ivlng notes on
the strength of it is just so much bunkum
that a child could see thru!"
"Are you telling me that you haven't
brought the moneymnot even the in-
terest?’ , >
“Not a cent!" Bill told him, grimly. '
“Principal and interest both due, and
rve to stun
Harding's voice rose .until it rang thru
the house. “You arned young repro-
bate! Do you think I'm going to slave
from morning to night, to provide money
for yo
e not lain around by a long chalk.
As soon as the crop was hailed I plowed
all the land again. It will be just as
good as summerfallow to crop next
spring."
“All the better, all the better!" ex-
t.
No man is going to
cheat me out of nigh on two thousand
dollars that's my due, and get away
W h it!"
"Cheat!" echoed Bill.
to cheat you?
the interest.
"Who's trying
Haven't I always paid
be able V10 pay it twice over, compound
interest and all. No man can be blamed
for a hailstorm." .. , .
"Give you nothing! You'd better be
making oft: I've wasted time more‘n
enough, already." ‘ g
rose and o ened the door, not
troubling in the least to conceal his Joy.
His wife looked up a '
e had never
really believed that Harding might fore-
close.
When thay'rcached the outer door a
neighbor was approaching.
"Hello, Johnson“ Harding called, with
careless gcnlalit . How rigs?"
"Look here!" said Bill Russit. in a low
quick voice. "You’ve called me a repro-
bate and a cheat. in there, and I“ve
stood for it like a lamb. I'm giving you
one more chance: Will you wait till I get
another crop, or not '
Not," said Harding. winking at the
newcom " ow, beat it home. like a
ood bo X
Th blood flowed back suddenly into
Russifs pale lace.
"Then. look out for yourself!“ he cried.
hoarsely. “I'll even wi you for
‘V.’
1; his self-control by an effort.
Bill strode o the born for his pony,
IIarding‘s ironic laughter ringing in his
ears.
The sun was setting as he rode home-
ward over the brown prairie, and the
chill of late October-was in the air. Ile
turned reluctantly into the trail which
led the Randolph shack, oppressed
with the weight of his evil lngs.
Young Randolph came out to meet him.
Without B. word eized the pony's
bridle and commenced to lead it towards
the barn. .
"Ilold on, Len!" cried Bill, relnlng in.
going
d the Youth, laconlcally.
"Oh, I guess I won't stay, thanks all
the same. I shouldn't be good company.
. I'll get home and do the chores."
said Len. “I did
VI:
5
'5.
u
:1
dismounted slowly.
"Say, I hate to go in!" he groaned.
“I've nothing but bad news to tell her.
lvorso than that, I promised to keep my
came back at him I warned him I'd get
even if I swung for it: and y George!"
he exclaimed. emphatically. "I'll do it.
t o. ' V '
“No you wont." Len told him, cheerlly.‘
"Start again. some other place. Half-
seed and feed for a year.’ Spare it easy."
"Yes. I know how easily!" exclaimed
Bill, scornfIilly.m-Ills hand fell lightly on
the othcr's shoulder‘.-“You're a good
sort, Len!"
rzivrim n.sND'or.i>ir was bending
over the stove as they entered the
shack. She gave Bill
from tender. gray eyrs, then motioned
. If she were disappointed she
did not nllaw it to SHOW
She had cooked a tempting supper and
while they ate she an Len strove to ex-
cel each other in the pictures they drew
of the good fortune which will eventually
come to ii man whose crops are hailed.
and whose mortgage has been foreclosed.
Their combined influence was irresistible.
Little by little Bill's face lightened. If
Bertha could take it thus bravely w
Youth invincible called to
r imaginations ran w
tho hallstorms. foreclosures and
i no
"'5 Y little
all such misfortunes pwere but
specks of shadow to make the sunshine
seem more bright. ‘
But when lJill.reached his two-roomed
shack his pay mood fell from him like
From all about him little im-
provemcnts, which he had made while
dreaming of the happiness drawing so
%a home which he had
wrested with his own hands from the
virgin bosom of the prairie. Suddenly
the house with its hopes and dreams be-
came intolerable. He pulled on a heavy
sheepskin coat, and went out into the
night. -
The stars were glittering in a cloud-
less sky. he aurora h n a pa e
quivering arch across the northern
heaven In the west 2. glow was
spreading. shot thru ith streaks of
flame. He wondered. who was
burning flax straw.
