"
The girl winced. "Please don't," she begged. "I haven't
done anything wicked, honestly! But I want to get away
so that they can't question me. I was in the car when
they killed him; but I had nothing to do with it. It is
just because of my father that I don't want them to find
me. It would break his heart."
As the three stood back of the Squibbs' summer
kitchen Fate, in the guise of a rural free delivery carrier
and a Ford, passed by the front gate. A mile beyond he
stopped at the Case mail box where Jeb and his son
Willie were, as usual, waiting his coming, for the rural
free delivery man often carries more news than is con-
tained in his mail sacks.
"Mornin' Jeb," he called, as he swerved his light car
from the road and drew up in front of the Case gate.
"Mornin', Jim!" returned Mr. Case. "Nice rain we had
last night. What's the news?"
"Plenty! Plenty!" exclaimed the carrier. "Lived here
nigh onto forty year, man an' boy, an' never seen such
work before in all my life."
"How's that?" questioned the farmer, scenting some-
thing interesting.
"Ol' man Baggs's murdered last night," announced the
carrier, watching eagerly for the effect of his announce-
ment.
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