HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 1925. PAGE THREE OLIVER OCTOBER Geoff But McCutdiaoa Csprriiht, Bell Sndiats (WNU Ssniss) SYNOPSIS PHAPTER I. Oliver October Baxter, Jr.. was horn on a vile October dajr. Hit parents were prominent in the commercial, stielal and spiritual life of the town of Kumley. HU father waa proprietor of the hardware store. The night that Oliver Oc tober waa bom a ropey queen reada hia latner fortune and tella him what -a won derful future his eon hae before him, but , after the reading, the nosy becomes angry nad leaves the house in a rage after telling Mr. Baxter that hia son will never reach the age of thirty, that he will be hanged lor a crime of which he is not guilty. PHAPTER II. Ten years elapse and Oil- ver s father is the owner of a business block In the town. Mrs. Baxter died when Oliver was Hearing seven. Josephine Sage, wife of the minister, causes a sensation when she leaves Kumley to go on the stage. (She becomes a "star" and later goes to London, where she scores a hit. Her d&ugh- ler Jane and young Oliver become greatly attached to one another. After finishing college, young u 11 ver accepts a position in Chicago with an engineering company. He goes to China on an Imnortsnt miitiiinn fnr his Arm. Upon hia return he enlists in the Canadian army. CHAPTER III. The war is oer, Oliver returns to Chicago and Is told by his employers that his services are no longer required. He returns home.' He hears Jane Is in love with Doctor Lansing. Jane and Oliver meet again. Oliver is reprimanded ny nu lather lor not getting another posi tion. Oliver threatens to leave home. ; CHAPTER IV. Despite Mr. Baxter's pleading to Oliver to remain in Rumlev. Oliver decides to accept a position in Chi cago. Mr. Baxter accompanies Oliver thru a swamp on the way to the Cage home. On the way they quarrel over Olivers re fusal to stay in Rumley. Mr. Sage tells Oliver his fsther fears the thing the gypsy predicted and wants his son to stay borne, where he can watch over him. Oliver de- cldes not to leave him. Mr. Baxter anils to return home and ia believed by some to have perishud in the swamp. Oliver tells the authorities of the quarrel with his fa ther, but they do not accuse him of having anything to do with his father's disappear ance. Oliver takes charge of his father's business. Three months remain of the last year allotted to Oliver by the gypsy aueen. Uncle Horace Gooch announces himself as a candidate for state senator, riends start a boom for young Oliver as candidate for state senator against old man Gooch. J. forces Oliver to enter the race against his bhylocs uncle. QHAPTER V. Oliver employs ditch dig gers to drain part of the swamp where nts lather is supposed to have disappeared. Mr. Goorh's campaign managers urge him to withdraw from the race for senator, as they reliie thst Oliver is the most popular candidate. Mr. Gooch refuses to Quit. Rev erend Sags is happy when his actress-wife cables him thst she is sailing for home. Mr. Sage and his daughter go to New York to meet her. Mr. Gooch, convinced he would lose the election to Oliver, plans to try and Intimidate htm by demanding I thorough Investigation Into the disappear ance of uhver s father. CHAPTER VI A Star'a Homecoming. THE return of Mrs. Sage after an absence of 23 years wn an "even" far surpassing in inter est anything that had transpired Rumley since the strange disappear. ance of old Oliver Baxter. Hundreds of people, eager to see the famous "Josephine Judge," crowd ed the station platform long before the train from Chicago was due to arrive; they filled the depot windows they were packed like sardinos atop the spare baggage and express trucks, they ranged in overflow disorder along the sidewalks on both sides of the street adjacent. The train pulled In. The crowd tiptoed and gaped, craned its thou sand necks, and then surged to thl right. Above the hissing of steam and the grinding of wheels roce the voice of Sammy Parr far down the platform. "Keep back, everybody! Don't crowd up so close. Right this way, Mr. Sage How are you? Open up there, will you? Let 'cm through. Got my new car