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Show ! . ' long for 'im to get We're going after this mine 'ammer and tongs now !" When noon came. Robert Falrchlld, with his mysterious telegram, board ed the train for Denver, while In his pocket, was a list demanding the outlay out-lay of nearly a thousand dollars: supplies sup-plies of fuses, of dynamite, of drills, of a forge, of single and double Jack sledges, of fulminate caps a little of everything that would be needed In the months to come. If he and Arry were to work the mine. It was only beginning, a small quantity of ench article needed, part of which could b3 picked up in the Junk yards at a rea- with murder. And that Story now was t Its beginning. "I saw them together that afternoon early." the old woman was saying. "I came up the roud Just behind them, and they were fussing. Doth of 'em acted like they were mad at each other, oth-er, but Fulrclilld seemed to be the innilrtoxt. "I didn't pny much attention to them because I Just thought they were fighting about some little thing and that It wouldn't amount to much. I went on up the gulch I was gntherlng flowers. After awhile the earth shook arid I heard a big explosion, from away down underneath me like thunder when It's fur away. Then, pretty soon, I snw Falrchlld come rushing out of the mine, and his hands were all. bloody. He ran to the creek and washed them, looking around to see If anybody was watching him but he didn't notice me. Tbcry when he'd unshed the blood from his hands, he got up on the road and went down Into town. Later on. I thought I snw all three of 'em leave town, Falrchlld. Single and a fellow named Ilnrklns. So I never paid any more attention to It until todny. That's all I know." She stepped down then and went back to her seat with Squint Rodnlne nnd the son, fidgeting there agnln, craning her neck as before, while Falrchlld, s.-n of a man just accused of murder, watched her with eyes fascinated fas-cinated from horror. The coroner looked at a slip of pnper In his hand. "William BartoB." he called. A miner mi-ner came forward, to go through the usual formnlltles, and then he asked the question: ' "Did you see Thornton Falrchlld on the night he left OhadlT" "Yes, a lot of us saw him. He drove out of town with Harry Harklns, and a fellow who we all thought was Sls-sle Sls-sle Ijirsen." e "That's all. Gentlemen of the Jury," he turned his back on the crowded room and faced the small, worried appearing ap-pearing group on the row of kitchen chairs, "you have heard the evidence. You will And a room at the right In which to conduct your deliberations." Shuffling forms faded through the door at the right. Then followed long moments of waiting, In which Robert Folrchtld's eyes went to the floor, In which be strove to avoid the gnze of every one In the crowded courtroom. He knew what they were thinking. Hint his father hud been a murderer, and tlmt he well, that he was blood of his futher'a blood. He could hear the buzzing of tongues, the shifting of the courtroom on the unstable chairs, and he knew Angers were pointing at liliu. For once In his life he had nt the strength to face his fellow men. A quarter of an hour a kmx-k on the door then the six men clattered forth iignln, to hand a piece of pnper to the coroner. And he, adjusting his glasses, turned to the courtroom and read; "We, the Jury, find that the deceased de-ceased cunie to his death from Injuries I vVV MR.BARNHAM " BTN0PSI3. At Thornton Fair-child's Fair-child's death hi aon Robert learna there has been a dark period In his father's life which for almost thir-ty thir-ty year haa caused him suffering. The secret la hinted at In a do u-ment u-ment left by the elder Falrchlld. which also Informs Robert he Is now owner of a mining ilalm In Colorado, and advising him to aee Henry Beamlnh, a lawyer. Bourn. sh tells Roburt his ilalm. a silver mine, la at Ohadl, thirty -eight miles from Denver. He also warns him against a oerta'.n man, qulnl" Hodalne, his father's enemy. en-emy. On the road to Ohadt from Denver Falrchlld assists a girl, ap-L parenlly In, a franay of haste, to change a tire on her auto. When he has left, the sheriff and a posse appear, la pursuit of a bandit I'lairclilld bewildered, misleads them as to the direction the girl had taken. At Ohudl Falrchlld Is warm, ly greeted by "Mother" Howard, boarding-house keeper, for his flutter's flutt-er's sake. From Mother Howard, Fall-child learns something of the mystery connected with the dlrap-pearance dlrap-pearance of "Sisals" l-arsen, his father's co-worker In the mine. He f . meets the girl he had asalsted, but (ne denies her Idontlty. She Is Anita Richmond, JudKe Richmond's daughter, Vmltlng his claim. Fair-chJAl Fair-chJAl Is shadowcd by a man he rewlres from descriptions an "Pquirlt" Kodulne. Ruck In Ohudl, his father's old friend, Hurry Harklns, Har-klns, a Cornlsliman, summoned from Knglund by Beamish to help Fan-child, halls him with Joy. The pair find the mine flooded and have not sufficient funds to have It pumped dry. Later In the day "Hqulnt" Rodalne announces that he practically saw Harklns fall Into the flooded mln, and evidently Is , drowned. Harklns being a general favorite, the entire populullon turns out td. liar the flooded mine. When the wdrk la practically done, Harry appeanfc , apparently (surprised at the turmoil. It had been a shrewd - trick on his part to get the mine : pumpod out without cost to himself him-self or Falrchlld, and the men take It as a good joke. Faircht d learns that JudKe Richmond Is dying, and ' that he and Anita are In the power ; of the Rodalnes. .They begin, as partners, to work the mine. In their hearts both fear l-artttn was M?led by Thornton Fnlrchll.t and his body burled by a cave-In which destroyed the mine. At the "Old Times Rail" Falrchlld dances with Anita, to the discomfiture of Maurice Maur-ice Rodalne, son of "Squint," sup-poned sup-poned to he engaged to the girl A bandit holds up the dance and hoots a merrymaker. Maurice Rodalne Ro-dalne claims he recognized the bandit rs Harklns. The latter Is arrested. Falrchlld Interferes to save Anita from the bullying of the two Rodiilnes, and Is myti!?od at Anita's apparent Ingratitude. Falrchlld put a . up the claim as bond, and re-uns Harry's release from Jail. They are offered I'OOOO for the claim, by an unknown party, but agree to dlxrcicnrd It. Clearing the mine, they come to where they foar ti find barren's remains. A skeleton, In a miner's costume, which Harklns Identifies . , a Lawn, Is there, and there secmn llttls doubt that Thornton v Fairch'ld was a murderer, Falr chlld Informs the coroner of the' dlrcovery of the skeleton. At the Inquest "Cray Laura," enstoff wire of "Squint" Rodalne, and an acknowledged ac-knowledged Imbeille, gives dum.ig-, dum.ig-, In testimony against Thorntun Falrchlld. ! CHAPTER XII Continued. . 9 ."I think otherwise. The Jury Is entitled en-titled to all the evidence that has any tearing on the enne." ' "Int this woman Is crazy I" ,"IIns she ever been adjudged so, or committed to any asylum for the Insane In-sane 7" ."No but nevertheless, there are a ImiulKcd persons In this court room who will testify to the fact that she Is mentally unbalanced and not a lit per-Ron per-Ron to fiiHtcn u crime upon any man's bead by her testimony. And referring even to you reel f. Coroner, have you within the lust twenty live years. In fact, since a short time after the blith of liei sen, called her anything else bu' Crazy Laura T Has anyone else In Ibis town called her any other name? Man, I npiH'nl to your" , "What you ai.y niny be true. It tuny rjot. I don't know. I only um sure of ojie thing tlmt a person Is sane In tie eyes of Ibe law until adjudged berwlne. Therefore, her evidence at i1m time Is perfectly leal and prop- i "It won't be as soon as I enn bring mi action before a lunacy court uml cniiHe her examination by a board of alienists." 4 "That's something for the futui v. In ftiHt cnxe things might be dilTerenl. r".ut I can only follow the law, with Uie members of the Jury Instructed, of course, to accept the evidence for what they deem It is worth. You wiM proceed, Mrs, Kodalue. What did yon aee that caused jou to come to tliN oonclusioii?" . "Can't you ev?n stick to the rules and ethics of testimony?" It was the final plea of the defeated Furrell. The corouer tved him slowly. ; "Mr, Furrell," came his rtiswcr. "I must confess to a deviation from regular reg-ular court roceilure In this Inquiry. U Is customary In an liin,tiest of this character: certain departures from the hhuiiI rules mus; be made that Hie i'rutti ami the whole truth be learned, roceed, Mrs. Kodulne, what was It loo saw?" J Transflved, horrllled, I'aircMId watched the ruumbl'iig, ninnchlng mouth, the staring eyes and stra.tlng V-hlle hair, the Imny, c-'io!ed hands they weaved before her. From hose toothless jaws a ftory vuis about fjo come, true or untrue, a story flint would s:nLu the nume of bis '-r i By Courtney Ryley Cooper Ceyrriial ky UtUa.lta ft Ce. Richmond to Mr. Maurice Rodalne, the wedding to come "probably In the late fall I" CHAPTER XIII." Falrchlld did not show the Item to Harry. There was little that It could accomplish, and besides, he felt that his