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Show By Courtney Ryley Cooper '. Copyright by Ltttlt, Brown A Co. he knew Instinctively, for B had see the shadow of a woman, hands ut- stretched, as she passed the light-strewn light-strewn shade of a window the second sec-ond floor. More, he had heard her voice, supplemented by gruffer tones. And then It came again. It was pleading, and at the same time angered with the passion of a person approaching hysteria. A barking bark-ing sentence answered her, something that Falrchlld could not understand, lie left the old board sidewalk and crept to the porch that he might hear the better. Then every nerve within him Jangled, and the black of the darkness dark-ness changed to retl. The Rodalnes were within; he had heard first the cold voice of the father, then the rasping rasp-ing tones of the son, In upbraiding. More, there had come the sobbing of a woman ; Instinctively Falrchlld knew that it was- Anita Richmond. And then: - It was her voice, high, screaming. Hysteria had come the wild, racking hysteria of a person driven to the breaking point: "Leave this house hear met Leave this house I Can't you see that you're killing htm? Don't you dare touch me leave this house I ' No I won't be quiet I won't you're killing him, I tell you I" And Falrchlld waited for nothing more. A lunge, and he was on the your accusations on this thing until you're a little surer of It? Harry hasn't any horse. If he's rented one, you ought to be able to find that out' pretty shortly." As if In auawer, the sheriff turned and shouted a question down the mountain side. And buck came the answer: "It's Doc Mason's. Must have been stolen. Doc was at the dance." "I guess thut settles It" The officer offi-cer reuched for his hip pocket "Stick out your hands, Harry, while I put tiie cuifs on them." "But ow In bloody 'ell 'ave I been doing anything when I've been up 'ere working on the chlv wheel? Ow ?" "They say you held up the dance tonight and robbed us," Falrchlld cut In. Harry's face lost Its surprised look, to give way to a glance of keen questioning. "And do you say It?" "I most certainly do not The Identification Iden-tification was given by that honorable person known as Mr. Maurice . Ro-daine." If you'll forgive It I believe that Tm a gentleman." "So do I or I wouldn't have danced with you." "Then please" "Pardon me." She had laid a hand on his arm for just a moment, then hurried away. Falrchlld saw that she was approaching young Rodalne, scowling In the background. That person per-son shot an angry remark at her as she approached and followed It with streaming sentences. Falrchlld knew the reason. Jealousy I Couples, returning re-turning from the dance floor, jostled against him, but he did not move. He was waiting waiting for the outcome of the quarrel and In a moment it came. Anita Richmond turned swiftly, her dark eyes ablaze, her pretty lips set and firm. She looked anxiously about her, sighted FaJrchild, and then started toward him, while he advanced to meet her. . "Yes," was her brief announcement "I'll dance the next one with you." . "And the next after thatr Again: "Selfish I" But Falrchlld did not appear to hear. hall, excited, shouting. It was Maurice Rodatne. ' . "I know who It was," he almost screamed. "I got a good look at him jumped out of the window and almost headed him off. He took oil his mask outside and I saw him." . J "You saw him?" A hundred voices shouted the question at once. ; "Yes." Then Maurice Rodalne nodded straight toward Robert Fulrchlld. "The light was good, and 1 got a straight look at him. He was that fellow's partner a Cornlshman they call Harry I" "I don't believe It 1" Anita Richmond exclaimed with convtction and clutched at Falrchlld's arm. "I don't believe Itl" "I can't I" Robert answered. Then he turned to the accuser. "How could It be possible for Harry to be down here robbing a dance hall when he's out working the mine?" ' "Working the mine?" This time It was the sheriff. "What's the necessity for a day and night shift?" , "We agreed upon It yesterday afternoon." after-noon." "At whose suggestion?" Tm- not sure but I think It was "OR I'LL SHOOT." ffTNOPSHk-At Thornton Fair- I child's death his son Robert learns I, there has been dark period In his father's Ufa which for almoat t thirty year has caused him suffer- ' tng. The secret ia hinted at in a ; document left by the elder Fatr- child, which also Informs Robert i be la now owner of a mining claim : : in Colorado, and advising him to ' see . Henry Beamish, a lawyer. Beamish tells Robert his claim, a 7 allver mine, is at Ohadl, thirty- eight miles from Denver. He also i warns him against a certain man, $ "Squint" Rodine, his father's en- 1 emy.' Robert decides to go to Ohadl. t On the road to Ohadl from Denver J Falrchlld assists a girl apparently In a frenzy of haate, to change a 4 tire on her auto. When aha has ' left, the sheriff and a posse appear. In pursuit of a bandit Falrchlld, bewildered, misleads them as to the ' direction the girl had taken. At Ohadl Falrchlld Is warmly greeted by "Mother" Howard, boarding-house boarding-house keeper, for his father's sake. From Mother Howard Falrchlld learns something of the mystery , connected with the disappearance of "Slssle" Lrsen, his father's co-' co-' worker In the mine. He meets the girl he had assisted, but she denies her Identity. Bhe Is Anita Richmond, Rich-mond, Judge Richmond's daughter. Viaitlng his claim, Falrchlld Is shadowed by a man he recognises from descriptions aa "Squint" Rodalne. Ro-dalne. Back In Ohadl, hla father's old friend, Harry Harkina. a Cornlshman, Cor-nlshman, summoned from England by Beamish to help Falrchlld, halls htm with Joy. The pair find the mine flooded and have not sufficient suffi-cient funds to have It pumped dry. Later m the day "Squint" Rodalne announces that ha practically saw Harkina fall into the flooded mine, and evidently Is drowned. Harkina being a general favorite, the entire population turns out to clear the flooded mine. When the work Is practically dona, Harry appears. It had been a shrewd trick, and the men take It as a good Joke. Falrchlld learns that Judge Richmond Rich-mond Is dying, and that he and Anita are In the power of the Rodalnes. Ro-dalnes. They begin, as partners, to work the mine. In their hearts both fear Larsen was killed by Thornton Falrchlld and his body burled by a cava-ln which destroyed de-stroyed the mine. "Oh I One thief Identifying another" an-other" "Sheriff I" Again the voice from below. be-low. . ... "Yeh I" "We've found a cache down here. Must have been made In a hurry two A third dance and a fourth, while In the Intervals Falrchlld's eyes sought out the sulky, sullen form of Maurice Rodalne, flattened against the wall, eyes evil, mouth a straight line, and the blackness of hate discoloring his face. It was as so much wine to Fair-child Fair-child ; he felt himself really young for the first time In his life. And as the music started again, he once more turned to his companion. Only, however, to halt and whirl and stare In surprise. There had come a shout from the doorway, booming, commanding: "'Ands up, everybody I And quick about it I" Some one laughed and jabbed his hands into the air. Another, quickly sensing a staged surprise, followed the example. It was just the finishing touch necessary the old-time hold-up of the old-time dance. The "bandit" strode forward. mine." "Young fellow," the sheriff had approached ap-proached him now, "you'd better be certain about that It looks to roe that might be a pretty good excuse to give when a man can't produce an alibi. Anyway, the Identification seems pretty complete. Then he turned to the crowd. I want a couple of good men to go along with me as deputies." "I have a right to go." ' Falrchlld had stepped forward. "Certainly. But not as a deputy. Who wants to volunteer?" Half a dozen men came forward, and from them the sheriff chose two. Falrchlld turned to say good-by to Anita. In vain. Already Maurice Rodalne Ro-dalne had escorted her, apparently against her will, to a far end of the dance, hall, and there was quarreling with her. Falrchlld hurried to Join the sheriff and bis two deputies, Just starting out of the dance hall. Five minutes later they were In a motor car, chugging up Kentucky gulch. Slowly, the motor car fighting against the grade, the trip was accomplished. ac-complished. Then the four men leaped from the machine at the last rise before be-fore the tunnel was reached and three of them went forward afoot toward where a slight gleam of light came from the mouth of the Blue Poppy. The sheriff took the lead, at last to stop behind a boulder and to shout a command : "Hey you, In there." "'Ey yourself 1" It was Harry's voice. "Come out and be quick about it Hold your light In front of your face with both hands." "The 'ell I will I And oo's talking?" "Sheriff Adams of Clear Creek county. coun-ty. You've got one minute to come out or I'll shoot" "I'm coming on the run!" And almost Instantly the form of Hurry, his acetylene lamp lighting up his bulbous, surprised countenance with Its spraylike mustache, appeared at the mouth of the tunnel. "What the bloody 'ell?" he gasped, as he looked Into the muzzle of the revolver. From down the mountain side came the shout of one of the deputies: dep-uties: "Sheriff! Looks like It's him, all right. I've found a horse down