over here, Mr. Sago lots of room. Hollo, Janet Great honor to have the pleasure of taking Mrs. Snge home ia my car. Right over this way. Grab those suitcases, boy. Open up, please!" Mr. Sage paused aghast half way down the steps of the last coach but one. He stared, open-mouthed, out over the sea of faces: his knees seom- ed about to give way under him; his nervous fingers came near relaxing their grip on the suitcase handles; . he was bewildered, stunned. "In heaven's name " ho groaned and then, poor man, over his shoulder in helpless distress to the girl behind him "Oh, Jane, why didn't wo wait fnr the midnight " But someono had seized tho bags and with them ho was dragged inglor iouslv to the platform. Jans came next, crimson with embarrassment She hurried down the steps and wait ed at the bottom for her mother to appear. As might have been expected nf nnn an trnlv theatric. JopeDhine de layed her appearance until the stage was cloar, so to speak, snc even went so for as to keep her audience walt i Prmcorlerl bv the Pullmnn Dor ter, who up to this time had remained invisible but now appeared as a proud and shining minion bearing boxes and irnvollnff eases, wrans 'and furs, she at length appeared, stopping on the last step to survey, with well affected surprise and a charming assumption of consternation the crowu tnat pacic ed the platform. Now. a great many perhaps all of those who made up the eager, cur inna ernwrl. exnected to behold I ., niirl radiant Josephine Judge; they had seen her in the illustrated Sunday supplements and in the pic tnelnl maffazlnes: always she wos sprightly and vivid and alluring. They were confronted instead, by a tall, angular woman of fifty-two or iri.fhrnn enralesnlv even "sloppi ly" dressed In a slouchy two-pleoe pepper and salt tweed walking cos tnmo. Whut moRt of the observers at first took to bo wad of light brown fur tucked uhdur her right arm was discovered to be a beady-eyed Pekinese." But the minister's wife wag still a vividly handsome woman. Sha had taken good care of herself; she had made a business of keeping young in looks as well as In spirit. In a clear, full voice, trained to reach remote perches in lofty thea ters, she spoke to her huabnnd from the coach steps: Herbert, dear, nave you the checks for my luggage, or havo I?" I I will attend to the trunks " he began huskily, only to be inter rupted by the indefatigablo Sammy. Don t give em another thought. Mr. Sage. I'll Bee to everything. Give me the checks and right this way, please, Mrs. Sage." Thank you thank you so much. said Mrs. Sage graciously, and, ns Sammy buBtled on ahead, inquired in an undertono of Jane at whose side she walked: "Is that the wonderful Oliver October I've been hearing so much about?" "No, mother that Is Sammy Parr. I I don't see Oliver anywhere. I wrote him the train we were com ing" A few paces ahead Sammy was ex plaining loudly to Mr. Sage: "I guess something important of a political nature must have turned up to keep Oliver from meeting the train. We had it all fixed to meet you with my car and he was to bo here at four sharp. Doc Lansing's up at Harbor Point, Mich., for a little vacation Won't be back till Sunday week. Mu riel's out here in the car, Mr. Sage. She'll drive you home while I see about the baggage." Mr. Sage had recovered his compo sure by this time. He leaned close to Sammy ear and said gravely "Luggage, Sammy luggage. "Sure I get you," said 'Sammy, inking. "But just the same I'll call it baggage till I've got it safely out of the hands of Jim O'Brien, the bag gage master. Here we arel Hop right in, Jane. Permit me to intro duce myself, Mrs. Sago. I am " 'I remember you quite well, in terrupted the great actress (pro nouncing it, "quate"). You are Sam my Parr little Sammy Parr. I say, Herbert, old thing, you can't make me believe this is Rum Icy. You are deceiving me. I don't recognize a single Oh, yes, I do! I take it all back. I would know that man if I saw him in Timbuctu. The old Johnnie in the car we jut passed It was Gooch the amiable Gooch and, my word, what a dust he was raising! " Oliver, pedaling furiously, arrived at the parsonage