Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 189, Decatur, Adams County, 11 August 1952 — Page 4

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> 1 DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT FablUhed Every Hvenlng Except Sunday By - THE DECATUR DEMOCRAT CO, INC. j at th* Decatur, latL, Poet Office aa Second CBm* Matter Dick D. Heller --ILL JL H. Heller — Vice-President j Chaa. Holthouae -/•■„ Treasurer Subscription Rates: \ By Man In Adams and Adjoining Counties: Ona year, |s.oa Six mouths |3.25; 3 months, |1.75. Mai’, beyond Adams and Adjoining Counties: Ono year. 91M; 6 rponths, 33.75; 3 months, 32.00. ' |4 * By Carrier, 25 cent* per week. Single copies. 5 cents.

British scientists now claim the discovery ot a new gas that will\ destroy the nervous system. What we need is something to strengthen the nerves. o— Q England has increased the |ra- \ tioning of meat to 30 cent’s worth for each person per week. That should be enough for about one good Dagwood sandwich. o 0 z The annual Fish Fry will be staged October 23 by the retalT division bf the Chamber of Commerce. Committees have been named to make for the town and country get-together and the event promises to be another successful community gathering for which this city and rural area excels. - -t o— —<y—-— This year Ik the twenty-fifth anniversary ot the dedication of the international Peace Bridge at Buffalo between the United States and Canada. The bridge is a symbol of friendship between this country and Canada—a practical, physical link between the two great countries. This friendship is as steadfast as ever. 0 O"' Gov. Schricker has the right Li slant on the federal law which taxes gambling. The lndiana Executive says the law is “ridiculous” vote for its repeal if he is eleAed to the senate. Gambling is outlawed in this "state and a federal'stamp does not legalize rackets, the governor emphasized. • - .—4-o_—_o Berne’s Centennial celebration, August 17-23 will be one of the biggest events of its kind in the state. Gov. Schricker will head the list of state officials and notables whq will appear on the program. The enthusiasm of the Berne people for their city’s birthday party is to be admired. o-—o-The cars and trucks in York State, if lined up bumper to] bumper, would stretch 913 more S miles than all the state roads. 1~ ■ v The vpads measure 13,757 miles, and the cars 14,676. This condition irjiot confided to New York. A survey may show the same condition in Indiana, , -Q 0 ' The 1- city’s free parking lot on East Monroe street will be opened this week. There is space for more than 200 cars and no doubt the site will be largely used by ftuto owners. It is a good improye- . znent and gives this city another merit stripe as a shopping center in offering free parking space for shoppers. : _ i ' . -

Operation Aids Some Women Once Surgically Sterilized

- * , u, • By HERMAN N. BUNDESEN, M.B. FREQUENTLY I receive letters asking whether a woman who has once been sterilized can ever conceive a child again. My usual answer is that if the sterilization has been performed properly, as a \ rule she cannot conceive again. However, it frequently occurs that a woman who, for various reasons, was sterilized, decides later that she wishes to have I more children. The surgeon who is asked to correct this situation is taped with a difficult problem. -p. Usually Permanent During a sterilization operation, the tubes joining the ovaries and the womb are tied and cut. This prevents any ovum—the living cell which can develop into * a child—from passing into the womb. Cutting and tying the tubes in this way Is usually fairly permanent, and much scar tissue may form around them to prevent their further use in bearing children. Lately, however, with more careful and perfected surgical methods, an operation has actually restored the cut and tied tubes to their normal function. This is done by cutting the tied ; portion and joining the ends , carefully together. \ \ L Recently, this procedure was ■■ . ' ' - . tAS. \ ~ ■