comrade had enough to tWnk about. The unexpected turn of the coroner's Inquest had added to the heavy weight of Harry's troubles; It meant the probability In the future of a grand Jury Investigation and the pcmslble Indictment as accessory after the fact In the murder of "Slssle" Lnrsen. Not that Falrchlld had been Influenced In the slightest by the teg. tlinony of Crazy Laura; the presence of Squint Rodalne. and his son had shown too plainly that they were connected con-nected In some way with It, that, In fact, they were responsible. . An opportunity op-portunity had arlren for them, and they hnd seized upon It. More, there came the shrewd opinion of old Mother Moth-er Howard, once Falrchlld and Harry had reached the boarding bouse and gathered In the parlor for their consultation: con-sultation: "Ain't It what I said right In the beginning?" Mother Howard asked. "She'll kill for that man. If necessary. It wnsn't as hard as you think all .Squint Rodnlne hnd to do was to act nice to her nnd promise her a few things that he'll squirm out of later on, and she went on the stand and lied her head off." "Rut for a cruxy woman " "Laura's crazy and she ain't crazy. I've seen that woman aa sensible and as shrewd as any sane woman who ever drew brenth. Then agnln, I've seen her when I wouldn't get within fifty miles of her. Goodness only knows what would happen to a person who fell Into her clutches when she's got one of those Immortality streaks on." "One of those whnt?" Harry looked up In surprise. "Immortality. That's why you'll find her sneaking around graveyards at night, gathering herbs and tnklng them to that old house on the George-vllle George-vllle road, where she lives, nnd brewing brew-ing them Into some sort of concoction that she sprinkles on the graves. She believes that It's a sure system of bringing immortality to a person. Poison that's about whnt It Is." , Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Poison's what she Is!" he exclaimed. ex-claimed. "Ain't It enough that I'm accused ac-cused of every crime In the calendar without 'er getting me mixed up In a murder? And " this time he looked at Falrchlld with dolorous eyes " 'ow 're we going to furnish bond this time. If the grand Jury Indicts me?" "I'm afraid there won't be any." Mother Howard set her lips for a minute, then straightened proudly. "Well. I guess there will I It's bond-able bond-able and I guess I've got a few things that Hre worth something and a few friends thnt t enn go to. I don't see why I should be left out of everything. every-thing. Just because I'm a woninn!" "Lor' love you I" Harry grinned, his eyes showing plainly that the world was again good for him nnd that his troubles, as far as a few slight charges of penitentiary offenses were concerned, amounted to very little in his estimation. Hurry hnd a hnMt of living Just for the day. And the support sup-port of Mother Howard had wiped out all future difficulties for him. The fact thnt convictions might await him and tlmt the heavy doors at Canon City might yawn for him made little difference right now. Rehlnd the great bulwark of his mustache, bis big lips spread In a happy announcement of Joy. nnd the world was good. Silently, Robert Fulrclilld rose nnd left the parlor for his own room. Some way he could not force himself to shed his difficulties In the same light, airy w:ty as Harry, Looking buck he could see now that his dreams bad led only to catastrophes. From tW very beginning, there had been only trouble, only fighting, fighting, fighting fight-ing against Insurmountable odds, which seemed to throw him ever deeper Into the mire of defeat, with every onslaught. The Rodnlne hnd played with stacked cards, and so far every hand hud been theirs. Fair-child Fair-child suddenly realized thnt he was all but whipped, that the psychological psycho-logical advantage was all on the side of Squint Rodalne, his Son, and the crazy woman who did their bidding. More, another hope had gone glimmering; glimmer-ing; even bad the announcement nut come forth that Anita Richmond (md given her promise to marry Maurice Rodalne, the action of n coroner's Jury that night bad removed her from hope forever. A son of n man who has been cnlbd a slayer hu littu right to love a woman, even if that woman has a bit of mystery about her. Ail things can be explained but murder! It was growing bite, but Falrchlld did not seek bed. Instead he snt by the window, staring out at the shadows shad-ows of the mountains, out ut the free, pure night, and yet at nothing. After u long time, the door opened, ami u big form tutored Harry to stand silent a