ten minutes behind the Sages. The minister greeted him as he came clattering up the front steps. "Ss!" he cautioned, his finger to his lips. "Don't make such a noise, Oil ver if you please. She's she resting. Sh! Do you mind tiptoe ing, lad?" "Where is Jane, Uncle Herbert?" broke in Oliver, twiddling his hat. He was struck by the dazed, beatific, and yet harrassed expression in the mm inter's eyes. "Jane? Oh, yes, Jane. Why, Jane is upstairs with her dear mothci helping her with her hair, I think. I urn sure she will not be down for some time, Oliver. After the hair I think she rubs her back or something of that sort. Do you mind strolling around the yard with me, Oliver? I was on the point of taking Henry the Eighth out for a little exercise, "Henry the what?" inquired Oliver, still grippnig the pastor's hand "The Eighth," said Mr. Sage, look ing about the porch and shifting the position of his feet in some trcpida tion. "Bless my soul, what can have become of him? I hope I haven't bee standing on him. I should have squashed him Ah, I remember! The hatrack!" . He dashed into the hall, followed by Oliver, and there was Ilcnay th Eighth suspended from the hatrack by his leash in such a precarious fash ion that only by standing on his hind legs was he .able to avoid strangula- on. 'I am so absent-minded," murmured Mr. Sage, rather plaintively. "Poor doggiel Was he being hanged like orrid old murderer? Was he " 'I say, Uncle Herbert, don't you think Jnne may have finished rubbing Mrs. Sage's back by this time?" interrupted the impatient Oli ver. Possible," said the other. "Come long, doggie let's romp a bit." Meanwhile, Jane, having brushed er mother's hair, was now employed in the more laborious task of rubbiri? the lady's back. "You have a great deal of magne tism in your hands, my dear," droned Mrs. Snge, luxuriously. "As I say, my maid always did it for me in London, but she never had the touch that you have. The right shoulder now, please." I think Oliver is downstaira with fnther," began Jane wistfully. She was my dresser, too," went on Mra. Sage, drowsily. "Really, 1 wonder now that I endured her at ong as I did. And I shouldn't if she hadn't been so kind to Henry tho Eighth. I do hope your father is giving him a nice litlto romp in tha front " Shall I go down and see, mother?" bruke in Jane eagerly. Presently, my dear, prcacntly. I shall be taking my tub in a few you say we have a bathroom now? Dear me, bow the house has grown. ow many servants have we?" "One," said Jane succinctly. "One?" gasped Josephine. "I never eard of such a thing. "One is all we need, and besides one is all we can afford. I am afraid you will have a lot to put up with, mother, dear." Josephine was silent for a long me. Suddenly she lifted her head and looked up into her daughter's face. "My dear," she said, with a wry little twist at the corner of her gen erous mouth, "I've come home to stay. daresay you will find me capable of taking things as they are. I did it once before, and I can do it again." The express wagon with Mrs. age s trunks arrived as Oliver, in despair, was preparing to depart as he had come, on Marmaduke Smith's icycle. He took fresh hope. Here was a chance to see Jane after all. "Where do you want the trunks. Jane?" he shouted from the bottom of the stairs. There was no answer. Where shall be put them, Uncle Herbert?" he asked, his hands jam med deep in his pockets. "Bless my soul, I I haven't an idea,'.' groaned Mr. Sage, passing his hand over his brow. "Unless you put them in my study," he suggested brightly. Fifteen minutes later, the trunks being piled high in the pastor's little study, Oliver mopped hiB brow and expressed himself feelingly to Mr. Sage from the bottom of the porch teps. "Uncle Herbert, I think Jane might have been allowed a minute or two to say hello to a fellow. Good Lord, sir, is is this to be Jane's job from now on?" Sh! The windows are open, Oli ver. "Is she to be nothing but a lady's maid to Aunt Josephine?" "We are so happy to have her with us, my dear boy, that er nothing I understand, Uncle Herbert,' broke in Oliver contritely, noting the pastor's distress; "I'm