here -all sweated up from running." "That's about the answer." Sheriff Sher-iff Adams went forward and with a now revolvers, bullets, a mask, a couple cou-ple of new handkerchiefs and the money." Harry eyes grew wide. Then he stuck out his hands. "The evidence certainly Is piling up I" he grunted. "I might as well save my talking for later." "That's a good Idea." The sheriff snapped the handcuffs Into place. Then Falrchlld shut off the pumps and they started toward the machine. Buck in Ohadl more news awaited them. Harry, If Harry had been the highwayman, had gone to no expense for h'ls outfit The combined general store and hardware emporium of Gregg Brothers had been robbed of the articles necessary for a disguise also the revolvers and their bullets. Robert Falrchlld watched Harry placed In the solitary cell of the county jail with a spirit that could not respond re-spond to the Cornlshman's grin and his assurances that morning would bring a righting of affairs. Four charges hung heavy above him: that of horse-stealing, of burglary, of high-v. high-v. ay robbery, and worse, the final assault as-sault with attempt to kill. Falrchlld turned wearily away; he could not find the optimism to Jolu' Harry's cheerful announcement that ltewould be "all right." The appearances were otherwise. Besides, up in the little hospital on the hill, Falrchlld had seen lights gleaming as he entered the Jail, and he knew that doctors were working work-ing there over the wounded body of the, fiddler.. Tired, henvy at heart, his earlier conquest of the night sodden sod-den and overshadowed now, he turned away from the cell and Its optimistic cccupnnt out Into the night. It was only a short walk to the hospital hos-pital apd Falrchlld went there, to leave with at least a ray of hope. The probing operation had been completed ; the fiddler would live, and at least the charge against Harry , would not be one of murder. That was a thing for which to be thankful ; but there was plenty to cause consternation, as Fair-child Fair-child walked slowly down the dark, winding street toward the main thoroughfare. thor-oughfare. Without Harry, Falrchlld now felt himself lost. Before the big, genial, eccentric Cornlshman had come Into his life, he hnd believed, with some sort of divine Ignorance, that he could carry out his ambitions by himself, with no knowledge of the technical tech-nical details necessary to mining, with no previous history of the Blue Poppy Pop-py to guide him, and with no help against the enemies who seemed everywhere. every-where. Now he saw that it was impossible. im-possible. More, the Incidents of the night showed how swiftly thote enemies ene-mies were working, how sharp and Stiletto-like their weapons. Thut Harry was innocent was certainto cer-tainto Robert Falrchlld. Looking back over It now, he could , see how easily Fate had pluyed into the hands of the Kodaines, If the Ro-duines Ro-duines had not possessed a deeper concern con-cern ?hp." merely ! aelze upon n hn;;-petilng hn;;-petilng and turn It to their own uc-count. uc-count. The highwayman was big. The highwayman tulked with a "Cousin-Jack" "Cousin-Jack" accent for all Cornishnien are "Cousin Jacks" In the mining country. Those two feature In themselves, Fulrchlld thought, as he stumbled along In the darkness, were sufficient to start the scheming plot In the brain of Maurice Uoduine, already ugly and evil through the trick pluyed by Hurry on his father and the rebuke that had come from Anita Richmond. It way an easy mnller for him to get the Inspiration, In-spiration, leap out of the window, and then wait unlil the robber had gone, Hint he might flare forth with bis accusation. And after tlmt . Hither Chance, or. something stronger, strong-er, hud (lone tlie rest. The finding of t tie stolen horse and the carelessly made cache near the mouth of the Blue I'oppy mine would be sufficient in the eyes of any Jury. The evidence was both direct and circumstantial. To Fulrchlltl's tulnd, there was small chance for escape by Harry, oik e bis case went to trial. Down ilic dark street the man wandered, wan-dered, his hands sunk deep In his pockets, his head low between bis shoulders only to suddenly galvanize into Intensity, nl to slop short (hut he might hear strain t he voice whhh bad come to him. At one side was a big house a house whose occupants CHAPTER IX Continued. J "From far away the drone of the cali per sounded In a voice familiar, and . Falrchlld looked up to see the narrow-" narrow-" -eyed, scarred face of Squint Rodalne, who was officiating at the wheel, lie i , tost interest In the game; lackadais ically he placed the buttons on their squares as the numbers were shouted, j -finally