Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 July 1936 — Page 28

‘Man of Truth

y William H oward Pedrs-

Sm va was so dang big, we lived all winter off'n the steaks from its Jegs,” Dad Pettingale said earnestly, “Why, 1 give it both barrels from my old shotgun ’fore, it stopped kickin’” Sheriff Jim chuckled. “That { is gettin’ bigger all the time, Dad. I don't see how you think up such tor oo Dad looked offended, the Sherist suilied and Shanged Ui sub.

_ “Say, how'd you come out on them silver-fox hides you took up to the city to sell?” “They was just $1000 worth.” Dad grinned. “But I got one fox that'll bring me five thousand alone next year. I been feedin’ him a secret

formuler and he’s bigger'n a Shet-.

land pony siready. When he’s full growed, he'll make ten of the—" “There’s Janie wavin’ for you out there: on the street,” Jim interrupted. ” ” 2

truth, Janie” . Dads ‘weather-beaten face assumed

stranger. “It’s purty bad, by garb, Whe Jour Own Sesit a8 Hood don}

This i a fine old farmhouses

Janie was a willing guide, showIng Jim Ee As e his heart beat fastseen what he was

glamorous York and other distant places, while Dad interrupted from time to time with some gigantic fabrication. Meanwhile, the stranger's mind was busy. He remembered an advertisement he had. seen in He weekly

8 the old man walked out of | paper.

the hotel lobby, a stranger who had been listening to the foregoing conversation got up from his

chair and idled against the desk. Sheriff Jim was still chuckling. “That there's the lyingest man I ever saw,” he observed. “So?” The stranger would have been handsome except for a pair of hard, restless eyes. “Nice looking girl with him. His daughter?” “Yeah. Prettiest girl around these parts. . Good catch, too. : “Money?” “Sure. I don't know what he does with it, but he's been peddlin’ them fox hides for 10 years now at plenty a whack. Yet nobody ever seen him inside of a bank. Probably the old idiot keeps his money hid under the bed.” Jim reached for his pipe and, in doing so, revealed the star on his vest. . 2 o ” HE stranger yawned. ‘Well, I guess I'll go for a walk.” “Not much doin’ around here,” Jim admitted. “Gonna stay long?”

“Just waiting for instructions from the main office,” was the casual reply. ‘Well, so long.” The stranger went out into the white glare of mid-morning Main Street. Wiping his forehead, he thought about that badge. Dangerous to stay too long in one town, even though it was buried back in the hills. But he couldn't leave without dough. He saw Janie Pettingale going into # store g few doors down. SuddenJy, his scattered ideas congealed into . a solid plan. ” ” ” LITTLE later, when Janie came out of the store with her arms full of packages, the stganger managed, seemingly by accident, to

bump into her. He apologized profusely as he picked up the scattered packages. ; The rest was easy. Before an hour had passed, he was looking . Into her eyes over a soda and giving his best impersonation of a gentleman. By the time they parted, she not only was calling him “Tom,” but had invited him to supper that evening. He had to break his last 10 spot for gasoline. The going would be pretty tough if he didn’t connect, he thought darkly, as he drove out to the Pettingale farm. Al] through supper, he flirted with Janie and pretended to believe Dad's endless string of tall stories. Dad “was at his best before a new audience. He repeated the frog yarn. “Why, son, when we opened the critter up, there was a six-foot rattlesnake and four rabbits in its belly!” “Pop!” Janie remonstrated.

When he left, Janie walked to the gate with him.

stopping over at the Opera House tomorrow night on its way to Hot Springs?” he said. “If you'd like to go, I'll reserve seats.” “I'd love to, Tom,” Janie told him. And so, the stranger gambled some more of his last $10. ” 8 'n HE next thing, he drove out to the Pettingale farm and made profuse apologies. A wire from the home office. Another expected. He didn’t dare leave the hotel. “It's a shame to waste fhe tickets, Janie,” he said. “Why don't you and Dad go?” He saw them to the theater, then It was easy! He could grab the dough, pay his hotel bill, and be out of town before Dad and Janie got out of the show. He forced a window of the farmhouse and crawled in. The safe was ridiculously easy for his talented fingers. In a few moments, he had it open. A hammer smashed the: inner compartment, and he flashed his light inside. His heart pounded. The safe was stuffed with bills of all denominations! He soon had transferred them to a little black bag he had bought. “Clean getaway,” he exulted as he

left the house and climbed into his car. Eg 2 2 ) ae he stiffened. Something hard pressed into his back—a ring of metal that sent his hands into the air. “Better give me that bag, son,” Dad Pettingale said. “Then drive to the sheriff’s office.” “Good work, Dad,” Jim said, clanginng a cell door on the sulleneyed stranger. “But what in thun- | der made you go back to the house?” Dad’s rubbery old face stretched in a. grin. “Never did trust the feller from the first. Knew he was a bad one. Knew he was t#yin’ t6 git rid of us when he gives us them the-ay-ter tickets. So I hid my gn under a bush and come back. You kndw,

that there gun is the one I shot the frog——" x

him?” the sheriff interrupted. “Well, I heard him tellin’ Janie

100 stories tall. and there he wan’t honest, by grab.

be trusted!” THE END. (Copyright, 1938 heise. Ui United Peature Synate

(The characters in thie ty are fictious)

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Answer to Previous Puzzle

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A man that'd lie like that ain't to |:

HEALTHY SPECIMEN FROM THE IMPRISONED SWARM,

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I THOUGHT You SAID ° TE ON THAT TUG LINE!

WHAT THE BLINKING BLUE WOLAZES NOU DOING WITH ; A BED?

I'M WANDCUFFED TOIT, WILLIE ZARAT'S TH' GUY 1 CAUGHT ‘IM IN TH AC

Of BSLOWIN' UP THAT BRIGE, ,——

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BIG APE - - CaN I: HELP IT IF YOuR DUMB GUARDS GET THEIR HEADS CRACKED IN

BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

S— MM Reo, VU. 8. PAT. OFF. |e? 1936 BY NEA SERVICE, INC.

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HOLY SMOKE. HE'S CARRYING SIX) QUARTS OF THE STUFF RIGHT NOW _,

THEN TELL ''™ A OUT To. KILL JOE PICKET. DROP \T. WE GOTT! FOR TH' LUVVA MIKE, EASY, DON'T LET JOE GET NEAR or ANN NITROGLYCERINE OR — / ZS

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Is \SNT BOOTS A DARLING 2 SHE WAS | [SHE WAS SIMPLY STARVED,

TELLING ME ABOUT MM SHE HAD | DONNER WITH Ht OOWNTOWN

BUT SHE KNEW IM WAS SHORT ON CASK, 90 SHE Just ORUERED A SAND-

[ AND IE SHE GETS LOOSE ~TLL PERSONALLY BUST YOUR SKULLS! IM GOING AFTER THOSE MOOVIAN RUMMIES !

“SO YOU THINK. MY TROUBLES ARE }! ERE eS AE HANG y YOUR -HAN ; ONTO HER MI

THER WHEN THEY eor OME , a TOOK HM OUT TO THE WANT A TO- || CENTERED {ny \U - BEFORE DONT YOU

INDEED! AND | [On /STEPREN <OONT] 100% A MATTER \F 1 SHOULD || BE <0 SE\%- FACY , TW

DELICATESSEN |