sorry I spoke as I did. Tell Jane I'll call her up this evening. And please tell Aunt Josephine I am awfully keen to see her. I used to love her better than anything going, you know." Then he slowly pedaled away on Marmaduke's wheel, looking overhis shoulder until the windows of the parsonage were no longer visible. CHAPTER VII Oliver is Worried. THREE days later, the sheriff of the county served papers on Oli ver uctooer. Ane prosecuting at torney had refused to lay the matter before the grand jury, as requested by Horace Gooch, but had grudgingly cceded to his demand that an official investigation be instituted by the authorities. "I want you to understand, Oli ver," explained the sheriff, "that this is none of my doing. Gooch has ob tained an order from the court, call ing for a search of the swamp and your premises, basing his affidavit on the suspicion that his brother-in-law came to his death by foul means and er bo on. He agrees to pay all the costs arising from this investiga tion in case nothing comes of it. On the other hand, if your father's body is found, and there is any evidence of foul play, the county naturally is to assume all the costs. The old man has hired two detectives to .come down here and take active charge of the work. I hope you won't have any hard feelings toward me, Baxter. am only doing my duty as ordered by the court." "Not the slightest feeling in the world, sheriff," said Oliver warmly. "I wish you would do me a favor, however. The next time you see my uncle, please remind him that my offer to give $5,000 if he finds my poor father dead or alive Btill holds, You can start digging whenever you are ready, sheriff. If any damage is done to the property, however, I shall be obliged to compel my uncle to pay for it. Don't forget to tell him that, will you?" The sheriff grinned. "I wonder if this old bird knows how many votes he's going to lose by this sort of thing." Oliver frowned. "His scheme is to throw suspicion on me, sheriff. That's what he's after. It is possible that a good many people will hesitate about voting for a man who is sus pected of killing his own father." "Don't you worry, Oliver," cried th sheriff, slapping the young man on the back. "Things are coming out all right for you!" Fully a week passed before a move was made by the authorities. The newspapers devoted considerable first page space to the new angle in the unsolved Baxter mystery, but not one of them took the matter up editorially- Notwithstanding the reticence of the press, the news spread like wild fire that Horace Gooch was actually charging hia nephew with the mur der of his father. The town of Rum ley went wild with anger and indig nation. A few hotheads talked of tar and feathers for old man Gooch. And yet deep in the soul of every one who cried out against Horace Gooch's malevolence lurked a strange uneasiness that could not be shaken off. The excitement over the return of Mrs. Sage was short-lived on account of the new startling turn in the Bax ter mystery. Acute interest in the pastor's wife dwindled into an almost innocuous form of curiosity. Ladies of the congregation, after a dignified season of hesitation, called on her that ia to say, after forty eight hours and were told by the servant that Miss Judge wns not at home. She would be at home on Thursdays from three to six. Some little confusion was caused by the name, but this was satisfactorily straightened outby the servant, who explained that Miss Judge and Mrs. Sage were one and tho same person, and that the was married all right and proper except, as you might say, in name. Mrs. Serepta Grimes, being an old friend, was one of the first to call. And this is what she said to Oliver that same evening: "You ask me, did I see her? I did. I told the hired girl to say who it was, and in a minute or two the came back and told me the barefacedest lie I ever heard. She said Mrs. Sage wasn't at home. Well, do you know what I did, Oliver? I just said 'Pooh' and walked right up stairs into her room. She got right up and kissed me five or six times and well, that's about all, except I stayed so long I was afraid I'd be late