to brush them all aside and de sert the game. His hatred of the Ro-Raines Ro-Raines had grown to a point where tie could enjoy nothing with which they were connected, where he despised de-spised everything with which they Jiad the remotest affiliation excepting, of course, one person. And as he rose, Falrchlld saw that she was just entering enter-ing the dance hall. Only a moment he hesitated. Mau-dee Mau-dee Rodalne, attired in a mauve frock suit and the Inevitable accompanying beaver, had stopped to talk to some one at the door. She stood alone, looking look-ing about the hall, laughing and nod- j- ding and then she looked at blml -'" Falrchlld did not wait From the platform at the end of the big room the fiddles bad begun to squeak, and the caller 'was shouting his announcements. Couples began to line up on the floor. The caller's voice grew louder: "One more couple then the dance starts. One more couple, lady an' a gent I One more " "Please 1" Robert Falrchlld had reached her and was holding forth his hand. She looked up lu half surprise, then demurred. "BuT I don't know these old dances." ' "Neither do I or any other, for thut matter," he confessed with sudden boldness. "But does that make any difference? Please I" She glanced quickly toward the door. Maurice Rodalne was still talk-log, talk-log, and Falrchlld saw a little gleam come Into her eyes the gleam that ehows when a woman decides to make i some one pay for rudeness. Falrchlld's hand wus still extended. Again Anita Richmond glanced toward the door, chuckled to herself while Falrchlld watched the dimples that the merriment atUHeu, and Uieu Fitiu'uUd I forgot the fact that he was wearing I hobnailed shoes and thnt his clothes I were worn and old. He was going ( forward to take his place on the dunce floor, and she was beside him! I Some way, as through a haze, he t suw her. Some way he realized that I now and then his hand touched hers, I and that once, as they whirled about J the room, In obedi. nco to the monarch : on the fiddler's rostrum, his arm was about her waist, and her head touching hi shoulder. It made little difference wliether the dance calls were obeyed afler that. Falrchlld was milking up for all the years he hud plodded, nil tht rfrs In which he had known nothing noth-ing l. ut a slow, grubbing life, living them all again and rightly, In the few swift moments of a dinue. The music ended, and laughing they returned to the side of the hall. Out of thfi haze he heard words, and knew Indistinctly that they were bis own: "Will will you dunce with me again tonight V" "Selfish!" she chld,;d. 'But will you?" For Just n uio.nent her eyes grew serious. "Did you ever realize thnt we've ievo- oeen li i-'tdnced?" Fulrchlld wii finding more conversation conversa-tion -.qiip be ever hnd believed pos-' pos-' ll.l. 'o--but I realize tnut I dou't care "Out from be'Ind that bar I Drop that gun 1" he commanded of the white-aproned white-aproned attendant "Out from that roulette wheel. "Everybody line up! Quick and there ain't no time for foollnV Chattering and laughing, they obeyed, the sheriff, his star gleaming, standing out In front of them all, shivering shiv-ering In mock fright, his hands higher than any one's. The bandit, both revolvers re-volvers leveled, stepped forward a foot or so, and again ordered speed. A bandanna handkerchief was wrapped about his head, concealing bis hair and ears. A mask was over his eyes, supplemented sup-plemented by another bandanna, which, beginning at the bridge of his nose, flowed over bis chin, cutting off all possible chance of recognition. Only a second more he waited, then, "with a wave of the guns, shouted his command : "All right, everybody! I'm a decent fellow. Don't want much, but I want It quick I This 'ere's for the relief of wldders and orphans. Make it sudden. Each one of you gents step out to the center of the room and leave five dollars. dol-lars. And step back when you've put It there. Ladles stay where you're atl" Again a laugh. Falrchlld turned to his companion, as she nudged him. "There, It's your turn." Out to the center of the floor went Falrchlld, the rest . of the victims laughing and chiding him. Back he came in mock fear, his hands In the air. On down the line went the contributing con-tributing men. Then the bandit rushed forward, gathered up the bll and gold pieces, shoved them In I Is pockets, and whirled toward the door. "The purpose of this 'ere will be In the paper tomorrow," he announced. "And don't you follow me to find out! Back, there!" Two or three laughing men hud started forward, among them a fiddler, who had Joined the line, and who now rushed out In flaunting bravery, brandishing brand-ishing his