moment, then to como forward for-ward and luy a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Ion't let It get you, Roy," he said softly for him. "It's going to come out all right. Everything comes out nil right If you ain't wrung yourself." "I know, Harry. But It's an awful tangle right now." t . M V "Sure It s. But It ain't If a aane person ad said It against you. There'll never be anything more to that ; Far-rell'l Far-rell'l 'ave 'er adjudged Insane If It ever comes to anything like that She'll never give no more testimony. I've been talking with 'im 'e stopped In Just after you came upstairs. It'a only a crazy woman." "Rut they took her word for It, Harry. They believed her. And they gave the verdict against my father!" "1 know. I was there, right beside you. I 'eard It. But It'll come out right, some way." ' There was a moment of silence, then a gripping fear at the heart of Falrchlld. "Just how crazy Is she, Harry?" "Er? Plumb daft! Of course, as Mother 'Oward says, there's times when she's straight but they don't last long. And, if she'd given er tes-! tes-! tlmony In writing. Mother "Oward says it all might 'ave been different, and we'd not 'ave 'ad anything to worry about." "In writing?" "Yes, she's 'arfway sane then. It seems 'er mind's disconnected, some wye. I don't know 'ow Mother 'Oward'g got the ole lingo, and everybody every-body In town knows about It. Whenever When-ever anybody wants to get anything real straight from Crazy Laura, they make 'er write It. That part of 'er brain seems all right She remembers remem-bers everything she does then and 'ow crazy It is. and tells you all about It Notice ow flustered up she got when the coroner asked 'er about that book?" "I wonder what It would really tell?" Harry chuckled. "Nobody knows. Nobody's ever seen It. Not even Squint Rodalne. I guess It's a part of 'er right brain that tells 'er to keep It a secret ! I'm going to bed now. So 're you. And you're going to sleep. Good night." He went out of the room then, and Falrchlld, obedient to the big Cornish-man's Cornish-man's command, sought rest. But It was a bard struggle. Morning came, and he Joined Harry at breakfast, facing fac-ing the curious glances of the other bonrders, staving off their Inquiries nnd their Illy couched consolations. For, In spite of the fact that It was not voiced In so many words, the conviction con-viction was present thnt Crazy Laura had told at least a semblance of the truth, and that the dovetnlllng incl-j incl-j dents of the pnst fitted Into a well-connected well-connected story for which there must be some foundation. There were those who were plnlnly curious; there were others who professed not to believe be-lieve the testimony nnd who talked loudly of action against the coroner for having Introduced the evidence of a woninn known by every one to be lacking In balanced mentality. There were others who. by their remnrks, showed that they were concealing the real truth of their thoughts and only using a clonk of interest to guide them to other food for the carrion proclivities of their minds. An hour later Harry, wondering by the younger man's side, strove for words nnd at Inst uttered them. "I know It's disagreeable," came finally. "Rut It's necessary. You 'aven't quit?" "Quit whnt?" "The mine. You're going to keep on. ain't you?" Falrchlld gritted his teeth and was silent. The answer needed strength. Flnnlly It came. "Harry, are you with me?" "I ain't stopped yet!" "Then that's the answer. As long as there's a bit of fight left In us, we'll keep at thnt mine." Harry hitched at his trousers. "They've got that blooming skeleton out by this time. I'm willing to start any time you say." The breath went over Fnlrchlld's teeth In a Ions, slow Intake. He clenched his hands nnd held them trembling before him for a lengthy moment. Ti en he turned to his partner. part-ner. "Give me an hour." he begged. "I'll go then but It takes a little grit to" "Who's FslrcMid here?" A nus-cr.