for supper." "Did you Bee Jane?" broke in Oli ver. - "Certainly. Do you want to hor what Josephine said about you?" "No, I can't say that I do. By the way, Aunt Serepta, there is some thing I've been wanting to ask you for quite a while. Do you think Jane is pretty?" Mrs. Grimes pondered. "Well," she said judicially, "it depends on what you mean by pretty. Do you mean, s she beautiful?" "I suppose that's what I mean,1 "What do you want to know for?" "Eh?" "I mean, what's the sense of ask ing me that question? You wouldn't believe me if I said she wasn't pretty, would you7 "Well, I'd just like to know whether you agree with me or not." Yes, sir," said she, fixing him with an accusing eye, "I do agree with you absolutely." The strange thing about it," he pursued defensively, "is that I never thought of her as being especially good-looking until recently. Funny, isn't it?" "There are a lot of things we don't notice," said she, "until some one else pinches us. Then we open our eyes. I guess some one must "have pinched you. It hurts more when a man pinches you 'specially a big, strong fellow like Doc Lansing. A pained expression came into Oli ver s eyes. "The trouble is, I've al ways looked upon her as a well, as sort of sister or something like that. We grew up just like brother and sister. How was I to know that she was pretty? A fellow never thinks of his sister as being pretty, does he 7" I suppose not. But, on the other hand, he never loses his appetite and hopes and has the blues if his sister happens to take a fancy to a man who isn't her brother. That's what you've been doing for two or three weeks. If you had the least bit of gumption, you'd up and tell her you can't stand being a brother to her any longer and you'd like to be some thing else if it isn't too late." "Gee!" exclaimed he ruefully. "But suppsoe she was to say it was too late?" "That's a nice way for a soldier to talk," said Mrs. Grimes scathingly. Oliver saw very little of Jane dur ing the days that followed Mrs. Sage's return. Her mother demanded much of her; she was constantly in attendance upon the pampered lady. Oliver chafed. He complained to Jane on one of the rare occasions when they were alone together. "Why, you're nothing but a lady's maid, Jane. You've been home live days, and I haven't had a chance to say ten words to you. Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm fond of Aunt Josephine. She's great fun, but, hang (Continued on Page Six) NOTICE COUNTY CLERK Salary Deputy Books, Blanks COUNTY SHERIFF Salary Deputies Travel Expense Incidentals COUNTY ROAD MAS TER Sfliflry COUNTY TREASURER Salary , Books, Blanks ... Incidentals COUNTY ASSESSOR Salary .. Deputy Extension Books and Blanks Field Work Incidentals SCHOOL SUPERIN TENDENT Salary Travel expense Books and Blanks Incidentals COUNTY CORONER, Fees and Mileage COUNTY COMMIS-! SIONERS Per diem and Expense COUNTY. SURVEYOR Per diem and expense ACCOUNTANTS Audit of Books CURRENT EXPENSE Telegrams, telephone stationery, postage TAX COLLECTION Books and Blanks .... JAIL Board and expense .. ELECTIONS Expense INDIGENT SOLDIERS Relief, Soldiers COURT HOUSE Salary, Janitor Fuel Light and Water , Incidentals CARE OF POOR Expense r... COUNTY PHYSICIAN Salary INSANE Expense WIDOWS' PENSION Expense .... CIRCUIT COURT Witnesses, Jurors Reporter's fees Bailiff's fees Meals Special counsel Incidentals JUSTICE COURT Fees, Jurors and wit-; nesses DISTRICT ATTORNEY Expense COUNTY AGENT Appropriation DISTRICT SEALER . Appropriation WATERMASTER Appropriation SCHOOL LIBRARY State Books COUNTY INSTITUTE Expense MISCELLANEOUS Overseer machinery Bonds Insurance Incidentals EMERGENCY FUND Emergencies COUNTY SCHOOL Per capita HIGH "SCHOOL TUI TION Tuition MARKET ROAD Match State Levy ROAD BONDS Interest ROAD BONDS ' Sinking Fund ! ROADS & HIGHWAYS Repairs, building, lab- bor, machinery BRIDGES Labor, repairs, new bridges STATE OF OREGON State Tax INDEBTEDNESS Outstanding Warrants ' TOTAL IS298.301.00 2,000.00 1,320.00 800.00 2,000.00 2,460.00 500.00 250.