~ L ’ The Democrat presidential campaign will be run by a new chairman. Gov. Stevenson, presidential \ nominee has selected Stephen Mitchell, a young Chicago lawyer to pilot his campaign for election. A newcomer in the political picture, Chairman Mitchell is recognized as an able leader and vigorous individual. His ’political career starts at the top, contrary ‘ to the usual method Os working up from the ranks. | ■. -o— — The 4-H show at Monroe attracted a large crowd and the program was highly interesting to the members, their families and fair goets. The show was well orga- , nized by County Agent L, E. Archbold and agriculture extension leaders and will be repeated next year. In thje meantime plans ? should be for'riiulated to step up the show prizes or larger financial returns’ to the young farmers enrolled id the cattle and livestock clubs. Q Q \ Not for 96 years has a major party nominated candidates for president and vicerpresident whose last names begin with the same letter. The Stevepson-Spark- - inan predecessor was a Democratic ticket. In 1856 the party, nominated Janies Buchanan of Pennsylvania knd for his running mate selected a Kentucky Congressman, John C. Breckinridge. The campaign slogan thus became “Buck and Breck.” The Buck and Breck ticket was elected and the Steve and Spark combination has its guns trained in the same direction for next November. \ -0-0-It may be hard for people to believe, but there are many cases in which fathers desert their families ) ■■■ - 1 and leave them without support. At one time co-operation between states on this matter was so poor that all a delinquent husband had to do was to cross a state line and he might find relief from his obligation. Such desertion left the duties of caning for the up to the state. Now states have joined a mutual dependency pact with similar laws on deser- ° tion. Under the pact a man who skips tint is forced to contribute to the support of his family. Along .with forcing irresponsible husbands to do their duty the law sonktimes encourages them to rejoin their families for another try at making their marriages work. L ~ " ■’ L

followed in the case of a mother who was sterilised a number of years previously. Following her operation, this woman delivered two normal children, proving that a person once sterilized is not always permanently barred from pregnancy. \ Operation May Fail \ anyone considering sterilization should realize the full consequences of the operation; that is, it Is designed to prevent the bearing of children \ again under any circumstances. A later operation to undo sterilization Is very delicate and can easily fait New hope, however, has been offered to those women who have been sterilized and who later wish to correct the situation. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ' A. D.: I have a severe duodenal ulcer which has bled on fouV occasions. I am 44 years old. Is surgery necessary? •' Answer: In your particular case, since you have had four episodes Os bleeding and have nc< responded too well to the medical management of your ulcer, sur-\ gery would probably be the best ) choice for you in the treatment of the ulcer, so as to avoid further complications. .4. ■/' ■"Pi ' ! ■ A '

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O— - o 20 Years Ago r TODAY o - — Y o August 11—Rin.' Tin Tin, famous dog star of the movies, dies at age of 14. , ' \ The Indiana senate passes bill to reduce salaries of all public employes earning more than >BOO annually by 5% to 26%. The New\. York stock market goes off again, losing aU the gains of the past week. i The Chicago Cubs are 1 only three points behind the Pirates in the National league race. President Hoover accepts renomihation at Washington and” makes a speech. He favors a i change of the 18th amendment but not repeal. Miss Mildred Galker of Decatur and Wallace Hale of Van Wert, 0., married this morning by Rev. Harry Thompson; • —o I Modern Etiquette I I BY ROBERTA LEE j o : 0 Q. What is the proper procedure tor late arrivals at church service? A. Enter the church very quietly. If a hymn is being sung, proceed to your seat. If you enter during prayer, wait in the vestibjufe or at rear of the church. It is unlikely that you ever Would be tardy

Spanish RANGEyti. ■i' -rr* I CopyrirK 1951.byL»eE Wetlt ~ J* I ft * lrlbute<l by King Features Syndicate. i,,

I* CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT THE NIGHT passed and nothing happened. Leonis spoke of it to Blaise next morning. c t “I think perhaps you have guessed wrong. Vasquez was always /A coward, a skulker. And perhaps \ your man is not guilty, after alt We wait one more day. Then we act.” "We'U see," Blaise said shortly. Just at sundown a score of riders came in from the east. Blaise stepped out of the hotel porch, stared a moment and then jumped to the street. Thatcher rode at the head of his men and Btaise recognized Rennie’s trim {figure instantly. They came up to the hotel, Rennie smiling, leaning down and \ extending her hand to Blaise. “We couldn't stand it up in the hills. We had to come to see what is happening. ’* "I'm sure glad to see you," Blaise said, then flushed and looked eu-ound at Thatcher. "See you both,” he added. Thatcher smiled and dismounted. A few minutes later in a room upstairs, Blaise recounted what had happened in town, the bargain he had struck with Leonis. Rennie listened, her lips parted. She looked at her father and something passed between them. The old man lit a cigar.* | . 1 - “Then you know who filled Chavez? Tou nave the proof?" Blaise sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "No, not yet, give me a chance.” v • Rennie looked at her father. “We’ll wait a little longer. If Blaise Is right, things will come to a head , . . It's a time to be patient.” Then Blaise left them. \ Night had come again when he found Leonis in the midst of his riders at the saloon. Blaise spent, a few moments at the man’s table, then walked to the crowded bar, had a drink with some Montanas men. He had just lowered the glass when every man in the room stiffened, listening. The shout sounded closer this time, out on the street. A man burst through the batwings. "Fire! A big one! Two barns west of town!” The men poured out the saloon, Blaise among them. A fitful red glow lit the street and Blaise saw flames licking high from two dark buildings. Men raced by, some with buckets. The wind was such that ' the fire endangered the rest of the ■

j ~ thb nacATtnt daily dbmochat. dscatvs, induna

—-—— ————4——-T_— • enough ,to eftter during the serman, but should this happen, slip quietly into a back pew. Q. Whose place is to propose 'a i Jtoast at the reception to the brtde and bridegroom? A. The best man, and members of the wedding party and the , guests rise to drink the ' i health. Whereupon the bridegroom ( 1 rises and expresses thanks for himself and his bride. Q How should one point the prongs of the work when cutting and conveying food \to the mouth? A. The projigs should point , downward while cutting the food, but should point upward as the . food is lifted to the mouth. , 'a —4 o | Household Scrapbook BY ROBERTA LEE 0 -—4 Invisible Cement ji' An invisible cement for mending glassware can be made by nleltihg h little isinglass in spirits of wine, enough td cover; add a very little water; warm gently over a moderate flame. When thoroughly melU. 1 ed and mixed, it will form a transparent glue which will re-upit broken glass so firmly ami nicely that the jointing will be scarcely perceptible. ' . Chamois Skin • Wash the chamois carefully in warm soapy water; then , press ; jchrefully on a fiat surface to dry. , Do not hang in the air or plane the radiator, as this will only

town. Leonis saw It, too. Blaise was jostled as the men hurried by. He held onto a porch support, studying the fire. Then he raced toward the store and the barn behind it. Gunfire broke out, staccato and wicked. Blaise lengthened his stride, jerking his Colt from the holster. He raced the length of the store, the gunfire like thunder, and he could see the spitting flametongues from the outer darkness. The guards returned the fire. Blaise’s gun added to the roar. Dark shapes charged out of the darkness, guns blazing. Blaise fired again and again, and had to drqp as bullets cut his way. Vasquez had struck, hard and syift. The guards broke and scattered. The bandits reached the barn, shot off the lock. The* doors swung open. Blaise fired until his Colt emptied, then hastily ejected shells and crammed new ones into the chambers. The doors swung wider. A man dropped ,a second grabbed his middle and sank to the earth. Boots pounded close behind Blaise. He had a fleeting glimpse of Raikes and other Montanas riders. There were shouts down thp street that grew louder as Scorpion hurried to join the battle. Blaise jumped to his feet and Joined Montanas. A new burst of fire came from the right as more men coriverged on the renegades. They milled before the barn and then, realising they were cut off, they melted inside. The doors closed, and instantly gun flame lanced from the structure as they repelled the charge. \ Blaise's shout called the Montanas men back to the store. “Raikes, can you keep that door covered?" he asked. "A rat couldn't get out,” Raikes swore, "without getting-shot." "Where’s Thatcher?” "Somewhere. He sent us up here. Just jn time.” "I’ll find him and Leonis,” Blaise said, "to figure out the next move.” "Vasquez holds aces,” Raikes said with a motion toward the barn. "We can’t get him without losing a lot of men.” J "He can’t get out, either,” Blaise said grimly. 1 He ran to the street. Thd thoroughfare was deserted. A man came rushing up, halted a few feet away, peering into the darkness. 1- "Blaise?” ft . ■ 41/1