violin as though to brnln the intruder. Again the command : "Iack, tiicfti get oa.'i!" Then the crowd recoiled. Flashes had come from the masked man's guns, the popping of electric light globes above and the showering of glass testifying tes-tifying to the fact that they hod contained con-tained something more than mere wadding. wad-ding. Somewhat dnzed, the fiddler continued con-tinued his rush, suddenly to crumple and fall, while men milled and women screamed. A door slammed, the lock clicked, and the crowd rushed for the windows. The holdup had been real after all Instead of a planned. Joking nffair. On the floor the fiddler lay gasplngond bleeding. And the bandit ban-dit was gone. All In a moment the dance hnl! seemed to have gone mad, Men were rushing about and shouting; panic-stricken panic-stricken women clawed at one another nnd f;uiglit their way toward a freedom free-dom they could not gain. Windows crashed as forms hurtled URninst them ; screams sounded. Hurriedly, ns 1 lie crowd massed thicker, Fulrchlld raised the small form of Anita In his arms and carried her to a clmlr, far at one side. "It's all rltrht now," lie said, calming her. "Kverythlng's over look, they're helping (lie fiddler to his feet. Maybe he's not badly hurt. Kverythlng's all rlKbt " . And then he straightened. A ticin tin t unlocked the door from the out- bide arid had rushed luto the dance ''They Were Threatening Me ani Fatherl" veranda. One more spring and he had reached the door, to find It unlocked, un-locked, to throw It wide and to leap Into the hall. Great steps, and be had cleared the stairs to the second floor. Dimly, as through a red screen, Fair-child Fair-child saw the frightened face of Anita Richmond, and on the landing, fronting front-ing him angrily, stood the two Rodalnes. Ro-dalnes. For a moment, Falrchlld disregarded dis-regarded them and turned to the sobbing, sob-bing, disheveled little being In the doorway. "What's happened?" "They were threatening me and father!" she moaned. "But you shouldn't have come In you shouldn't have" "I heard you scream. I couldn't help It I heard you say they were killing your father-" The girl looked anxiously toward an Inner room, where Falrchlld could see faintly the still figure of a man outlined out-lined under the coders of an old-fashioned old-fashioned four-poster. "They they got him excited. He had another stroke. I I couldn't stand it any longer." "You'd better get out," said Fair-child Fair-child curtly to the Rodalnes, with a suggestive motion toward the stairs. They hesitated a moment and Maurice seemed about to launch himself at Robert but his father laid a restraining restrain-ing hand on his arm. A step and the elder Rodalne hesitated. "I'm only going because of your father," he said gruffly, with a glance toward Anita. Tm not going because be-cause " "Oh, I know. , Mr. Falrchlld shouldn't have come In here. He shouldn't have done It I'm sorry .please go." Down the steps they went, the older old-er man with his hand still on his son's arm; while, white-faced, Falrchlld UVVuiiCCi AftUtf, tliG hud Suuuuuly aped past him Into the sick-room, then was wearily returning. "Can I help you?" he asked at last "Yes," came her rather cold answer, only to be followed by a quickly whispered whis-pered "Forgive me." And then the tones became louder so that they could be heard at the bottom of the stairs: "You can help me greatly simply by going and not creating any more of a disturbance." ."But" "Please go," enrae the direct answer. "And please do not vent your spite on Mr. Rodalne and his son. I'm nitre that they will act like gentlemen If you will. You shouldn't have rushed In here." "I lteard you screaming, Miss Richmond." Rich-mond." ', "I know," came her answer, ns Icily ns ever. Then the door downstairs closed and the sound of steps came on the veranda. She leaned close to him. "I had to say that," came her whls-tered whls-tered words. "Please don't try to understand un-derstand ftnytlilnjj. I do in the future. Just ko please!" And Fulrchlld obeyed. "Your partner's in Jail. Guiity or not guiity?" .- ' (TO li COJSTJ.NXEU) "He Was That Fellow's Partner." motion of his revolver sent Harry's hands Into the air. "Let's see what you've got on you." A light gleamed below as an electric elec-tric flush in the hands of one of the deputies began an Investigation of the surroundings. The sheriff, finishing his search of 'Arry's pockets, stepped buck. "Well," he demanded, "what did you do with the proceeds?" "The proceeds?" Harry stared blankly. blank-ly. "Of what?" "Quit your kidding, now. They've found your horse down there." "Wouldn't it be a good idea" Fulrchlld Fulr-chlld hnd cut In acridly "to save |