If the house spoke of blighted hopes,
out-of-doors the air was full of memories.
is
idly,
and gauged with anxious eyes its shrink-
ing contents: the depression into which
in uiliclent knowledge to
loosen up,a bowlder, and had almost
loosened his hold upon this earth. There
was not a furrow turned. not 0. tree
planted. not a bowlder built in the huge
stone-pile b w a we h work
his hands. He had taken this land in
the wilderness and made of it a fruitful
farm. ’
threw himself down in the shelter of the
stone-pile and presently fell into n doze.
When he awoke he ‘was stiff with the
cold and his contact with the hard
ground. Another day was breaking in
the east.
eating when the pounding of hoofs
brought him to the door. ,
It was Len Randolph who slid wearlly
from 0. panting, horse, with 8. face so
ashen that a cold chill settled on Bill
I‘(ussit‘s heart.
“Len!" he cried.
matter with Bert!"
“l3ert's all right," replied Len, but the
trouble in his face did not lighten. Ills
eyes seemed to dwell, as if fascinated,
on Bill's drawn face and rumpled clothes.
"Bill." he said, dropping his vote
the Afraid of being overlieard. "I Called
for you at 2 o'clock last night. Where
were you ‘ '
Bill hesitated, at a loss to explain. The
trouble in his frlen
“About that
slowly, “I was walking around the
slough on the east side, there, saying
good-by to the farm."
‘ yelled and shouted!"
“Then it must have been while I was
asleep behind the stone-pile."
“I ought to have looked till I found
you!" sold Len.
took fire last night.
"There's nothing the
Everybody came
I saw it starting.
but I lllougllt it was a straw-pile. I see
what you mean: e old rascal will
spread the report that I tired it. and it’
will
n .
Worse than that!" said Len, duily.
“'orse?" echoed Bill. uneasily. "
be darned ‘hard to prove that I
,..
E
ested. “Be-
fore tho roof fell in they pulled Ilardlng
out. Iicad all smashed in-murdered!"
.BER’I‘I>lA RANDOLPH had been sitting
in
otlonlcss since her brother left to
go to Bill Russlt. Her face was pa e
but quite composed. llutpsuddenly her
expression changed. She stiffened In
her chair and appeared to listen. The
high whine of 8. racing motor sounded
in the distance. '
“hiy poor Bill." she whispered.
poor, poor boy!"
Scarccly a moment passed before she
raiscd her head and, drying her eyes,
settled once more into that attitude or
firm concentration. Presently a stel-
sounded without and Len opened the
our.
"My
e.
‘on Warn him?” she asked.
sc:irccly'RboVe a. whisper. “TVhat dill
d -i..
e D.
"Nothing-the wisest thing.
porsl got there soon after me.
“I heard them," said Bertha. shud-
dering. ’-
Len came and silt on the arm of her
chair.
The cor-
“Bcrt." he said. hoarsely. "Do
think Bill could possibly-could pos-
sibly-:3’ The words seemed to stick
In his throat.
“Could possibly have murdered Mr.
Ilarzllng, do you nieanl" asked Bertha.
in clear tones. -
Her brother nodded. I
"Len." she said, earnestly, "if eyery
single circumstance seemed to prove he
did it-ll the very blood of the mur-
dered man were to rise up and call his
n‘t believe that Bill could
m
heard him, too: and he looked so strange
asked why he was not at home."
w hum sounded in the distance.
Their eyes met, then Bertha rose and
passed out with s. iirm step along their
An automobile was approaching in A
She recognized the driver
a. khaki-clad policeman on the rear seat
She stepped to the center of the road
to a. halt with grinding brakes.
s or
“I just wanled to tell Blll Russit that
never>wiil," said Bertha, in a high, clear
She moved to Bill’: side of the car and
on the running board slieleaned
forward before them all and kissed him
car started again, but the ilgurs
xi he-en hunched together on the
corucrnl in soldierly erectness.
'lien Bertha reentered the house the
sat down nt the table facing her brother,
"Harding's big barn’
little while we should have him free."
‘I
B
"We must find the man who really did
7..
tlonal proof against Bill that the mur-
derer will have disappeared before they