I make the skis hard and dry. Copier teds If a piece of Chinese matting is placed between the sheet and the mattress of the bed, it will be found to be very cooling in ; the summer,\ • VOTUE OF RTLINCi AMD PEMJK.NC V OF PKTITIOV FOB VACATION OF At.CKVS IN THE ADAMS CIRCUfT COURT VACATION TERM, 1552 CAUSE NO. m»o STATE OF INDIANACounty of Adams, ss. HERMAN B. DIERKES AMANDA DIERKES JOHN A. DIERKEB FERN DI ERKES —w~V " CITY OF DECATUR. INDIANA A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION To the Citizens of the City of Decatur, Indiana, and aR Either persons concerned, notice is hereby given that .the above plaintiffs have filed in the Adams Circuit Cpurt of Adams County, Indiana, and the same ts now pending therein, their petition for the vacation of alleys described as follows: \ . A. The alley running North and South alpng the West side of . Inlots fifteen (15), sixteen (IS), ’ seventeen (17) and nineteen (IS) in the William H. Meyers Addition to the City of Decatur, Indiana. V.-’ , 1..* "f B. The alley running East and West between Inlots eighteen (IS) and nineteen (19i) Tn the William H. Meyers Addition to the City of Decatur, Indiana on the North, and Inlot seventeen (17) in the said William H- r Meyers Addition on tW South. That your plaintiffs are the owners of all of the real estate which Will be affected by the vacattoh ot satcl Rileys. That said petition sets forth that such part of said alleys Is not of public utility and that the same is not how oir ever was used by the public for public travel or use. That I such part of said alleys so sought to be vacated is not necessary, to the growth of the City of Decatur, t Indiana, thgt said vacation will mot legve any owner of estate within the City of Decatur, Indiana, without ingress or egress by means of a public way, that such vacation 1 will not cut off the public access to s any church, schpot or other public building or ground and that no per--1 son. firm or corporation; will be t injured dr damaged in any way by such vacation; of said alleys. Said petition will be presented to the Adams Circuit Court on the 4th day of September, 1952, and said ! petition in the matters and things in , issue will be heard and determined ' by »Uid court on said date, ’ r HERMAN B. DIERKES AMANDA DIERKES JOHN A. DIERKES , FERN DIERKES , EDWARD F. JABERG, Clerk ' Adams Circuit Court' ’ , - AUGUST 11—18 i Building Permits | Lower During July ; ■ t I • Building permits applied for during the month of July show proposed construction Hsa drop- • depi compared to July of last > yeir over >lO3, the difference, i however, due to the large sums ! expended for a church addition ■ and the building•’’..of Zion Luthrean parish hall. • For the most part, the greater i sums pledged as costs ifor con- ’ struetlon in July—about >170,000 ’ —are going for construction of new houses, the rest for the run of the mill additions to houses. i dew garages, renovatibns and i items of that order. ;\ ’ i The total cost pledged for July i was 386,835; last year ; at the kame time it was 3193,056. I

