lesser deeds of crime in peaceful Oakdale. The Oakdale

Tribune got out an extra that afternoon giving a resume

of such evidence as had appeared in the regular edition

and hinting at all the numerous possibilities suggested

by such matter as had come to hand since. Even fear

of old Jonas Prim and his millions had not been enough

to entirely squelch the newspaper instinct of the Trib-

une's editor. Never before had he had such an oppor-

tunity and he made the best of it, even repeating the

vague surmises which had linked the name of Abigail

to the murder of Reginald Paynter.

Jonas Prim was too busy and too worried to pay any

attention to the Tribune or its editor. He already had

the best operative that the best detective agency in the

nearest metropolis could furnish. The man had come to

Oakdale, learned all that was to be learned there, and

forthwith departed.

This, then, will be about all concerning Oakdale for

the present. We must leave her to bury her own dead.

The sudden pressure of the knife point against the

breast of the Oskaloosa Kid awakened the youth with

a startling suddenness which brought him to his feet be-

fore a second vicious thrust reached him. For a time he

did not realize how close he had been to death or that

he had been saved by the chance location of the auto-

matic pistol in his breast pocket--the very pistol he had

taken from the dressing table of Abigail Prim's boudoir.

The commotion of the attack and escape brought the

other sleepers to heavy-eyed wakefulness. They saw

Dopey Charlie advancing upon the Kid, a knife in his

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