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 150.00 100.00 1,600.00 1,200.00 150.00 300.00 1,200.00 100.00 1,600.00 350.00 100.00 100.00 300.00 1,250.00 100.00 350.00 700.00 600.00 300.00 2,000.00 100.00 960.00 1,000.00 600.00 500.00 2,500.00 120.00 100.00 1,500.00 1,000.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 200.00 200.00 2,500.00 117.00 395.00 200.00 200.00 900.00 420.00 770.00 80.00 5,000.00 17,500.00 7,000.00 16,509.00 20,000.00 I 41,300.00 25,000.00 8,000.00 80,000.00 36.600.00 1,000.00 600.00 330.14 1,000.00 1,280.00 693.55 1,000.00 500.00 96.28 800.00 600.00 181.94 800.00 368.01 27.65 672.79 16.20 125.00 304.11 509.75 344.07 7.50 480.00 776.70 1,462.81 . 60.00 59.75 485.00 626.75 146.18 1.11 1,300.00 62.25 312.05 200.00 ' 214.00 12.00 302.16 3.50 8,714.13 6,452.62 2,000.00 1,320.00 800.00 2,000.00 2,460.00 750.00 sV 2,000.00 1,000.00 250.00 100.00 1,600.00 1,200.00 150.00 300.00 1,200.00 100.00 1,600.00 350.00 100.00 100.00 300.00 1,250.00 100.00 350.00 700.00 500.00 300.00 2,000.00 100.00 960.00 1,000.00 600.00 500.00 1,500.00 120.00 100.00 1,500.00 1,500.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 200.00 200.00 2,500.00 117.00 339.00 200.00 150.00 300.00 420.00 235.00 80.00 5,000.00 17,470.00 7,000.00 16,364.00 16,364.00 34,093.00 25,000.00 16,000.00 78,425.00 32,000.00 3,893.89 5,426.77 2,000.00 1,120.40 4,346.10 2,281.08 83.85 1,012.33 88.67 450.00 533.77 225.27 733.39 1,632.95 2,954.18 1,831.62 120.00 1,390.00 2,210.28 477.61 102.81 2,575.00 88.55 180.35 174.70 692.36 36,607.21 4.127.31 4,632.45 2,000.00 1,168.55 4,310.02 2,481.48 299.94 736.92 150.42 600.00 631.66 620.41 161.17 644.25 3.60 3,713.74 1,928.22 120.00 60.55 1,542.50 989.85 214.87 259.10 2,475.00 J 16.85 163.13 207.28 200.00 1,387.57 1,507.16 28,368.93 15,950.00 4,251.21 4,974.31 1,115.89 4,124.32 2,205.55 429.75 693.81 24.06 150.00 796.37 584.01 182.90 1,641.25 2,903.32 1,493.74 120.00 75.90 1,395.00 1,006.51 210.54 . 133.12 2,800.00 116.84 153.32 181.48 200.00 1,492.62 50.00 47,933.62 15,964.90 I NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a meeting of the Levying Board of Morrow County, Oregon, at the Court House in Heppner, Oregon, on the 3rd day of December, 1925, when and where the estimates arrived at by the Budget Committee of Morrow County, Oregon, here after set forth, may be discussed with the Levying Board, and when and where any person who shall be subject to such tax levy, shall be heard in favor of or against said tax levy or any part thereof. Dated at Hcpprter, Oregon, this 9th day of November, 1925. R. L. BENGE, County judge. G. A. BLEAKMAN, Commissioner. L. P. DAVIDSON, Commissioner. Estimate and Accounting Sheet rrHIS estimate and accounting sheet is made in compliance with Chapter 118, General Laws of XOregon, for 1921, and shows In parallel columns the unit cost of the several services, materials and supplies for the three years next preceeding the current year, the detailed expenditures for the last one of the said preceeding years, and the budget allowance and expenditures for the six months of the current year, also the budget estimate for the year 1926. The following amounts are not included within the 6 per cent limitation law and are author ized by the Oregon Laws: - Interest on bonds $ 20,000.00 Bond Sinking Fund 41,300.00 State Tax 85,000.00 High School Tuition 7,000.00 TOTAL $153,300.00 Estimated receipts for the year 1926, other than taxation: Interest on bank deposits $ 500.00 Fees from Clerk's office 3,000.00 " 25 per cent Forest Rentals 1,000.00 5 per cent Land Sales : 100.00 Uncollected taxes 40,000.00 n . rm... Estimated '26 Expended T "Budget I Expended Expended Expended Department or Officer Expfn(urM Mmth 1925 1925 1924 1923 )922 COUNTY JUDGE I I 1 : I Salary $ 1,600.00 $ 800.00 $ 1,600.00 Expense 50.00 . 50,00 1,600.00 1,600.00 1,650.00 TOTAL $ 44,600.00 RECAPITULATION Total estimated expenditures for the year subject to 6 per cent limitation $145,001.00 Total estimated receipts not including proposed tax 44,600.00 Balance, amount to be raised by taxation su&ject to 6 per cent limitation $100,401.00 Dated at Heppner, Oregon, this 4th day of November, A. D.; 1925. MORROW COUNTY BUDGET COMMITTEE, LUCY M. JARMON, Secretary. R- L- BENGE, Chairman.