“Yes, Hal. Where’s Leonis?” •’Holding one side of the barn with the Scorpion boys. They let the townsmen handle the fire.” Thatcher?” , “Hotel, the last I saw him, but bawling for a gun and belt to get , in the fracas.” \ I ••Vasquez struck, like I thought ' he would,” Blaise said. “We’ve got him trapped, now we have to tie him up.* "A job," Hal said. "But we’ll get him,” Blaise snapped. "Let’s find Thatcher and Leonis.” 1 He stopped at the hotel. Rennie \ ' met him on the steps. She grasped ' his’arms. n • i “I was afraid for you," she said, ‘i ‘ “So afriad, Blaise, so terribly ; afraid.” She draw back and looked searchlngly at him, her voice filled ft with wonder. “What have you done to me? What has happened?” He smiled and shook his bead.- "I wondered about it, too. darling. But that’s no good. It’s enough we’re here, us two . . . you and me.” 1 “Yes, It’S enough," she answered. Her eyes searched him again. “You’re not hurt?” ' “Not a scratch. I won’t be. Where’s Thatcher?’’ "He found a gun and left—out there somewhere." “I’ll find him.” He held her close a moment “Be careful. Get inside. There might be stray bullets.” “You?” she asked. 4 “I’ve got to be out there. Maybe this will clear me. But I can’t be hurt now ♦ . . 1 know it." He turned and jumped down the \ steps and as he turned thei corner, he heard the rattle of a wagon in the street and he thought fleetingly it was a fine time for anyone to pass through Calabasas. He found Leonis and Thatcher with the Scorpion men. The bam loomed ah uncertain shape in the darkness, lit now and then with orange-red tongues of flame. “We could rush the place,” Leonis said heavily. »; ' ‘’He’s not worth the men we’d lose," Blaise objected. Hal came up and stood to one side as the three men discussed the problem. He elbowed into the circle. / "We can get him. Give me four men." J I ; “How ?” Leonis demanded.ZHal chuckled. “Come along and see. It’s an old Indian trick." (To Be Continued) h " - . ft!\ ■ » ■ -' {. ' ■ ft ' .ft .

— * i ! - . gt|Eg[R ...... .j' \ FIRST NEWSPRINT to be made commercially in the U. 3. from poplar hardwood is coming from this Paper Corporation of America mill hi Cheboygan, Mich. The newsprint tg being manufactured by a process developed in the U. S. Forest Laboratories, Madison, Wis. (International) '' V\ ; 4--— x,-—- ... VV -

: . \ I ■ ' ' Schuman Plan Heads Hold First Meeting Ask Cooperation Os U. S. And Britain LUXEMBOURG, UP — The executive' body controlling the revolutionary Schuman plan to' pool West Europe’s coal and steel resources tackled its first problems today and appealed tor close cooperation trom the United States and Britain. The nine-member “high authority” representing the six member nations got down to business on administrative and poliqy details > as the pool a—major step in European unification—became a going concern. The group met in temporary headquarters in the Luxembourg State Railways' fiv6-story administration building. The agendd included setting up of a provisional budget and selection of staff personnel iVater.the high authority planned tp begin working on existing trade agreements involving coal and steel with non-member countries; Britain refused to join the pool when French' foreign minister Robert Schuman made it public more than two years ago. But it has promised to work closely with it in its program to merge the annual production of 220,000,060 tons -....-J .i. 111. '" i