-ger boy was making bis way along the curb with a telegram. Robert stretched forth a hand in surprise. "I am. Why?" The answer came as the boy shoved forth the yellow envelope. Fulrclilld, wondering, read: "Please come to Ienver at once. Have most Important Information for you. "R. V. RAKMIAM. "II. Sc It. Rullding." A moment of staring, then Fall-child passed the telegram over to Harry for his opinion. There was none. Together To-gether they went across tho street and to the office of Farrell, their attorney, at-torney, lie studied the telegram long. Then : "1 can't see what on earth It means, unless there Is Kiiiie Information about this skeleton or the Inquest. If I were you, I'd go." "Rut siipHsing it's seme sort of trap?" "No matter whnt It Is, go nnd let the other fellow do all the talking. Listen to what he has to say and tell I !m nothing. I'd go down on the noon train that'll get you there about two. You csn he back by Ulr.lO tomorrow." "No 'e can't," it was Ilnrry's Interruption Inter-ruption as he grasped a pencil and paper. pa-per. "I've got a Rat of things a mile I 0i jij "Who's Falrchlld Heraf sonnble figure, other things that would eat quickly into the estimate placed upon the total. And with a capital already dwindling. It meant an expenditure which hurt, but which was necessary, nevertheless. Slow, puffing and wheezing, the train made Its way along Clear Creek canon, crawled across the newly built trestle which had been -erected to take the place of that which had gone out with the spring flood of the milky creek, then Jangled Into Denver. Fnlr-child Fnlr-child hurried uptown, found the old building to which he had been directed direct-ed by the telegram, nnd made the upward up-ward trip In the ancient elevator, at last to knock upon a door. A half-whlnlng half-whlnlng voice answered him, and he went within, A greasy man was there, greasy In his fat, uninviting features, In his seemingly well-oiled hands, as they clrclec In constant kneading. In his long, straggling hair, In his old. spotted spot-ted Prince Albert and in his manners. man-ners. "Mr. Rnrnham?" "That's what I'm cnlled." He wheezed with the self-Implied humor of his remark nnd motioned townrd a chair. "May I ask what you've come to see me about?" ; "I hnven't the slightest Iden. You sent for me." Fnirchlld produced the telegram, nnd the greasy person who had taken n pnsltlrTh on the other side of a worn, walnut table became Immediately Imme-diately obsequious. "Of course! Of course! Mr. Fnirchlld Fnir-chlld ! Why didn't you say so wJ-n you enme In? Of course I've been looking for you all d:iy. May I offer you a clear?" He drngged a box of domestic p,r-fectos p,r-fectos from a drawer of the table n id struck a match to light one for Falrchlld. Falr-chlld. Then with a bustling air of urgent business he hurried to both doors nnd locked them. "So thnt we may not be disturbed." he confided In thnt high, whining i voice. "I am hoping that this Is very Important." "1 also." Falrchlld puffed dubiously upon the more dubious cigar. The greasy Individual returned to his table, ta-ble, dragged the chair nearer It. then, seating himself, leaned townrd Fair-child. Fair-child. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the owner of th Blue Poppy mine." "i m supposed to be." "Of course of course. Could you possibly do me the favor of telling me how you're getting along?" Fnlrchlld's eyes narrowed. "I thought you hud Information for me!" "Very good." Mr. Rnrnham raised a fat hand and wheezed In an elTort at intense enjoyment of the reply. "So I have. I merely asked tlmt to be asking. ask-ing. Now. to he serious, haveu't you some enemies, Mr. 1'airchiUl?" "Have I?" "I tis merely asking." "And I Judged from your question that you seemed to know." "So I do. And one friend." Rnrnham Rnrn-ham pursed his heavy Hps nnd nodded In an authoritative manner. "One very, very good friend." "That's a lie that's a lie and j you know it.'' I (TO UK rONTl.NUKD.) "We, the Jury, Find That the Deceased Cane to His Death From Injuries Sjst.rr.M at trie Hartdi tf Thornton Fairehild." sustained ut the hands of Thornton Kalrcliild. In or about the mouth of .lime. IXi'j." That was nil, but It was enough. The stiiln had been ( laeed ; the thing uM'-h the white-haired man who had :it by a window back In Indianapolis had feared all his life bud come after death. It seemed hours before the courtroom court-room cleat ed. Then, the attorney ut one side. Harry at the other, he started start-ed out of the courtroom. The crowd still was on the street, milling, circling, dividing itself Into little groups to discuss the verdict. Through Ihein shot seruuibling forms of newsboys. lM.i7.cdiy, simply for the nike of something to take Ids mind from tlu throngs uud the gossip about Ii! in. Fairehild bought a paper and stepped to the liht to glance over the first pii'e. There, emblazoned under the "i:.tni" heading, was the story of the timllug of t lit skeleton In the I Hue Poppy mine, while beside it was something which caused Robert Fair-chil Fair-chil 1 to almost forget, for the moment, the horrors of tlifr onltul which he wn-i undergoing. i waf a paragraph lending the "personal" column of the small, nmateuilsh shet, unnouielng the engagement of Mia Anita Nutulle |