- —: 1 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE LEONIS called four of the nearest men and Hal led the way so the livery stable. He selected an old wagon, loaded it high with hay from the stable loft. Blaise, Leonis and Thatcher watched him for a moment and then Leonis slapped his leg. “Fire wagon!” He rumbled. “Til get back to my men so they’ll be ready.” i._ | Hal paused. “Blaise, you and Thatcher better get our boys ready. It’s going to be hot for five of us to handle this and Vasquez, too.” Thatcher and Blaise hurried to the store, crouching beside Raikes and telling him to be ready. Soon after Hal and the four Scorpion i men came pulling the loaded wagon to the far corner r* the store. Hal studied the building, wheeled the wagon around, lashed the tongue to the body so that the ( Wheels would not turn. “Well, here’s for it,” he said to Blaise. A match struck, flamed and died down, and then a am al I flame licked at the hay. It greedily tanned upward, a do sen flames springing into being and then the whole load burst into fire. “Let ’er go!” Hal yelled and the five men pushed the wagon directly toward the barn door. 7 Instantly every outlaw gun blasted at the wagon. It rolled agonizingly slow. Blaise feared that Hal and the others would be cut down before they could cover half the distance. But they were protected by the wagon itself and the vehicle gained momentum. It bowled' along the last few yards and crashed into the barn with a thunder that sent the dpors sagging, while flames leaped up to the tinder-dry wood of the building. Leonis and Scorpion closed in. i “There they go!” Blaise yelled. “Hit ’em!” \ ] ft He lunged forward with Montanas as the renegades jerked the ; door back, tearing them from rusty hinges. They came streaming out on either 8i d e of the flaming ; wagon, crouched low, guns blast- i tag. Instantly Scorpion attacked in a i ragged, death-spitting line as Blaise Jed his men directly toward s the barn. The renegades paused un- i certainly beyond the wagon, then fanned out, every man for himself. < Blaise saw Vasquez. The renegade 1 raced toward him, hatless, \Co I t held poised, hammer dogged back, i At the same instant Vasquez saw s him. halted in midstride, and his i i • ' . : < ■ f ■ '

of coal and 31,000,000 tons of steel. A foreign office spokesman said Britain intends to set up a “mission” headed by a foreign office representative at the seat of the authority soon. The members are France, Italy, West j Germany, Belgium. The Netherlands and Luxembourg.

rl 11

Marriage Licenses Donald Leidbr, 20, Scott, 0., and Shri'der, 18, Rockford. Don (Sigler, 20, |nd Betty Treadway, 18, *\both of Courtland, °- ' ' ' X Dale M. Bowers, 18, and Helen Corrinfa Rueffner, 17, both of Ashland, O. ’ Norman Boons, 18, and Elizabeth Ann Burke, 18, both of Geneva. Charles Trumphauer, 48, and z . 1

I — w— ''-MM VAVBAVU. SALE CALENDAR AUG. i;2 —7:00 p. m. <DST- Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Fox, owners!, 410 West } Wabash St.\ Bluffton, Ind. 6-room modern home. D. 8. Blair, ft G. Strickler, auctioneers. C. W. Kent, sales mgr. AUG. 14—1:00 p. m. George A. Hendricks, owner. 1 mile south and 'i % mile east of Monroe, rear estate and personal property. Jeff Liechty, auctioneer. AUG. 16 —12:00 Noon. Reinhart Herber, owner. 4 miles north of Poe on the Winchester Road. Cattle, hay and grain, poultry, tractor and implements. Ellenberger Bros., auctioneers. AUG. 18—7:00 p. m. A. H. Lewis & ,Waido Lewis,- owners. miles north of Bluffton on State Road 1. thdn % mile west. Cattle, tractor and implements. Ellenberger Bros., auctioneers. AUG, 19—Mr. & Mrs. Hubert Hankins, owners, 821 S. Jersey St., Bluffton. Modern 3 bedroom one story home. D. S. Blair, Ger- \ aid Strickler, auctioneers. C. W. Kent, sales mgr.

Colt dropped with a swift, chopping motion. Blaise flung himself to. ope side, firing from the hip. Vasquez' bullet whipped by him, but Blaise’s bullet staggered the outlaw. Only for a second. The man wheeled with the speed of a striking snake, sending another shot at Blaise that cut so close Blaise fell sprawling. In another second the outlaw had vanished beyond the reach of the flames. Blaise scrambled to his feet and raced after him. He wanted Vasquez, wanted him alive and able to talk. He broke through the ring of townsmen and cowboys, catching no glimpse cf Vasquez. Gun thunder still roared. Blaise caught a slight move in the shadows Ahead and he race d toward it, gun held ready, but Vasquez had escaped. After this defeat he would not come back to Calabasas. He was gone and, with him, the chance for Blaise to clear himself. Blaise wearily shoved his gun in, the holster, turned and walked .despondently back toward the town. ’f He passed the first house of the village, plodding, discouraged. He might play a part tn the future of this land but there would always be that stigma against him. Whoever killed Chavez would never be revealed. If it was Mark Davis, he had only to do nothing and the. murder trail was lost. Vasquez was gone beyond recall, out into the dark stretches of the night. The game had been played . . , and Blaise had, lost. A gun blasted just behind him with a jarring thunder that jerked Blaise half Around as the bullet whipped close. He the spin and dropped as though the slug had found its mark. He jerked his Colt free as he fell sprawling and lay inert. Then a shadow moved not far away. Blaise tensed and waited, thumb inching up to the harpmer spur. Nearby Hal King-shouted. The shadow froze. Hal came blundering on, called again. Blaise slowly brought up his feet, ready to spring. The shadow whirled, slammed a shot at Hal. and sped away. Blaise raced after it. \ He had his first, fleeting glimpse of the man as he turned a corner into light and disappeared. , Blaise reached the corner, just as Hal fired a fusillade that sounded like roiling thunder in the ntaht. ■1 *

MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1952

Fern Todd, 41, both of Goshen. ' Estate Cases The estate of Theodore Hobrock; inheritance tax appraised and filed, oniered returnable by September 2. The estate of Willis A. Fonner, net value of estate found to .be 3521.81; no inheritance due. Th© estate of Mary S. Lhamon; petition by eixecutor to sell property filed; waiter of notice and assents to seU filed; court grants permit to selj. , The estate of Beatrice M. Coffelt; assets of estate found not to balance out liabilities; courU orders sale of property. The estate of Sadie A. Snow; petition to sell real estate ffled; court orders summons returnable for department of welfare September 2. . v; —- Erosion Loss in U. 8. Estimates are that the U. 8. la losing two hundred 40-acre farms i <B.OOO acres) a day through erosion.

A figure was silhouetted momentarily against the Light from the street. Evidently he realized that , only one man was close but that others closed in. He whirled about and the gun spoke again. The bullet caught Blaise on the collar bone with the force of a sledge hammer. He hit the ground, rolled over, twisted toward the gunman. The man still stood, tense, poised. Blaise lifted his gun and fired. The man jerked. Blaise caught the glitter of his weapon as he raised it. Then he turned and faded into the shadows as nausea gripped Blaise and the world started spinning. Hal came pounding up, helped Blaise to his feet. The street was filled with Scorpion and Montafias riders, men and women of the town, wide eyed with excitement and the swift pace of events. They parted to let Blaise and Hal through, and finally they entered the hotel. ' Blaise stopped short just inside the door. Paul, Walt and Melanie turned to face him. Melanie searched his face, then her eyes dropped to his bloodstained shoulder. the Injured arm. “Blaise!” She rushed to him, all solicitation. She helped him to a chair and he sat down* grateful. “You’re hurt! Get a doctor!” "Here, Mel." Paul pushed her aside. “I’ll see what it Is." He unbuttoned Blaises shirt and gingerly pulled it back from the wound. i “When did you get here?" “Just when things were breaking wide open. Mei told me’ aad Mark about Vasquez and that you had some of his men here. We thought you might need help, what with him and Leonia Mel said she was coming and,i for once, w® couldn’t leave her at home.” "Mark wanted to come?” Paul carefully ripped the shirt away so that there was no pull or pressure on the shoulder, "You may have a smashed bones, Blaise. First thing, is to stop the bleeding." He bent down to the. wound again, ■■■ites. Mark insisted on coming. Surprised me a little, but I figured you could use every man.” “Where is he?” "He went out to find you, to se® how he could help, - Mei said hurriedly. She stroked her hand along his brow. "He’ll— be all right, Dad?” “Sufe. Maybe a stiff shoulder, but nothing serious.” ’ (To Be Continued),